Proverbs Study – Lesson 31 (Proverbs chapter 23:19-36)
V. 19-21 He goes on to warn his children of making friends of those with bad habits. It is a hard thing to stand sometimes alone even at times in a Christian setting for what you know is right. Habits are easily picked up and adopted. They start innocently and subtly. In order to enjoy someone else’s company you are required to interact with them. If what they are into, activities that are inappropriate and not proper or pleasing to God, then what fellowship have we with them. II Cor. 6:14 They either will have to adopt our ways or actions or we will have to adopt theirs. In reality it is most often theirs that is adopted turning us and/or our children away for the truth and right living. Here he names a couple of things specifically, drinking too much wine and gluttony. He says that the end of these habits leaves you drowsy and non-motivated in life in essence becoming a bum. Yes, it is true, that this is the easy way and there is some temporary pleasure associated with a lifestyle like this, but it ends in sorrow and pain.
V. 22-25 He continues his heart to heart talk of vital importance with his son. Many parents never have these talks with their children. Many mean to, however, it just never happens. Either life is too busy, or it’s just not the right time, or you may not be sure what to say, or we think that it is just not the right time. But, Prov. 22:6 tells us to train our children. These heart to heart talks are an essential part of that training process. However, in reality it is hard to have a talk about something that we have not overcome ourselves making it too convicting to give good biblical advice that we need to hear and apply ourselves. However, we need not to hide our weakness or avoid sharing the truth. Sharing our struggles can make the discussion real, letting them know and understand that these things are not always easy to apply. In doing so, we need to be careful not to make excuses for our weakness or struggles. We need to be willing to put the same effort into what it takes to do right as we are asking them too. As parent and child we often go the journey of life together.
In v. 22 he advises his offspring to later in life as their parents get old to not get the attitude that they know it all. It says to hearken unto them. It does not say to let your parents run your life. However, we need to remember that a good father and loving mother wants only good for us and as they head toward the end of their life that they will tend to be more focused in their advice, more times than not be right on the mark giving final advice that is prudent. So, Listen and Savor to see if what they tell you is valuable. Usually it is a lifesaver.
In V. 23 he advises us to actually make an investment by pulling out some cold cash and buying the truth. Then he tells us not to sell it for nothing! Don’t invest in commodities, especially if you have a limited amount of funds. Buy truth and wisdom and instruction and understanding. If you are fortunate to have a child like this, one that makes some effort to sacrifice to obtain the Truth, you will have a deep sense of healthy pride and satisfaction that has a way of making you confident that you have had a real purpose here on earth and a confidence in meeting God face to face when that time comes.
V. 26 Again he encourages his listener to refocus for what he is about to share is of vital importance. He makes a bold statement here. He tells his to watch him. He tells him to observe his ways. Evidently there is something to see. Only if we have battled these areas of life out and won can we say follow my example. Guaranteed we are not all perfect and could say this in all areas of life. But, if we had followed the truth of Proverbs and made some effort to adopt these truths we in reality would have something to show and something for others to emulate. We hope that they are watching,…of course not in a prideful, but in a helpful way, especially our kids.
He goes on in v. 27 and 28 warning again how devastating sexual sins are and that it is not enough to just shun inappropriate pictures and images. He says in v. 28 that she is waiting to snare some unassuming individual hunting them down and seeking them out. The young, man and woman, need to be aware of this! Good kids or young people are a Target. In this world do not expect to be left alone to do right. Those who do not obey and follow the truth would like nothing better than for you to join them in their pleasure and misery, and are willing to come looking for the righteous to entice them into perversion. Here the author of this proverb believed it to be important enough to tell his children of this so that they not be caught unaware. In v. 27 he warns that this person is like a ‘deep ditch’ which is near impossible to escape from. Some would say that God’s grace can heal any wound, but many would tell you that even though God’s grace is able to save we often carry the wounds into the future for a long time plagued by ghosts of the past. He also uses the analogy of a narrow pit. A narrow pit is one that was so tight that when one falls into it they are unable to maneuver their arms or legs in an attempt to escape rendering them helpless. Sexual sins are just like this, ask anyone caught in this trap and they will tell you so.
V. 29-36 V. 29 begins by asking a question. And, the question is ‘who do you know that has troubles?’ When you think about those who have troubles in this world the list can be many. There are many troubles and difficulties that we can run up against in life, but the writer of this section of Proverbs would say that if you were to list and categorize all of the possible offenders that we may come up against he would say that there is none that tops this one. Taking a look at our present society and the problems that we deal with related to alcohol I think that we would have to agree. V. 29 begins to list the many and varied repercussions and complications induced by even minor overindulgences in this area. To begin with, one could argue what a minor overindulgence would be? Many would have varied and differing opinions. The consumption of even a little alcohol, however, often begins the process of changing personality, perspective and/or perception.
