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TH1122: On-Line
Teaching Notes
Please turn in your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 7, as we continue our study through the Word of God.
PROVERBS 7
VERSE 1
1. As I said last week, Solomon is instructing his son's on how they should live, to heed his warnings and not start walking down the broad path. But, as you read the Scriptures, that were given to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we can see another picture emerge. I see our heavenly Father instructing us, warning us of the danger that is out there and not to succumb to it. They are the words of a loving Father to His children.
VERSE 2
1. The apple of your eye is speaking of the pupil or the center of your eye. And the instruction is clear, keep God's Word at the center of your life. It should be the plum line that is followed, the guiding Words of our Lord to us.
VERSES 3-4
1. The instruction here is to learn what God has said as intimately as you know a close relation, and then apply that knowledge to your life. It is as Solomon said in Proverbs 4:20-22. We read "My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh."
VERSE 5
1. The first 9 chapters of the book of Proverbs deal heavily with sexual sin. Why? Because Solomon disobeyed God's instructions and had 700 wives and 300 concubines, which caused his heart to turn from the Lord. He saw what sexual sin did to his father David, how it affected his children tremendously. And now Solomon is warning his sons not to follow the same path that he traveled down, to learn from his mistakes. And the warning is clear, obey God's Word, listen to what He has to say and then apply that to your life, because, if you don't, there are plenty of evil people that will try to bring you down to their level, to follow their wicked paths.
2. Now Solomon is going to relate to us a story that he saw take place, and in doing so he is going to use it as an object lesson for us to learn from so we won't travel down that same path.
VERSES 6-7
1. This is not to say that he was stupid, but he was not street smart. It speaks of someone who is gullible or naive.
VERSES 8-11
1. Notice that this young man was not just an innocent bystander who was swept away. He went towards this woman's house, not in the light of day, but at night, so his actions would not be seen. Robert L. Alden made this insightful statement: "If you want to avoid the devil, stay way from his neighborhood. If you suspect you might be vulnerable to a particular sin, take steps to avoid it."
2. Now I don't believe that this women is a professional prostitute. But the way she presented herself, her attire, her words, she was "loud and rebellious", just showed where her heart was at. You see, she was not content to be in her home, but was restless, looking for excitement in her life, trying to fill the void that was in her heart, even though she was a very religious person and a married person, as we shall see.
VERSES 12-13
1. She was out looking for someone to seduce and I get the impression he knew where to find her.
VERSES 14-15
1. What bait did she use to hook him? Flattering words! Be wise to the games that are used to take us into captivity, and flee them.
2. Here is the thing that blows me away. Verse 14 tells us that she had just come form the temple after offering to God the peace offering, (Leviticus 7:11-21). In this offering part of the animal was given to God as a sacrifice, and part was eaten by you. It spoke of a fellowship, communion with God. And from the temple she goes out to have an adulterous relationship. That tells me you can go through all the motions and yet still not know God. It is as I Samuel 15:22-23 says, "Then Samuel said: Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.'" God is not interested in the outward actions but the heart of a person. You see, if the heart is right with God, what has taken place on the inside will overflow to our actions and they will be real, not fake. To often churches are filled with people that put on their church face on Sunday and the rest of the week they are living lives in rebellion of God, their actions are distasteful to God. This woman's actions are not very different from what we see happening many times in the church today, let us be careful not to judge her to quickly, but examine our own hearts, our own walk with the Lord.
VERSES 16-18
1. Folks, this is not love, but lust! Even back then they had it mixed up. We think today that love is the sex act, in fact we even call it "making love." That is totally wrong! Love is not feelings, but an act of your will. If you truly love someone, marry them, then the fruit that is born out of that deep commitment to each other is sex, which is beautiful. But what we have done is made love, sex, and thus there is no commitment to that person. It is just a fulfillment of a lustful desire.
VERSES 19-21
1. Notice she is a married woman whose husband is out of town on a business trip, and she can not control her fleshly desires and is looking for sex all over town, with anyone she can find. And the world calls that healthy?
VERSES 22-23
1. The body appetite is a monster that can never be satisfied. And that is exactly what we are seeing here, a man who is out of control engaging in sex with a woman who is out of control.
2. He, like many people today, did not consider the consequences of his actions, that it would eat away at his life. In Genesis 2:17 God warned Adam "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." In the Hebrew that can be translated "dying you shall surely die." Adam did not immediately die, but the death process began in his life at the moment he sinned. Thus, it is a process that begins as we start down this path and it will kill us spiritually, emotionally we will be devested, and in the end it will kill us. Paul warned Timothy to "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." II Timothy 2:22.
