Friday, September 13, 2019

PT-1 "Sexual Sin is Gradually Destructive" (Pr. 6:20-24)


SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/13/2013 7:54 AM

My Worship Time                                              Focus:  Sexual Sin is Gradually Destructive PT-1

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Proverbs 6:20-24

            Message of the verses:  In today’s Spiritual Diary we will begin to look at the second main point from the outline of Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on Proverbs.  He entitles this chapter “The Path of Folly and Death” that covers chapters 5-7 in the book of Proverbs, and all three of these chapters have to do with some kind of sexual sin and instructions on how to avoid those sins.

            I mentioned in one of the first SD’s that I did on the book of Proverbs that I always follow the outline that is found in Warren Wiersbe’s commentaries, and that this outline in Proverbs will cause us to kind of jump around through the book in order to follow certain themes in Proverbs.  In today’s SD we will begin to look at verses 20-35, which follow the theme of sexual sins and will cover the other verses in this sixth chapter of Proverbs at a later date.  Dr. Wiersbe writes, “We will consider Proverbs 6:1-11 in our study of wealth and work.  Verses 12-19 will be included in chapter 5, in our study of ‘the wicked people’ mentioned in the book of Proverbs.  In verses 20-35, Solomon deals with adultery and points out what people will lose who commit this heinous sin.”

            They lose the Word of God (vv. 20-24):  “20 My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother; 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. 23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life 24 To keep you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the adulteress.”

            We have seen similar words from the book of Proverbs that are in the text that is before us in this section.  It seems that when Solomon has something very important to say to his son that he takes the time to begin with the words “My son.”  That is what he did to begin this section too.  In verse 21 he tells his son to bind these commandments continually on his heart and to also tie them around his neck.  With this said I want to quote an endnote that deals with this subject:  “The command to bind God’s Word to various parts of the body was taken literally by the Pharisees (3:3; 6:21; 7:3; Deut 6:8-9); this was the origin of the ‘phylactery’ (Matt. 23:5), a small leather case containing four portions of the Old Testament (Ex. 13:1-10 and 11-16, and Deut. 6:4-9 and 11:13-21) written on parchment.  When attending public prayers, the orthodox Jew tied on phylactery to his forehead and the other to his left arm.  They also put a phylactery at the door of their house.  ‘Phylactery’ is a word that comes from the Greek and means ‘to watch over, to safeguard.’  It was their belief that wearing God’s Word like an amulet(good luck charm) would protect them from evil.”

            Solomon wanted his son, and for that matter his readers like us to trust and obey the truth that God has put into His Word so that we would not believe the lie of the enemy.  God gave His truth to Adam and Eve, but they chose not to believe His truth and thus they fell to the temptation of the enemy and plunged the whole world into sin.  That tactic is still the same with our enemy today.

            By having God’s Word bound in our hearts we will be ready to face temptation, by having it around our necks we will be less likely to turn our necks when we see a beautiful woman, and lust after her.  We cannot avoid looking at a beautiful woman when she is coming towards us, but we do not have to turn our necks to take a second look.  Job says, ““I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.”  (Job 31:1 NLT) 

            Having the Word of God in our hearts and minds is like having a friend with us to lead and to guide us as seen in verse 22 and if we listen to the voice of God’s Word we will not fall to the flattery of the enemy as seen in verse 24.  Having God’s Word in our hearts and mind will cause us to walk in the light.  Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s Word is a lamp, “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”  In 1John 1:5-10 we read these words, “5  This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6  If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7  but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.  8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  What I have been taught in this section is to stay in the Word so that I will not fall to the tactics and temptations of the enemy.  The Word of God is the truth and the temptations that I face are lies and so I must know and trust in the truth, and walking in the light is to practice this.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Walk in the Light.

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 121:1-6

            1 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains, from where will my help come?  2 My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.  3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keep you will not slumber.  4 Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

            5 The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand.  6 The sun will not smite your by day, nor the moon by night.

Wisdom from Turning Point for Today:  “He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass.”  (Thomas Fuller)  “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”  (Matthew 6:14-15)

1/13/2013 9:14 AM

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