Look at or take note of the many, many different types and often very complicated repercussions listed here in v. 29. He begins by asking the question ‘Who has woe’? He begins by making this statement as if the ‘woe’s’ found here are bad enough to match any woe that could be caused by any other source imagined. Think of your worse cause of woe and he says compare it to woe’s caused by alcohol and you will see that there are none worse. Woe’s from rejection, woe’s from divorce, tragedy, disaster, or loss. There are some pretty bad woe’s out there. Any woe you can imagine not only in all probability can be matched by the pain level and consequences concerning alcohol use, but it is likely that the woe you are thinking of is probable in almost all cases could be related in some fashion to alcohol either directly or remotely.
If we look further in this verse we begin to see the enormity of this problem. It is not just one sided or isolated to one area of life. He gives us another category to compare the negative outcomes involving alcohol. In this verse he paints the picture of a substance and lifestyle that has the capability of leaching into and eventually dominates every/any part of our life. He next mentions ‘sorrows’. At first we may think that woe’s and sorrow’s essentially have the same meaning. However, a woe is something that happens, an incident. A woe is usually focused physically affecting one or several or a number of people, but the number of people affected by a ‘woe’ is definite. However, the emotion of ‘sorrow’ is more widespread. It is true that ‘woe’s’ are the initiator of sorrow and grief, but the emotion of sorrow can and usually does spread out much farther than the physical effect of a woe or tragedy, first affecting those closest like family and relatives and eventually has the ability of pervading a community or nation that had no physical connection with the original incident. Here in verse 29 he makes the point that the ‘sorrows’ found here are as great as any sorrow you can imagine.
He goes on to name several others. Contentions are next reminding us of the relational problems associated with this substance. When you think of conflict and troubled relations some of the worst are found connected to the bottle. Part of the reason for this is due to the physical effect of the substance, altering one’s personality making it hard to pin down and deal with the problem. While under the influence, one’s personality and actions change, but they are in no shape to rationally deal with what is happening at the time. After the effects of the substance wear off the offender often is unaware that any such activities ever occur and deny that it is as bad as they are told, leaving the problem unable to be improved or resolved. Denial is a common term associated here. This leaves contentions as an open wound, sore and painful, becoming a consistent part of the pain of daily life.
He also mentions ‘babblings’. The use of alcohol is known to alter one’s speech, often speaking things that have no rhyme or reason. In doing so, things are often said and commitments are made that can have lifelong consequences. Small talk under the influence often leads to actions played out in real life leaving scars and issues that may never heal. Pretty serious stuff.
He continues by saying that the next day you frequently end up wounded. We often make a joke out to this. These wounds are often found the next day not remembering what on earth you could have done to cause them. We smile, but sometimes the wounds inflicted under the influence are pretty serious. Just ask someone left behind from an auto accident involving alcohol. He ends this verse stating a physical sign often seen in one that drinks too much, that of bloodshot eyes.
In v. 30 he gives us an indication of who has already gone too far putting their life in the danger zone in danger of the woe’s stated in v. 29. He states this as a warning giving some clear insight as to when you are beginning to step over the line. He states two. The first is when you make alcohol as part of your regular routine, spending time in whatever way where alcohol is part of the picture. If this is something that you find is a regular part of your time spent Solomon says to beware and realize the seriousness of the situation. The second warning sign he states is the tasting and experimentation of alcohol consumption in varied mixtures or ways. The thing to be aware of and be upfront about is one’s craving for alcohol wanting anything that contains it.
This goes along with his warning in v. 31 reminding us that there is a curb appeal to liquor. It comes packaged to be attractive for the moment. He lists several factors here, color, the way that it moves in the package or glass and the package itself. Liquor glasses, especially those containing wine, contain some of the most unique shapes packaging color and utensil for a unique appeal. But, he warns in v. 32 that this pretty package is rally a serpent in disguise and will bite you inflicting you with ‘poison’.
He also warns in v. 33 that your eyes will see strange things as if these things are real. Your reaction time and appropriate response will be skewed making it a dangerous environment to navigate. He also warns of the surprising things rising out of the heart, things that you may not have known were down there, coming up uncontrolled, fully exposed, sometimes being spoken or acted out at the most un-opportune time.
He does not have a very good recommendation for the use of alcohol. He goes on in v. 34 to say that it also often makes you sick especially if your consumption is on the higher end making getting from here to there difficult or again, even dangerous. And, may I say again dangerous. He says that before you are aware of it you may find yourself on the floor, the room moving sometimes aggressively from side to side watching people who appear to be standing still moving also speaking at or to you in some funny or strange language. V. 35, the next day you will swear that you have been smitten with some sort of disease going to die any moment feeling also like someone beat you up not remembering the fight or fall that occurred the night before. You have been advised to ‘sleep it off’ hopefully easing the painful effects of the night before. The sad part is the ending telling us that with all that is suffered from consumption one caught in this vise is all too often caught, returning again soon to repeat the process.
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