Meditation on Proverbs 5-7
This summer I challenged the students to read one chapter of the Bible each day and write at least a 2-sentence meditation on a verse that stuck out. If they didn’t have a plan, I challenged them to start with Proverbs. I love the book of Proverbs because it gives practical wisdom.
I had a professor who said the book of Proverbs is a creative way to teach the commands of God to the people of God. It is the Torah applied to the lives of those who follow Yahweh. Chapters 5-7 teach a lot about purity, so I mediated on ways the author teaches his son to be sexually pure.
Purity may not be your struggle but the truths in these proverbs can apply to any sin we struggle with.
Fear the Lord (1:7,29; 2:5; 3:7; 8:13; 9:10; 10:27; 14:2, 26-27; 15:16, 33; 16:6; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17; 24:21; 31:30)
A phrase that is repeated multiple times in the book is “the fear of the Lord.” One who fears the Lord: loves knowledge and instruction; has humility; trusts God; leans not on their own understanding; hates evil; walks in uprightness; finds life and contentment. It means we order our lives the way God wants us to order our lives and submit to His authority. God is foundational to the pursuit of purity in all areas of life.
Listen to the teaching of spiritual mentors (5:1,7; 6:20; 7:1, 24)
Another phrase that is repeated in the book of Proverbs is “my son” followed by a call to listen to instruction or keep the commandments. I believe this is teaching for sons and daughters not just sons. Fathers and Mothers are called to teach their children to overcome sin. Some people don’t have the gift of parents who are following Christ. This is a call to listen to spiritual mentors in your life. Sometime mentors speak hard truths.
Do not listen to the words of an adulteress woman (5:3,6:24, 7:5, 7:21)
Contrary to hard truth are smooth words that are sweet to the taste. These words are persuasive! Do not listen to the words you want to hear. Seek out people who are living out truth.
Keep away from Sin (5:7-8; 7:8-9)
Do not go near the thing causing temptation. So often we think we withstand temptation. We pass by hoping we can sneak a peek. We reason with ourselves. Just one look won’t hurt us! We see how close we can get to the line instead of moving away.
God sees your actions (5:21)
This is a great reminder that God sees you when you sin. He sees every action. He knows the motivations of our heart. He knows that we don’t just stumble into sin. We sometimes make conscious choices that lead us down the path of sin. What a horrifying thought it is to have someone walk in on you in the midst of sin. There is good news! He sees and yet He loves you enough to die on a cross for that sin. That truth should cause us to stop sinning.
Discipline yourself (5:22-23; 7:25-27)
Many mighty men have fallen into sin. It takes discipline to avoid it. It may mean taking drastic measures to avoid sin. Giving up car keys, deleting the internet, or dropping the Netflix account.
Do not meditate on impure thoughts (6:25a)
Sin starts in the heart. The anger that pours out of us doesn’t just happen. You may be meditating on a wrong that has been done against you. You plan the conversation in your head, so you know exactly what to say in the next fight.
Remember that sin has consequences (5:22, 6:32-35, 7:23)
Our sin can entrap and ensnare us. It can lead us down the path or more sin. A little compromise in one area can lead to little compromises in many areas. Sometimes our sin gets out the world and it is embarrassing and causes us disgrace.
Treasure the commandments of God (7:1-5)
One way of fighting sin is treasuring God’s commands. Write them on your heart. Meditate on them to know how to avoid sin. Love God’s word more than you love your sin.
Be aware of the schemes of the adulteress (7:12, 15)
The adulteress woman lies in wait and seeks you out. You may not go looking for sin, but circumstances find you. Sin can reveal what is going on in our heart. Pride can be so blinding that only other people notice it. It comes out during work meetings and family gatherings.
Sin ultimately leads to death (7:26-27)
Unchecked sin leads to death. The adulteress woman has killed many. How we fight sin and how we view our sin matters. If we are not careful, we may be led away from Christ and ultimately to death.