Todays Lesson on Thursday: Protect Yourself After having warned us against the particular evils that threaten three domains of life — our family, our social contacts, and our work — Proverbs give us a portrayal of the wicked. It is a satire full of irony and sharp psychological observation. The two poems (Prov. 6:12–15, Prov 6:16–19) are parallel and, with the same poetic rhythm of seven, cover corresponding motifs. The wicked person’s inside is described as linked to what is thought in the heart; at the same time it all becomes manifested in what is done on the outside. Read Proverbs 6:14, Prov. 6:18 and Matthew 15:19. What important point is being made here? If you indulge in vain imaginations, permitting your mind to dwell upon impure subjects, you are, in a degree, as guilty before God as if your thoughts were carried into action. — Ellen G. White, The Adventist Home, p. 334. What warnings are given in Proverbs 6:12–19? The imagery is ironic. The walking wicked follows the lazy sluggard. The two attitudes seem to be different, and yet they carry the same lesson. Both stay within themselves. Neither one is interested in the instruction coming from outside of themselves. They both follow their own wisdom and inclinations. The sluggards are sleeping, and neither their ears nor their feet function; the wicked have only their feet and their mouths working, not their ears. The result is the same: they will both go to destruction. Meanwhile, evil has two effects: it harms not only persons sinned against, but sinners as well. The liars will finally believe their own lies. It is also noteworthy that the ultimate result of wickedness is discord and conflict, which can affect society as well. Indeed, the effects of sin rarely, if ever, remain confined to sinners. Others are impacted, and usually only for the worse. How have the sins of others affected your life? Greatly, no doubt. What lessons can you learn from this about how careful you need to be so that your actions don’t hurt others?
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 04:02:23 +0000
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