June 1, 2016

Proverbs 5:1-6

Rachel Workman: My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
    listen carefully to my wise counsel.
Then you will show discernment,
    and your lips will express what you’ve learned.
For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,
    and her mouth is smoother than oil.
But in the end she is as bitter as poison,
    as dangerous as a double-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
    her steps lead straight to the grave.[a]
For she cares nothing about the path to life.
    She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.

Nothing good comes from sexual discrepancies of any sort. There isn't a gift that God has given us that is more abused than sex. It's very disheartening.

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John Burnett:  My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
    turn your ear to my words of insight,
that you may maintain discretion
    and your lips may preserve knowledge.
For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil;  This is what the voice sounds like when temptation is trying to talk you into sinning with your eyes and thoughts.
but in the end she is bitter as gall,
    sharp as a double-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
    her steps lead straight to the grave.  Serious consequences and again we have reference to the sinner being blind as to what is happening to them.
She gives no thought to the way of life;
    her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.


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Krista Cook:  My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
    listen carefully to my wise counsel.
Then you will show discernment,
- We all need to be praying for spiritual discernment each day and most definitely teaching our kids how to be discerning in all they are faced with.

    and your lips will express what you’ve learned.
For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,
    and her mouth is smoother than oil.
But in the end she is as bitter as poison,
    as dangerous as a double-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
    her steps lead straight to the grave.[a]
For she cares nothing about the path to life.
    She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.
- Beware of those who only talk the talk but do not walk the walk.  Actions speak much louder than words.

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Mike Grimm:  5 My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
    turn your ear to my words of insight,
that you may maintain discretion
    and your lips may preserve knowledge.
For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil; This “adulteress” is a prostitute. Proverbs includes many warnings against illicit sex for several reasons. First, a prostitute’s charm is used as an example of any temptation to do wrong or to leave the pursuit of wisdom. Second, sexual immorality of any kind was AND still is extremely dangerous. It destroys family life. It erodes a person’s ability to love. It degrades human beings and turns them into objects. It can lead to disease and unwanted children. Third and I think most importantly, sexual immorality is against God’s law.
but in the end she is bitter as gall,
    sharp as a double-edged sword. No good comes out of marital infidelity. No good comes from disregarding God’s covenant. No good comes from thinking oneself an exception to the standards of faithfulness and obedience that God has laid down for both marriage and relationship with Him. God has constructed the universe with moral structures as unbreakable as the scientific laws that govern matter and energy. The Biblical commands to sexual purity, marital fidelity, and spiritual holiness were not given to restrict life and take away joy. They were given because God created for wholeness and holiness, because purity and focus and joy are only possible when we live within the structures of the moral universe God has created. Proverbs did not philosophize about this in theological or abstract terms. The author simply warns of the devastating consequences of wrong sexual choices.
Her feet go down to death;
    her steps lead straight to the grave.
She gives no thought to the way of life;
    her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.
Verses 5-14 catalog some of the consequences of succumbing to the strange woman. That the first consequence mentioned in verse 5 is "death" which should be a sobering thought to all of us. As the Old Testament writers often did, the author went straight to the bottom line. Following the footsteps of the strange woman would lead to the grave.
We all need to be on guard against those who use flattery and smooth speech (lips that drip honey) that would lead us into sin. The best advice is to take a detour and even avoid conversation with such people.


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Tomorrow’s reading for Proverbs 5:7-14  

Now then, my sons, listen to me;
    do not turn aside from what I say.
Keep to a path far from her,
    do not go near the door of her house,
lest you lose your honor to others
    and your dignity[a] to one who is cruel,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
    and your toil enrich the house of another.
11 At the end of your life you will groan,
    when your flesh and body are spent.
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!
    How my heart spurned correction!
13 I would not obey my teachers
    or turn my ear to my instructors.
14 And I was soon in serious trouble
    in the assembly of God’s people.”

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