Proverbs 5:7-20: How did I get here?

And say: “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised correction! I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me! I was on the verge of total ruin, In the midst of the assembly and congregation.” Proverbs 5:12-14

Proverbs 5:7-20 discuss what happens with you throw Wisdom aside and follow after the "strange, foreign woman"—the one who leads a you away from Wisdom. In the middle of these verses we find Proverbs 5:12-14. 

Hated: despised

Instruction: discipline, chastening, correction

Heart: mind, will

Despised: abhor, treat with contempt

Correction: reproof, chiding

Obeyed: hear, absolute be obedient, "do obey"

Voice: thing said, often of advice, command, entreaty

Teachers: archer who shoots straight, aiming toward the bullseye

Inclined: especially incline (bend toward) the ear, of men (in obedience to God)

Ear: attention, listen

Instructed: to exercise in, learn

On the verge: within a little, almost

Total ruin: evil, distress, adversity

Assembly: properly company assembled together by appointment, or acting concertedly (planned or devised together)

Congregation: assembly specially convoked: for evil counsel

How did I get here? That is often the question when we find ourselves in bad situations. How did I get here? I don't belong. I am miserable. I have NO right be to here. 

How did I get here? It all begins with those hating discipline and despising correction. Once you say, "NO!" to Wisdom it is followed by disobedience, ignoring all that you've been taught.... and soon you find yourself in a situation surrounded by evil, distress, adversity asking the question: "How did I get here?" 

How did I get here? It's was based on a choice you made. A decision to treat wisdom with contempt and choose to join those that love evil. It's not by happenstance that you find yourself in the middle of people who provide evil council—rather it's PLANNED. I didn't "plan" to end up HERE! Well when you abhor Wisdom—where did you think find yourself? 

How did I get here? If you find yourself asking that question, then the first thing you need to do is turn to God and ask forgiveness. 

If you want to keep from having to ask yourself "How did I get here?" then you need to make sure that your heart is permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG). For when you fear God, you are open and willing to hear and obey His Wisdom. 

Proverbs 5:1-6: Real vs Counterfeit. Can you distinguish between the two?

My son, pay attention to my wisdom; lend your ear to my understanding,

That you may preserve discretion, and your lips may keep knowledge.

For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil;

But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell.

Lest you ponder her path of life—her ways are unstable; you do not know them. Proverbs 5:1-6

Pay attention: cause to hearken, give heed, prick the ears

Wisdom: ethical and religious

Lend your ear:  especially incline the ear, of men (in obedience to God)

Understanding: the object of knowledge

That you may preserve: observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)

Discretion: power of devising, purpose

Keep: guard with fidelity (strict observance of promises, duties, faithful, loyal)

Knowledge: discernment, understanding, wisdom

Lips: language (babbling)

Immoral woman: stranger, not of the family, harlot

Mouth: speech

Smoother than oil: figurative of mouth uttering smooth, flattering words

But in the end: the future, later

Bitter: angry, discontented

Wormwood: to curse; regarded as poisonous, hemlock

Two-edged: mouth

Sword: instrument of war; of grievous end of dealings with strange women

Go down: to descend, to go downwards

Death: state of death or place of death

Steps: course of life

Lay hold: keep the path to it, grasp

Hell: Hades or the world of the dead

Lest: might readily acquire

Ponder: weigh (mentally)

Life: appetite, way of living

Ways: course of action, or life, track

Unstable: to waver

Know: discriminate, distinguish, recognize

Did you know that when learning to distinguish between real and counterfeit money, the people study the real thing? They get to know the real money so well, that if they see something amiss, they instantly know the fake. 

The same is true with Wisdom. We are to pay attention so closely to true wisdom, that when we hear the babbling or random advise, although it may sound amazing, we will recognize it as fake. And notice that we are NOT to ponder the sweet sounding words of strangers (sinners). For although they should amazing, they will lead to death. 

Difference between real and counterfeit wisdom, is recognized when one practices pondering true Wisdom—God's wisdom. That begins with a heart that is permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Act 9:31 MSG), and continues as one studies God's Word and applies it daily. 

Real vs Counterfeit. Can you distinguish between the two?

Proverbs 4:20-27: Practice Pondering. Execute being Established.

