The Bible was written in times when the culture was very conservative. For bible believers, the culture remains the same, however, we take up more of the spirit of what was taught rather than following the letter for its own sake e.g. Violence, physical or psychological even if just once, are grounds for separation unlike during biblical times.
The vows of "in good or bad", and "in poverty or wealth", are just words that are ignored for better pastures when a partner falls on hard times. We are really in a miserable state as far as marriage unions are concerned. Anyway, on to the general folly of adultery as Proverbs sees it.
On Adultery folly
Proverbs 5:1-23
Verses 10-13 are the encounter. Then out comes the woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute with crafty intent. She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home, now on the street, now on the square, at every corner she lurks.
Verses 21:23 with persuasive words she leads him astray- he follows her like an ox going to the slaughter.
All of this is the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. The lie here is that there is no judgment, no eternal death. He is thinking with his glands and not his brain.
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On The wrong way and the right way Proverbs 4:1-9
Living is life both on earth and eternally. The way of the wicked perishes because God is not there. Outside the pale of God’s presence, there is death. Get wisdom, get understanding, and don’t let it go. Persevere and she will protect you, love her and she will watch over you. Make a decision to gain wisdom at any cost. Christ represents absolute wisdom.
On the Admonition to Keep to the Right Path Proverbs 4:10-19
A great writer wrote, “the steps that we make and the path we take depends not only on what we have inherited but also on where we want to go.” You have to decide that you will stay on this path. The “way” is the disposition of your heart.
It is not something you do but something that comes from inside you. To determine the “way” that one chooses, simply ask questions such as:
- Who do you associate with?
- Who do you honour and not honour? Who do you give your social weight to?
The way you choose determines where you end up. When you enter the path of the wicked, there is a hardening of the heart as sin takes over. Hardening simply means, getting used to it.
Sin is addictive and in time, it is what you will desire all the time. The addiction changes you into another person. The enveloping darkness becomes so overwhelming that one no longer understands what makes them stumble. The converse is true for wisdom. When walking in wisdom, it gets brighter and brighter until in full light.
The world does not understand that they have taken the light of Christ out of the culture and they don’t know why they have violence, suicides, shootings, raping, etc. They trust to find a solution in science and sociology instead of biblical ethics.
On an exhortation to stay on the right path Proverbs 4:20-27
Watch over your ear, eye, heart, and foot; be watchful of all your senses and keep each part away from evil solicitations. How you might ask? Well, guard:
- What u watch
- What u read
- Where u go
- What u hear
There is a reason why spiritual retreats are meant to be quiet. Everything flows from the heart and it forms all our actions. Guard your heart with fervency. A TV is a media box; too much exposure to it and the things of the world will lead to our hearts turning to stone.
On The wrong way and the right way Proverbs 15:30-16:15
A messenger is a wise person and it is the light in his eyes that speaks of his vitality his joy and his life. The light of the wise leads to light in the King's face. God rules morally. His son has the same sensibilities, in this case, the ultimate son, Christ. Jesus mediates the Kingdom of God today; he exercises God's sovereignty and morality.
You might be righteous and have little in material terms; this is just the way it is. Implying that the wicked have wealth, health, and prosperity and the righteous don’t. This however does not mean that in the fullness of time, justice will not be done, whether on earth or thereafter.
Plans are all well and good, but it is God who determines their outcome. Even the best-laid plans go awry. The Lord rules over all and his sovereignty is moral. Sovereignty is exercised through the King, who has power over life and death. Jesus is the perfect exemplar of God's sovereignty.
The light of the eyes refers to the sage doing the teaching. Whoever heeds his instructions will make his home among the wise. To bed and to rise, you listen to the words of the wise. You are constantly living in the context of wisdom. This is a gift from God, he allows us to see and hear; both a gift as well as a gift of faith.
Verses 4-6 Commit to the Lord, whatever you do and he will establish your plans. He will guide you in the way that you will go.
There are two concerns, what you do and what you say. What is human and what is spirit is linked by the heart; the point of volition. Speak and act with pure motives, but recognize human delusion. Depend on God to think and act ethically.
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The fear of IAM helps one to avoid evil. Forgiveness is available for those who are proud of heart. To get past one’s sin, one must atone. Atoning means repentance for past sins in line with Christ's teachings and not the sacrificial system but rather by ethics towards your neighbour. And the way to avoid future sin is through the fear of the lord
We cover past sin with a new lifestyle and for the future, we avoid sin through fear of the Lord. Through love and faithfulness, we cover past sins. We commit and trust him to guide us in pursuing this new and unfamiliar way of doing things.
God's judgment is rooted in His moral sensibilities. He hates the proud because they fail to acknowledge his majesty and consider themselves superior to a similar creation. This is the root cause of human unethical behavior because we believe that we are self-sufficient apart from God. The righteous do not avenge themselves; they depend on God, and he is the one who does it. Their enemies make peace with them.
Verses 8 and 9 We must always look toward the end of the matter. The righteous have little now, having lost much to injustice, while the unrighteous can have much now, but it is only for a little while. Retribution and reward are not immediate. We don’t know God's time and we cannot fault his mercy on those that are unrighteous.
A man may plot his road to the last detail but he cannot implement his planning unless it coincides with I AM’s ethical plan.
We continue in the next post
Enjoy