Scripture Reading(s)
Proverbs 1:7-19
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
9 for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck.
do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we shall find all precious goods,
we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot among us;
we will all have one purse”—
16 for their feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
17 For in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood;
they set an ambush for their own lives.
it takes away the life of its possessors.
Reflections
Saying no to sin and choosing to exercise wisdom is a major challenge in the Christian life. Wisdom is not something that comes naturally and our fleshly desires are constantly craving sin because it is readily available and as humans we are prone to weakness. Yet, this passage gives us a way in which we can say no to temptation and choose to walk in a way that is wise and honoring to God.
One of the main lessons that stand out in this Proverb is that when one chooses to give into temptation and walk in a way that is evil, they are setting themselves up for their own destruction and demise. Verse 18 shows how walking in evil can only take you so far. At the end of the day, sin will always find its gain over you if you continue to indulge in it.
As Christians the reason why verse 10 that says “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent” are so simply written out is because the command is simple. The way to avoid sin and temptation is to simply say no and by God’s Grace walk away. He gives us the tools and strength to avoid temptation and this passage paints a very clear picture as to what happens to those who do not walk in wisdom.
It is a fight to live the Christian life, yet God gives us the right amount of Grace to face each day.
The Proverbs were compiled over centuries of living and collecting wisdom. The focal point of this passage was summed up by the teacher who spoke to his son.
Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
it takes away the life of its possessors. (Prv 1:19)
Those who seek to gain what they did not earn will not come out in the long run better off. Rather, they will have condemned themselves before God and before man and they will start on a path that will be almost impossible to leave. This is why leaving gangs or crime groups is so difficult; it’s more than just a bad act. It will take over your life. Your living will now be to maintain your lies, your life style, and trying not to get arrested. The people you join with to do these crimes will also drag you back. Once you leave you became a liability to those who stayed since you have information.
The love of money is the root of evil. Whether you come by it legitimately or by taking from others, this greed will own you. Like the uncontrollable anger that consumed Cain towards his brother, Abel; we must overcome the temptation of all sin and greed.
Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. (Genesis 4:7)