PROVERB PRACTICALS
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  Proverbs 4:14-17, Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. The first instruction to the son has to do with whom he lends his ear. Who will be his instructor? Who will command his ear? And much of his conclusion has to do with his understanding of his heart. How does he view his heart? Does he see it as the Bible sees it? If he is humble he will. Does he understand that in himself dwelleth no good thing? Does he realize that his heart is deceitful and desperately wicked? Will his view of his heart cause him to ask, What harm is there if this or that path is chosen? This path looks interesting, he may say. Perhaps a short trip upon this path will help in making choices. He may say: "Some of those instructors I have chosen to listen to have said you must experience before you can make choices." But this Proverbs father disagrees and takes an authoritative and clear position about wickedness and experimentation with evil. There is to be no communication with it. No experience with it, no not one contact with it. Zero tolerance. Not one step on the path. Not one step to see how soft or hard is the path. This father knows that the path of the wicked, the way of evil men will be presented to his son. He knows that his son will have choices to make but he intends that choices made early on the path will see him in good stead. This father knows that he has a limited time to arm his son against the wiles of the devil. Time marches on! Tempus fugit! Time flies! Son, as you go along the way of life you will be faced with the path of the wicked. It will be before you and present you with alluring sights that are designed to entice you to enter its path. The Lord says in his word to taste and see, but the message of the world is to see and taste. One is built on faith, taste and see but the other is built on sight, see and taste. God’s way is designed to use your ear gate, the world’s way is to use your eye gate. Taste and then see, or see and then taste. That is why television is so successful for it caters to the eye gate. The heart of man is geared toward appearance for appearance promotes hypocrisy and man is interested in the development of the most sophisticated forms of hypocrisy. And man rejoices in it and willingly participates in it for it is something that man can do, he can be made to appear however he wants to appear. One man has said that we will never again elect a homely president for all prospective candidates must pass the appearance test of the eye gate over, over, and over as they project themselves on television. It will no longer be the most qualified but the most handsome or pretty who will represent us for man looketh on the outward appearance and the devil is using that principle to fully promote his cause. But this father instructs his son to enter not in this kind of thinking, enter not into the path or thought processes of the wicked. I have given you good doctrine to think upon, to guide your mind around the stumbling blocks of the thinking processes of this world system. So do not even consider the path of the wicked. The wicked stay up nights and sleep not in order to concoct mischief to entrap you. The devil rewards their dedication with the bread of wickedness, and the wine of violence. The world provides for its own with great rewards for new and exciting ways to present and promote wickedness. |