Proverbs 1:8-19 | The Enticement of Sinners

Proverbs 1:8-19

8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
    and forsake not your mother's teaching,
9 for they are a graceful garland for your head
    and pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
    do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
    let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we shall find all precious goods,
    we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot among us;
    we will all have one purse”—
15 my son, do not walk in the way with them;
    hold back your foot from their paths,
16 for their feet run to evil,
    and they make haste to shed blood.
17 For in vain is a net spread
    in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood;
    they set an ambush for their own lives.
19 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
    it takes away the life of its possessors.

This passage discusses classic examples of sin and temptation.
Verses 8-9: I struggled a lot when I was younger to listen to my parents and I suffer much of the consequences now. Nowadays, I fail to go to my parents for help, whether out of shame (long story) or because I feel like I should do it on my own. It has also been biting me. I have trouble with obeying spiritual authorities, and I believe that has given me a disregard for God at times.
Verse 10: Sin is an action. It is also very much a decision. There is always a choice. You don't just get dragged into sin or someone makes you sin. You decide to do it. This realization is something new to me; I didn't really understand that before. I actively choose to turn from God, and that is an innate temptation I should be fighting. It's more of an inside battle than an outside struggle.
Verses 11-16: These are quite extreme examples of sin, but there are also some still extreme examples that occur in my life, in other areas. I should not be walking with the people that tempt me, or giving in to the temptation, because as good as the "rewards" and "pleasures" seem, they are worthless and will only harm me -- as well as displease God and hinder my relationship with Him.
Verses 17-19: Setting up a net to catch a bird within its visibility will not work. But for sinners, they ambush themselves. I know this all too well. I set up myself for failure through the sin that I commit, and then I wonder why I am reaping the consequences. Sin has no reward, and I should be turning from it every time. Only in God can I find delight.

God, this passage is very relevant to my life right now. I struggle so much with sin and falling into the false idea that it will fill what voids I have, but it only serves to drag me deeper into sin and failure and further away from You. God I desire to be holy, but I cannot do this without Your grace, so I am pleading for an extra measure of self-control to turn away whenever I am tempted. I remember You and Your blessings and how much the sin will disappoint You but I sin anyway. It is incredibly insulting and I don't want to keep doing this. So Lord, please help me. Please forgive me of my sins and help me to fill my mind with your Word and eyes and a heart for what you value. May I seek only to do Your will.

Memorize: "My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent." Proverbs 1:10