Radically selfish people with evil intentions often convince others to join them. The fatherly advice of Proverbs 1:8-19 reminds us never to go along.
Consent Thou Not
Proverbs 1:8-19
- Whether we are young and still under the authority of our parents
- Or we are older and making decisions for ourselves
- There is good advice contained in the first chapter of Proverbs
- We’ll be addressing verses 8 through 19 today
- Which is wisdom from a father to a son about evil influences
- There are some details about how those evil influences behave
- And some encouragement to walk in the opposite direction
- Our theme is “Consent Thou Not”
- Proverbs 1:8-19
- At first reading, the behavior of the sinners described in this passage do not sound enticing
- We may think, “I would never get wrapped up in something like that…”
- But don’t be so sure
- Based on the news reports I read every day, some are getting involved with these things
- Probably some who assumed they never would
- And they could have used this advice as they travelled along life’s path
- Evil influences can take us far off course
- They can ruin any chance we had of being Godly people
- They are used by the enemy to destroy us
- Let’s hear more about them as we begin our passage of the day…
Proverbs 1:8-9
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
- Sons should hear and heed the instruction of fathers
- They should not forget or reject the instruction of mothers
- At our earliest age and far into our adulthood, their words should ring in our ears
- They want what is best for us
- If they know God, they want us to follow God
- And they tell us things that will help us walk with Him
- Obedience to their instructions will adorn us
- If we have learned their lessons, it will go well with us
- And the respect and honor we gain in life will come from developing the character traits they encouraged
- There are always exceptions
- Not every parent teaches or models right behavior
- But those that do should be regarded highly
- They should be respected and acclaimed
- But their influence is often countered by those in the world
- Their wisdom goes against the “conventional wisdom,” that is “the wisdom of the world”
- Parents know this…
Proverbs 1:10
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
- Solomon teaches here that we should not “just go along”
- If those who live according to a pattern of sin encourage us to do something
- We should not consent
- We should reject their evil and foolishness
- Misery loves company
- A drunkard always wants a drinking buddy
- A macho man always wants a sidekick
- Cowards always form gangs – and want us to join
- This is the nature of sin
- A sinner wants us to join them
- Solomon says don’t
- What kind of person are we talking about?
- Well, the word “sinners” means someone who is guilty, they are an offender
- This is someone seen to do, or known to do wrong
- They are the wrong kind of friend
- Someone likely to get us into trouble
- This is how some of these sinners act…
Proverbs 1:11-13
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
- These evil influences say…
“Come with us. Let’s hide and beat to death anyone who happens to walk by. We will swallow them whole, as the grave swallows the dying. We will take everything they have and fill our houses with stolen goods.”
- Some of these offenders have criminal intent – violent intent
- They are planning to target innocent people
- They are going to hurt them – or even worse
- And they do this because of the kind of people they are
- But they also do it to get money
- They want to enrich themselves by taking from others
- This is a way to get “easy money”
- By hurting someone else
- And they want any poor sucker they can find to join them…
Proverbs 1:14
14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
- This is their plea to join the gang
- To become one of them
- To show that you fit in
- But I’ve got some news for anyone considering it
- The kind of person that steals from a stranger will also steal from a friend
- And if you share a purse, their portion will wind up bigger – if they can get away with it
- It may start off as a 50/50 proposition, but likely won’t stay that way
- For this, and so many other reasons, we should reject them
- Reject their way
- Reject their attitude
- Walk in the opposite direction
- That’s what Solomon recommends…
Proverbs 1:15
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
- Don’t just reject them, reject their ways
- Don’t even take the first step along their path
- There is no “easy money”
- There is no easy way to the good life
- Hurting others doesn’t make me wealthy, it is a fast track to imprisonment
- It is only hard work and dedication and honesty that reaps rewards
- The right way is the only way
- But these offenders, these sinners don’t believe this…
Proverbs 1:16-19
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
- This section is rephrased in the ERV…
“They run to do something evil, and they cannot wait to kill someone. You cannot trap birds with a net if they see you spreading it out. But evil people cannot see the trap they set for themselves. This is what happens to those who are greedy. Whatever they get destroys them.”
- Radical service to self is destructive
- It destroys others
- But it also destroys the selfish one
- While the selfish person believes they are setting a trap for others
- They are actually setting a trap for themselves
- Their ill-gotten gain is no gain at all
- It is a curse and a ticking time-bomb that is certain to go off
- And whether we have these evil tendencies
- Or are being influenced by others with this radical selfishness
- We should reject this path
- Don’t take the first step down the path
- Anyone already on the path should turn back
- We should learn what God says
- Learn who He is
- Embrace His son, Jesus
- And follow Him and Him alone, with our whole heart