2020 Feb 05-Feb 06 Proverbs 5, Psalm 119 Stanza 10B

Joshua M. Campbell-Elanemy • February 5, 2020

2020 Feb 05-Feb 06 Proverbs 5, Psalm 119 Stanza 10B

Welcome, wishing you a pleasant day! Let's continue in Proverbs 5, verses 7-10, then give attention to Psalm 119 Stanza 10B, verses 77-80.


Let's begin with some preliminary comments:

The chapter, beginning in verse 3, counsels a young man to guard thinking abilities and steer clear of a "wayward" woman, whose lips "drip like a honeycomb", and whose mouth is "smoother than oil", but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword. Such is the effect of disregarding God's moral instruction, perhaps disregarding His standard to confine marriage to a loving, faithful woman that loves the true God and His son. 1Corinthians 7:39 states the principle that one should, if able to choose, marry "only in the Lord." One should thus marry a dedicated Christian if possible, one willing to comply with God's divine standards through Christ. If you or your family happens to belong to a particular Christian tribe, (Baptist, Methodist, etc.) then it may be beneficial to consider marrying into the same, although that one should be seeking, like you may be, the "one faith" of true Christianity (Ephes 4:5; 1Cori 1:10).The counsel to guard one's associations is no more important than in the selection of a lifelong marriage companion! (1Cori 15:33). Now let's consider verses 7-10:

"7 Now, my sons, listen to me And do not turn away from what I am saying. 8 Stay far away from her; Do not go near the entrance of her house, 9 So that you may not give your dignity to others Nor reap years of what is cruel; 10 So that strangers may not drain your resources And what you labored for go to the house of a foreigner."


Prov 5:7,8 The loving, wise father of Proverbs 1-9 exhorts his son to stay far away from a woman disregarding God and his standards, who is not fearing Him. How fine, however, if such a woman sees the error of her ways, by the counsel of God, repents of her life course and humbly turns to the true God. Perhaps such a woman, in God's mercy, may learn to serve Him in faithfulness. But this is not typical. Therefore if possible the wise son should seek a wife who will be loyal to Jehovah and the one faith of true Christianity, thus both having a hold on the path of everlasting life, seeking God's loving guidance and instruction in life. The proverber continues regarding the consequences of the son looking to the wayward woman, in verses 9,10:


"9 So that you may not give your dignity to others Nor reap years of what is cruel; 10 So that strangers may not drain your resources And what you labored for go to the house of a foreigner."

Prov 5:9,10 Such a young man would be on a disastrous course, leading to heartache and loss, and likely having much of what he's worked hard for taken away from him, his resources drained, going to others. May men who have come to experience this bitterness still look to God for support as they seek to meet obligations until God's Kingdom sets all matters right. Young, inexperienced ones need to gain foresighted shrewdness or prudence, learning to look ahead at the consequences of a bad course, that they may hate what is bad in God's eyes, and steer clear of it. If God says its bad, it is so for a reason, and we do well to stay far away from such a course.

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PSALM 119 STANZA 10B

Recall the theme for stanza 10:
SUBMISSION TO GOD’S DISCIPLINE PLACES US IN HIS HANDS TO EXPERIENCE HIS FAITHFULNESS

The first part of stanza 10 included thoughts such as this one: "Your hands made me and formed me. Give me understanding, So that I may learn your commandments...you have afflicted me in your faithfulness." (v. 73,75) God allowed him to suffer hardship, that he might learn more fully the value of godly obedience.

Verses 77-80 read this way: "Show me mercy, so that I may keep living, For I am fond of your law. 78 May the presumptuous be put to shame, For they wrong me without cause. But I will ponder over your orders. 79 Let those who fear you return to me,Those who know your reminders. 80 May my heart be blameless in following your regulations, So that I may not be put to shame."


Verse 77: Show me mercy, so that I may keep living, For I am fond of your law.

