He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
The Benefits Of Possessing Wisdom - (3) Safety
From Evil Influences: Prov 2:12-15
12) To deliver thee from the way of the evil [man], from the man that speaketh froward
things;
13) Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in
the ways of darkness;
14) Who rejoice to do evil, [and] delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
15) Whose ways [are]
crooked, and [they] froward in their
paths:
INTRODUCTION:
In our previous
devotional, we saw that the Lord’s blessings of protection could be had by
learning and applying His teachings of wisdom.
One of the most significant areas of divine protection involves keeping
us from the evil influences in the world.
In our next two installments, we will be looking at this wonderful
protection that is afforded to us through the application of wisdom…
EXPOSITION:
12) To deliver thee from the way of the evil [man],…
What
is an example of an evil, worldly, influence that opposes the cause of Christ? Men who are morally wicked and harmful to the
spiritual well- being of others.
“Concerning the works of men, by the word of
thy lips I have kept [me from] the paths of the destroyer. Hold up my goings in thy
paths, [that] my footsteps slip not.” (Psalms 17:4-5)
Characteristics
of these men include...
… from the man
that speaketh froward things;
1. speaking with an intent to defraud others (to
deceive others for personal gain)
Their
lifestyle centers upon selfishness.
“For your hands are defiled
with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your
tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice,
nor [any] pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they
conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. They hatch cockatrice' eggs,
and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which
is crushed breaketh out into a viper.” (Isaiah 59:3-5)
13) Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of
darkness;
2. departing from the way of integrity and
morality (do not live honest, upright lives nor keep God’s laws)
3. choosing a lifestyle of sinful attitudes,
motives and submission to the instructions of the powers of darkness.
Their
lifestyle follows a path of opposition to the Lord’s revealed will.
“They are of those that rebel against the
light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof. The murderer rising with
the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief. The eye also of the
adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth
[his] face. In the dark they dig
through houses, [which] they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they
know not the light.” (Job 24:13-16)
14) Who rejoice to do evil, [and]
delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
4. finding encouragement and inward happiness by
willfully disobeying God
5. outwardly displaying their pleasure in the stubborn
twisting of God’s laws for personal gain
Their
lifestyle is motivated by carnal happiness.
This happiness is not spiritually fulfilling, but on a carnal level does
exist and encourages their continued wickedness.
“Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are
worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Romans 1:32)
15) Whose ways [are] crooked,
and [they] froward in their paths:
6. their life’s road is bent, twisted and a perversion of what life was designed to be
by God.
7. their life’s road is motivated by a desire to
selfishly profit from others.
Their lifestyle perverts
God’s design for life.
“They have corrupted themselves, their spot [is] not [the spot] of his
children: [they are] a perverse and
crooked generation.” (Deuteronomy 32:5)
SUMMARY:
It is through the
wonderful gift of wisdom that the Lord can warn us of those who seek to hurt
us; show us the path of avoidance from them; as well as open opportunities of
witness to them. He does all of these
through the use of a knowledge of His Word, understanding it and then, applying
it to our daily walk.
“That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke,
in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in
the world;” (Philippians 2:15)
By
God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value
that they deserve.
May the
Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.
No comments:
Post a Comment