Give me an "S"

Defining some words:

Today I have transliterated a bunch of “S” words as we will quickly survey chapters 6-7 of Proverbs. We will look at all the verses, but summarize the points along the way.

First I think we want to define some words then will go from there and look at the Proverb broken down by these words.

Surety: (N) - a person who takes responsibility for another's performance of an undertaking,

Sloth: (N) - reluctance to work or make an effort; laziness.

Scoundrel (N)-a dishonest or unscrupulous person; a rogue

Strumpet (N) - a woman who has many casual sexual encounters or relationships.

A very quick review, chapters 1-9 in Proverbs has continual discourses on the importance of obtaining, retaining, extolling wisdom.

Praising it over folly

Illustrating its value in life

And in the midst of the imparting the importance of wisdom you have seen exhortations regarding wisdom too.

Warnings against foolish conduct

Counsel on behavior that reflects wisdom

So, give me an “S” will come first with the warning then the reason for the warning, so strap in here we go.

S for Surety (6:1-5)

pro6:1-2 “1 My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, Have given a pledge for a stranger, 2 If you have been snared with the words of your mouth, Have been caught with the words of your mouth,”

Pro6:3-5 “3 Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself; Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor. 4 Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids; 5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.”

I don’t want to go so fast that you don’t have time to input along the way.

Q- Anything stick out to you in this section?

The Warning

Do not become surety for a friend

So, don’t make yourself liable for someone else’s debt.

If you do, get out of it as quickly as you possibly can.

This is not the only place you see this you will see again in Pro11:15 and also in Pro17:18. - now this leads to reason why not to become surety.

The reason

While it may look like kindness to cosign a loan for a friend

According to the bible believers commentary there are some reasons it may not be.

You might be helping someone to buy something what is not God’s will for him to have

You might be encouraging the person to be a spendthrift

Friendships can end and bitterness begin if he defaults and you have to pay for something that is not your’s.

Jesus said this.

Mt5:42 “42 “Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”

So, the theme there, don’t be so quick to co-sign for someone, it may not be God’s will; it may cause problems for the person or for your friendship that did not have to happen. - From too eager to help, to now eager to sleep.

S - Sloth (6:6-11)

Pro6:6-8 “6 Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, 7 Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, 8 Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest.”

Pro6:9-11 “9 How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest”— 11 Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man.”

Q Anything stick out to you in this passage?

The Warning

Sluggards who rather sleep than work

They can learn from the lowly ant; and observe her diligence without need of overseer.

How she provides in the summer and gathers in the harvest.

Pro30:25 “25 The ants are not a strong people, But they prepare their food in the summer;”

I guess the emphasis is the laziness that even an ant does not have, one should be diligent in their work.

The reason

What do you need to pay your bills? A job, so Laziness is the parent of poverty.

Pro10:4 “4 Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.”

If you are lazy you are only stealing from yourself.

So, take from this, the reality is that diligence i all that we do is the proper course

Ec9:10 “10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.”

Or in the N.T.

2The 3:10 “10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”

From personal ways to how we may view others and their ways

Scoundrels (6:12-19)

Pro6:12-14 “12 A worthless person, a wicked man, Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth, 13 Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who points with his fingers; 14 Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, Who spreads strife.”

Pro6:15-19 “15 Therefore his calamity will come suddenly; Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing. 16 There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.”

Q OK what did you notice in here?

Warning

Tactics of the wicked here are described

Walks with perverse mouth (crooked speech)

Winks with eyes, shuffles feet, points fingers. When you see someone winking an eye at you, what do you think? It oftentimes is a way of saying going to deceive others with what I am about to say or do. Or it is an out and out lie and I want you to go along with it.

Perversity in his heart, and devises evil continually (you know, plotting and doing mischief, just to do it)

A scoundrel sows discord and not unity. (Discord, causes a division among people)

Somatic therapy as discussed last week - (adj) -relating to the body, especially as distinct from the mind. - Somatic therapy truly perverted.

Using your body as to deceive others

Back in Pro4:20-27 you find, and we have previously looked at better ways to use the body. You can go look at that again in your timing.

Calamity and destruction will come quickly to the scoundrel.

The reason

This is not pleasing to the Lord in fact it says “he hates it; and calls it an abomination”

A proud look (haughty eyes)

A lying tongue (dishonesty)

Hands that shed innocent blood (murder)

A heart that devices wicked plans (Contemplating evil)

Feet that are swift to evil (quick to do evil)

A false witness who speaks lies (also known as purger y in public setting)

One who sows discord, this is not to be taken lightly, for this is the same list by the Lord as murder and lying.

These are the types of conducts that destroys relationships with others just as much as it can destroy our relationship with God. So, again, none of these are to be taken lightly.

S - Strumpets (6:20-7:27)

Here is where we will start to do survey in the time we have left today.

The warning

Listen to your parents (v.20)

read with me 21-22

Pro6:21-22 “21 Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you.”

Q- What were the instructions here? - Bind, tie, let them guide you, watch over you, talk to you.

Immoral woman seduces with flattering tongue and allures with her eyes (6:24-25)

Don’t lust after her in your heart (v.25)

Then you get to chapter 7, and there you see an illustration of one caught up in this folly.

The reason

She will allure you and entice you; she lurks by every corner to seize you.

Look at the consequences

Pro7:21-23 “21 With her many persuasions she entices him; With her flattering lips she seduces him. 22 Suddenly he follows her As an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool, 23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver; As a bird hastens to the snare, So he does not know that it will cost him his life.”

One who goes with another man’s wife will have no respect, no honor and in those days would be called to death.

so, listen to the instruction again

Pro8:24-25 “24 “When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water. 25 “Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth;”

Pro8:26-27 “26 While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Nor the first dust of the world. 27 “When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,”

so, now to wrap this up.

True wisdom, wisdom from above, wisdom found in God’s word will

give you knowledge, understanding and will guide your behavior

Not only guide your behavior but will guard you against others behavior too, and protect you from

surety that ensnares

slot that impoverishes

Scoundrels that mislead and sow discord

and Strumpets who entice and destroy through the lust of the flesh.