Proverbs 6 - Reflections
Proverbs 6:1-19 Warnings Against Folly
1My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
2Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
3Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
4Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
12A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
13He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
14Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
15Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
16These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
An Approach to Debt - Verses 1-5
1. Implied – Avoid it.
2. Explicit – Free yourself and, in order to do that you must often …
3. Humble yourself and
4. Deprive yourself.
The Value: FREEDOM. Debt is slavery.
How to Stay Free – Go to the ANT Verses 6-8
1. The Attitude of the Ant – Hard work pays.
2. The Nature of the Ant – Work in cooperation.
3. The Timing of the Ant – Work with a sense of seasons.
Developing a Work Ethic Verse 9
You need to get up in the morning and get going.
Verses 10-11 – Otherwise you will get poor quickly.
Poverty and laziness are related.
The Scoundrel and Villain Verses 12-15
1. His profile –Observe his mouth, eyes, feet, and fingers – Something external always betrays a person of evil intent.
a. He is “playing games with the truth and avoiding it at all costs.
b. He probably thinks he is cute.
2. His heart and intention
a. deceit and
b. dissension.
3. His outcome – disaster.
What Irks God? Verses 16-19
1. haughty eyes,
2. a lying tongue,
3. hands that shed innocent blood,
4. a heart that devises wicked schemes,
5. feet that are quick to rush into evil,
6. a false witness who pours out lies
7. and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
Lessons from this part of the Chapter
1. Debt, while sometimes a necessity, is something to avoid because it creates slavery. We live in a day of easy credit and we confuse that with “free money.” It ‘taint so.
2. If you are in serious debt, getting out of that debt should be something you are willing to spend time, energy, and emotional capital on.
3. Work is the road to financial freedom. Developing a strong work ethic is a necessity to success in life.
4. Honesty in human relationships and communications is highly valued by God.
God is interested in our character and in developing our character. It irks him when people set out to be “trouble makers,” always stirring things
Proverbs 6:20-35
20My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
21Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
22When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
26For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.
27Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
29So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
Shades of Mark Twain - Verses 20-23 Twain said “When I was 17, I thought my father to be the most stupid man alive. When I turned 21, I couldn't believe how much he had learned in 4 years.”
Big Idea: Your parents have learned a lot in a few short years. Listen to them!
How L.U.S.T. Works: - Verses 23-35 © 1999, International Bible Society (NIV)
L =Lies that captivate us and create an obsession. We must stay on guard against it, because it is a form of intoxication and it distorts our reality.
24 keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife.
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes,
U =Uselessness – This kind of sin uses us up.
26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?
S =Stealing – We’re taking what is not ours.
29 So is he who sleeps with another man's wife; No one who touches her will go unpunished.
30 Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
T =Trouble – It leads to all sorts of trouble.
32 But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.
33 Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away;
34 for jealousy arouses a husband's fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will not accept any compensation e will refuse the bribe, however great it is.
No comments:
Post a Comment