VERSES 24-27
1. God is calling for us to pay attention to His warning. Our heavenly Father is telling us that this kind of lifestyle will destroy you. I'm not sure how kids today came up with this, but it is irritating to hear. You tell them what you expect, warn them that what they are doing is wrong, and they respond by saying "Whatever!" I think we do that with God many times. We may not say those words, but we think that He is not speaking to us, or we are above what He has to say, it won't affect our lives, and in a sense, we are saying to our heavenly Father "Whatever!" We are doing what Jeremiah 32:33 says "And they have turned to Me the back, and not the face; though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction." And yet Paul tells Timothy "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." II Timothy 3:16-17. We are to allow Scripture to correct us, God's Word to instruct us in our daily walk with Him.
PROVERBS 8
VERSES 1-4
1. I want you to see the contrast between wisdom and the ways of the wicked. Wisdom is calling to us wherever we are at. In other words, God wants to direct our actions and His call to us is open. On the other hand, the ways of the wicked are "lurking at every corner" and their actions are done "in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night."
VERSES 5-9
1. As you read this chapter you can easily see a picture of Christ emerge. In fact, Colossians 2:3 tells us that in Christ "...are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Thus, God is crying out to us, desiring us to hear and obey His Words, but we don't always listen. God's Word is pure, it is right, and thus in it are found all the treasures of life that we need, and that is exactly what Solomon is going to speak of next.
VERSES 10-11
1. How many today are striving for external riches and have sold their eternal destiny with the Lord for it? You see, God's wisdom is more precious than all the wealth in the world for it leads to life. It is as Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." In knowing and applying God's Word we not only have eternal life, but we can send our treasures up ahead of us and as the Lord comes back we read in Revelation 22:12, "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work."
VERSES 12-13
1. We started out in Proverbs 1:7 hearing that "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge..." Now, after that relationship has been established, we are told that we are to hate evil. As Christians we should flee those things that the Lord hates, and we should have a deep hatred for them instead of embracing them. Why? Because they destroy peoples lives. Some of those things that the Lord hates is pride, arrogance, the evil way, and a perverse mouth.
VERSE 14
1. Again, this speaks to me as being a picture of Christ. Paul said in Colossians 2:6-10, "As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." Notice, just as we have come to Christ we are to continue down that path, following Him. That we grow in our relationship with Him. And the warning is simple. The world has nothing to offer you. Their words are going to bring you into bondage, they are empty, they follow the wisdom of man and the simplistic principles of the world, which are contrary to Christ. If you want to be complete, where are you going to go? To Christ of course!
VERSES 15-21
1. True riches are not found in earthly treasures but in Godly wisdom. Why is wisdom so valuable? Solomon said in Proverbs 6:23, "For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life." It gives us true life, true riches for it places us on the right path. The word "traverse" or "walk" in verse 20 speaks of walking steadily and continuously, moving forward each day in our relationship with the Lord.
VERSES 22-31
1. God did not just place all the elements of life together and then He let them evolve. That is ridiculous. God made the universe with wisdom. When I build something I may have the knowledge to put it together, the information, but the application for me is difficult. It doesn't look like it should when I am finished. God does not have that problem. The all-knowing God takes that knowledge that He has and has created a world that was very good, and because of man's rebellion it has become very evil.
2. I am amazed at how man tries to do away with God. We have the SETI program or the Search For Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence which is a bunch of radio receivers positioned to the heavens looking for any pattern to the signals they are receiving to see if there is intelligent life out there. And yet, if they would open their eyes and look at the design, the pattern that God has built into life, they would see that it could not happen by some random chance occurrence. The simplest cell is not so simple. "The information content of a simple cell has been estimated at around 1012 bits, comparable to 100 million pages of the Encyclopedia Britannica." You see, creation is crying out that there is a God, a designer and creator. But instead of looking at that, we are focused on the heavens looking for intelligent life, maybe because we haven't found any on this planet!
VERSES 32-36
1. Can't you hear our heavenly Father crying out these words to us because He loves us! You see, if we find Christ, if we come to Him, we have life. If we reject Him we must love death for that is what we will get. It is as Jesus said in John 5:24. We read "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."
PROVERBS 9
VERSES 1-6
1. Notice the invitation that is given here, it is for all to come and learn, to receive the wisdom of God. What is this wisdom? James 3:17 tells us "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." In other words, a truly wise man is a humble man. He places others ahead of himself, desiring to be a servant rather than to be served. You see, this is the fruit that is born out of a persons life who has sought the Words of God and then has taken those truths and applied them to their life. That is wisdom from above.