CHOOSE LIFE AND GOOD. Psalm 119:77 The psalmist no doubt recognized human imperfection, and the need for God's mercy in the maintaining of our relationship with Him. He sought this mercy on the basis of his genuine fondness for God and His law. He knew it means life to be pleasing God--for Christians, eternal life is dependent upon it, and being alive spiritually depends likewise on our friendship with God and His son. Such thoughts may remind one of Moses' exhortation to Israel, as regards their keeping of the Mosaic Law, at Deuteronomy 30:15-16: "“See, I do put before you today life and good, and death and bad.16 If you listen to the commandments of Jehovah your God that I am commanding you today, by loving Jehovah your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his judicial decisions, then you will live and multiply, and Jehovah your God will bless you in the land you are going to possess." For Christians, God's approval and righteous standing comes by deep trust, or faith, in God and his mercy through the ransom provison of Christ, as we likewise seek obedience to Him and His son.


Verse 78: May the presumptuous be put to shame, For they wrong me without cause. But I will ponder over your orders.

REPENTANCE VITAL. On the other hand, are the presumptuous. Ignoring God's righteous standards to achieve their selfish aims, they are not automatically covered by Christ's ransom. Yes, God "does not desire anyone to be destroyed, but desires all to attain to repentance." (2Peter 3:9). Repentance involves a fitting degree of sorrow over past sins, with a turning around to godly obedience. Such repentance is necessary to receiving God's mercy based on the ransom provision. Jesus himself concurs, concluding his Sermon on the Mount with illustration showing the foolishness of not heeding his teachings, with the resulting collapse of one's figurative house. (Matth 7:24-27). The presumptous fail to welcome Christ's brothers, instead they are causing them loss. Unless they repent, they will suffer the consequences Jesus described at Matthew 25:41-46. The psalmist maintained his determination to keep God's orders despite such false opposition.


Verse 79: Let those who fear you return to me, Those who know your reminders.

LOYAL TO THE GOD OF LOVE. While those truly fearing God usually understand that hardships that can afflict righteous ones, sometimes they can be affected by fear of man, as Jesus' apostles fled upon his arrest. They might hold back from showing favor, until persecution or opposition lessens. Like Jesus, how vital that we maintain our hope in God first when faced with pressures, trusting Him with our reputation and relationships. The psalmist requested that the favor of God-fearing ones return to him, despite whatever trials he had to face. In harmony with the greatest commandments of the Law, let us remember the love of God FIRST in life, loving Him in part by keeping His law, making true unity possible, and THEN loving our neighbor as ourselves. (Matth 22:36-40). If we are truly loving our neighbor, we will be helping them to love Jehovah first, to loyally maintain their integrity to Him.


Verse 80: May my heart be blameless in following your [instructions], So that I may not be put to shame.

"REMAIN STEADFAST." The psalmist requests a heart of integrity, able to follow even the detailed guidance from God. Such obedience contributes greatly to our happiness, as the very first verse of Psalm 119 bears out: "Happy are those who are blameless in their way, Who walk in the law of Jehovah." Regarding the following of God's regulations, verses 5-6 say: "If only I could remain steadfast So as to observe your regulations! 6 Then I would not be put to shame When I consider all your commandments." As we continue seeking divine obedience, we can be happy to find ourselves in compliance with God's standards more and more, having no reason for shame. We still, though, will need faith in the ransom for occasional unintentional mistakes. As David wrote, in Psalm 19, verses 12-13: "Who can discern mistakes? Pronounce me innocent from sins I am unaware of. 13 And hold your servant back from presumptuous acts; Do not let them dominate me. Then I will be complete, And innocent of blatant sins." Thus may we lovingly aim for similar divine obedience, with faith in God's merciful provision of Christ's ransom, and with hope in the priceless reward God extends by His love!

Find Life and See

Between Winchester, Virginia, and hopefully, Washington D.C., having confidence that our thankful trust in God will not fail to inspire us to the peace He has purposed via His Kingdom!  

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