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:20-27

Give attention: cause to hearken, give heed, incline, mark well, regard, prick up the ears

Incline: incline the ear, of men (in obedience to God)

Depart: vanish

Keep: retain, of store up

Midst: center, middle

Heart: memory, mind

Find: thing sought

Health: a healing, profit

Keep: watch, guard

Diligence: act of guarding, (as a guard watches a prisoner)

Issues: the source

Life: sources (origin and direction) of life

Put away: turn off, be removed

Deceitful: fraudulent

Mouth: speech, bad qualities ascribed to it

Perverse: deviation, crookedness

Lips: speech, babbling

Far: remove

Eyes: mental and spiritual faculties, acts and states

Look: regard, show regard to, purpose

Straight ahead: right on, straightforward

Eyelids: gaze

Right: to be straight or even

Before: verb of motion, to go in front of oneself, i.e. straightforward

Ponder: make level, smooth, weigh (mentally)

Path: course of action, or life

Feet: journey

Ways: manner moral action and character

Established: in moral sense, be directed aright, direct, faithfulness

Turn: decline, pervert

Remove: behead, eave undone, be without

Foot: journey, to walk along

Evil: ethically bad, wicked; distress, misery, calamity, grievous, to make (or be) good for nothing

As I read Proverbs 4:20-27, it made be think of a Dad giving advise to his son just as he ventures out for the first time on his own. Pure wisdom from someone who has been there.... done that, and found it to be worth it! 

I think out of all the VERBS in this passage, the ones in Proverbs 4:26 were the ones I wanted to highlight here. Ponder. Be established. 

Ponder, make smooth, weigh mentally —think about it, consider it thoroughly. 

I like that word, as it describes what I do before making a decision. I research and research and study, and ask people, then do more research... then think about it, and do more research... I mentally try to think through all aspects of the decision and the results of making that decision. 

The question becomes, do I give that same diligence to my life in general and take Wisdom (true God-given wisdom) into account? Do I practice pondering? 

The next verb: Be established. Direct. Faithful. I think of being set in cement. Firm in moral action and character. Faithful to following God's standards in all I do and say. Faithful to obedience. Do I execute being established? 

Practice Pondering. Execute being Established. Both begin with a heart that is permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG). For God and His wisdom are what I'm to be pondering and what is used to establish my standards for living. 

Proverbs 4:10—19: It's very plain and simple.

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. Proverbs 4:10—19

It's all about the VERBS, adverbs and adjectives. 

At the beginning of my study, I mentioned that Proverbs is all about the VERBS! It's action. Here we have a clear example of the action that we are to take. And we also are given warnings of which actions we are not to take! No question as to what we are to do. It's very plain and simple. 

DO: Hear. Receive. Taught. Led. Walk. Run. Take firm hold. Keep. Avoid. Turn away. Shines.

Do NOT: Let go. Enter. Walk. Travel. Eat. Drink. Know. 

But it's not JUST about the Verbs, as we need to pay close attention the adverbs and adjectives used to explain exactly what the action is. And thankfully, God in His wisdom, makes it all very plain and simple! 

DO: Hear. Receive. Taught. Led. Walk. Run. Take firm hold. Keep. Avoid. Turn away. Shines.

Do NOT: Let go. Enter. Walk. Travel. Eat. Drink. Know. 

It all begins with hearing and receiving the instruction of Wisdom! Hear with attention, interest, listen to and receive, take possession of the wisdom given. And when one hears and receives wisdom, then the other "do" actions will follow! 

It's very plain and simple. Do. Do not. And the first "do" is to have a heart that is permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG). For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom! It's very plain and simple—now just DO it. 

Proverbs 4:8,9: Mug Shot

Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you. Proverbs 4:8, 9

Exalt: esteem highly, prize

Promote: lift up

Honor: make honorable, glorify

When: enunciating the conditions under which a future action is conceived as possible

Embrace: to clasp

Place: give, put

Ornament: wreath 

Grace: favor, elegance

Crown of glory: of rank

Deliver: give, to hand safely over

In Proverbs 4:5-7 we learned that we were to put forth an "all-out effort" to get wisdom. And as we realize the true value of wisdom, wisdom "treats us right". Wisdom is the one that promotes us, and honors us, and gives us the rank of grace and glory. 

How often do we search for recognition and in searching do stupid stuff, thinking that we will be recognized. Sadly, we are given the attention—but all for the wrong reasons. It reminded me of the "Wall of Shame" posted by law enforcement agencies. Every month mug shots are posted of those caught shop lifting. And as you look at those images, you see the toll that sin has taken on the individuals. For no one looks good in mug shots, no glory, no honor, no grace. 

What does my "mug shot" look like to those around me? And more importantly what does it look like to God? Am I embracing wisdom and holding wisdom to the place of value she has? If so, my life should reflect that—my "mug shot" would be one showing glory and honor.

For my "mug shot" to reflect wisdom, my heart must be permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG). For when I fear God, I'll want to highly esteem His wisdom and embrace it tightly. 

What does your "mug shot" reflect?