VERSE 7
1. In other words, someone who is unsaved is not going to care they are violating God's Word. It is of no real importance to them. And the reality is, if you correct them they verbally may abuse you or even punch you in the nose. Correction is for the believer, and yes they might not always listen, but they know what God has said and they need to be reminded. Now you can speak God's Word and allow the Holy Spirit to convict an unbeliever, but the reality is you are not to clean the fish that are swimming in the polluted waters of this world, but to catch them and bring them out of the world, be fishers of men, in a sense. You see, the issue is not their behavior, it is their relationship with the Lord. Once they get saved, their heart is right with God, that inside love of the Lord will overflow to the outside and will be seen in their actions. If people are living basically good lives and are still unsaved, big deal! They are still going to hell outside of Christ!
VERSES 8-9
1. It is wise to listen to what godly people have to say, even if it is said in anger or bitterness. Why? Because there might be a nugget of truth within all those words which you need to hear. Listen, wait, and pray before you speak too quickly. It is as David said in Psalm 141:5, "Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked." In other words, it is much better that a believer reprove us for at least they will have compassion upon us, or at least they should. But if an unbeliever reproves us there is no compassion, no mercy. And if we listen to what the godly person is saying, it will be refreshing, soothing, comforting if we obey what God has to say through this person.
VERSE 10
1. It is important that we get to know God in truth. Too often today people are trying to know God outside His truth and they get a warped concept of God and what He desires of us. Listen to these examples that show what can happen as we move away from God's truth, the knowledge of the Holy One, and you will see that they lack true understanding. It is as Paul said in Romans 10:2-3, in speaking of the Jewish people as a nation, but can truly be applied to the church today. He said "For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God." In saying that, listen to these examples, and I think you will see what I mean:
"One of the most visible American televangelists, the Rev. Robert Schuller...through his weekly Hour of Power TV program...reaches 20 million viewers from his Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Calif."
"The cathedral houses an organization called Christians and Muslims for Peace...Schuller told [Iman Alfred] Mohammed that if he [Schuller] came back in 100 years and found his descendants Muslims, it wouldn't bother him so long as they weren't atheists."
Grand Rapids Press, 9/1/97
"Seattle Roman Catholic Archbishop Alexander Brunett, who chairs a national Catholic bishops' committee on ecumenism, said there are many avenues to finding common truths in religion..."
"'I think we can say God has expressed himself or herself in other religions that are valid in other places, at other times,' said [William] Cate, an ordained Methodist minister..."
Seattle Times, 1/17/98
"In Atlanta, Georgia early last year PK [Promise Keepers] gathered 39,000 pastors. The conference brought together representatives of the apostate World Council of Churches and National Council of Churches, evangelicals, Mormons and Roman Catholics, including 600 priests. PK vice-president of Pastoral Ministry Dale Schalfer declared that this new unity is based not upon doctrine (i.e., truth) but upon relationships...Mike Timmis [said] at the huge October 4, 1997 PK gathering in Washington, D.C...'[W]e recognize that we do have doctrinal differences...but, Father, we will not let these differences destroy our unity...this applies to Protestants of all persuasions; it applies to the Orthodox Church; it applies to Roman Catholics, of which I am one!'"
The Berean Call, 4/98
"Chapman University's...Wallace All Faiths Chapel represents the latest spiritual trend, genuinely interfaith structures that reflect growing religious diversity nationwide...Some plan to read Scriptures - from the Bible, Koran, Hindu texts and Buddhist sutras. Others will likely give voice to religious songs. And still others might burn incense, perform Wiccan rituals or beat drums during an American Indian dance. Their invocations will lay the bedrock for a house of worship that every faith tradition can call its own."
The Orange County (CA) Register, 2/9/98
It is as Paul said in II Thessalonians 2:9-12, "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Let us heed the words of Jesus in John 4:23-24 when He said "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
VERSES 11-12
1. In other words, if you are truly wise, then you will listen and apply God's instructions to your life. If not, you are a fool!
VERSES 13-18
1. Folks, if sin didn't bring pleasure, no one would succumb to it. You see, it does bring pleasure and yet that pleasure is only short-lived and it turns into bondage before you know it! Your are traveling down a path that leads to death and destruction in your life! I want to leave you this evening with this vivid illustration of what sin is all about:
The late Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman used to tell of a Methodist preacher who often spoke on the subject of sin. He minced no words, but defined sin as "that abominable thing that God hates." A leader in his congregation came to him on one occasion and urged him to cease using the ugly word. Said he: 'Dr. Blank, we wish you would not speak so plainly about sin. Our young people, hearing you, will be more likely to indulge in sin. Call it something else, as 'inhibition,' or 'error' or a 'mistake,' or even 'a twist in our nature'."
"I understand what you mean," the preacher remarked and going to his desk brought out a little bottle. "This bottle," he said, "contains strychnine. You will see that the red label here reads 'Poison.' Would you suggest that I change the label, and paste one on that says 'Wintergreen?' The more harmless the name the more dangerous the dose will be."