Proverbs 1:15
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
– Proverbs 1:15
Note that Solomon speaks of a “way” and a “path.” All men are in a way and all men are on a path. We are all going somewhere. Solomon’s aim is to point his son to the way of wisdom and the path of prudence. Throughout Proverbs there is a tension between the way of wisdom and the way of folly, which appears in various guise.
Proverbs 1:14
Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
– Proverbs 1:14
Proverbs 1:13
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil;
– Proverbs 1:13
Proverbs 1:12
Let us swallow then up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
– Proverbs 1:12
Proverbs 1:11
If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
– Proverbs 1:11
The tempters say, “Come with us,” and “let us.” A sense of security is given in numbers and also authority. A sense of comraderie and group action are very appealing to an energetic young man. Young adults are particularly prone to want to “do something.” If not otherwise directed, that something often leads to folly.
Proverbs 1:10
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
– Proverbs 1:10
Sinners in Proverbs are those who do not have the spirit of wisdom. It is a categorization more than a comment about anything in particular they’re engaged in. The word for entice literally means roomy or spacious. In that sense, it means to make the way easy. There are elements of deceit and allurement.
The fatherly address continues and proceeds from this verse to give an example of enticement. It isn’t the only sort of enticement, but a common one. The father instructs and warns the son about the various settings and ways in life where he will be compelled to go a certain way. Obviously, he needs wisdom to discern the good way from the bad. He is then to refuse his consent to the way of folly.
Proverbs 1:9
For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
– Proverbs 1:9
The emphasis here is not on the outward. Solomon doesn’t intend that wisdom brings us health and wealth. In Ecclesiastes 9:11 he observed that bread and riches do not always come to the wise and understanding. Wisdom isn’t a means of achieving worldly success. This is where many Christian books and messages fail when they come to the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is not written to make us more successful in the world, but to grow us in wisdom, God’s wisdom. Wisdom may in fact cause us to be despised by the world (Ecclesiastes 9:15).
Wisdom is still the way of life though. Wisdom is better.
Proverbs 1:8
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
– Proverbs 1:8
The admonition is to hear. The same word is used in verse 5 and means to hear intelligently. It means to listen attentively. The son is admonished to hear the instruction and law of his father and mother. Not only is he to hear, but he is also not to forsake his mother’s law. Forsake conveys the thought of casting off in the sense rejecting. It is a more deliberate action than simply forgetting or neglecting.
There are various layers to this verse, so we will consider just a couple. Instruction means discipline and can refer to training and correction. It encompasses the whole life training received from parents. A degree of humility is enjoined upon the son. He must acknowledge the greater wisdom of father and mother and submit to it, rather than rejecting it. The verse also hints to the fact that the son will encounter other ways, which will compel him. That is made plain in verse 10 and throughout this section. As he is assailed by other ways of folly, he is to cling to the wisdom of father and mother.
Lastly, the picture presented is neither of parental infallibility nor of lifelong spoon-feeding of children by their parents. The essence of wisdom is discernment and when coupled with the fear of God, leads to discerning the way of righteousness. The earnest desire and plea for the father is for the son to grow in wisdom. He wants him to mature and come to the full stature of a man not blown about by every wind of philosophy. This is plain in places like Proverbs 4:7 and Proverbs 2:1-5.
Proverbs 1:16
Posted by Jeff Short on May 18, 2016 · Leave a Comment
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
The end goal for the company was the treasure (Proverbs 1:13-14). Solomon later identifies their motivation by being “greedy for gain” (Proverbs 1:19). Their greed has so clouded their judgment and overridden their sense that they are quick to commit other crimes in order to achieve their end. Robbing a rich house sounds appealing but shedding blood sounds repelling. However, shedding blood might be necessary in order to rob the house. In that case, they’re quick to shed blood. Solomon exposes the way of folly as a complicated and compounded way of evil.– Proverbs 1:16
Listen to the Proverbs sermon series
Share this:
Filed under 1, Proverbs, Short Comments · Tagged with Commentary, Proverbs, Temptation, Wisdom