Proverbs 1:8-10
“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.”
Proverbs sets up a contrast between the teaching of the parents versus the corrupting influence of “sinners,” which is a reference to those in the world who reject God’s standards and pursue immoral activity.
Every parent can immediately relate to this passage. Parents throughout history have instructed their children to stay away from negative influences. When the kids leave the protective environment of the home, parents know that the kids will be confronted by situations and people who will tempt and entice them to believe wrong things and do bad things.
In this allegory, we are the children, and the Lord knows that we are constantly confronted by situations and people that tempt us to compromise our faith. Like a father, he teaches us and warns us.
First, we are instructed to listen to the teaching of God. Be a faithful student of the Lord’s truth and wisdom. Pay attention to what God says. Listen up!
Second, we are told to “wear” the Lord’s instruction. In other words, make the standards of God’s truth an integral part of your life. Keep the Lord’s instruction with you at all times, and use the Lord’s truth as the reference point for your decisions and action.
Third, we are warned to stay away from the deceitful and seductive influence of people who seek to entice us. The word for “entice” in verse 10 is the Hebrew pathah, which means to be gullible, deceived, persuaded, and seduced. It carries the notion of being foolishly open-minded, which leads to being deceived into believing and doing things that are wrong and harmful.
Such is the nature of evil in the fallen world. It is seductive, and it seeks to deceive us and draw us in. Remember: Sin is a thief that steals from you the life that God intends for you.
The Listen Up! message continues tomorrow …
