Welcome, continuing the wise fatherly counsel of Proverbs 1-9. Let's look at Proverbs 6, verses 23-29, then move to Psalm 119 stanza 13B, verses 101-104.

"23 For the commandment is a lamp, And the law is a light, And the reproofs of discipline are the way to life. 24 They will guard you against the bad woman, Against the seductive tongue of the immoral woman. 25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart Or allow her to captivate you with her alluring eyes, 26 For because of a prostitute, a man is reduced to a loaf of bread, But the wife of another man preys on a precious life. 27 Can a man rake fire to his chest and not burn his garments? 28 Or can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet? 29 It is the same with anyone having relations with his neighbor’s wife; No one who touches her will go unpunished."

Prove 6:23 God's specific commands brighten and help to guide each step, while his law lightens our path, or the road ahead. The "reproofs of discipline", "reproof" referring to strong but loving counsel or correction, are said to be "the way to life." May we strive hard not to pridefully refuse such counsel when given, especially when we know we need it. Or we may need to strive harder to fight our pride when we don't think we need it! Often we really do but don't think we do! Regardless, it usually requires great love for a parent or someone else to approach us with such reproof--they may have prayed to Jehovah for the wisdom to do so properly. Let's aim to be thankful for such counsel, even if we have a hard time swallowing it, and even if we are not sure if we deserved it. Perhaps it would be best to soon after pray to Jehovah about the matter, searching our heart for how best to apply what we've heard or received. Remember, that "those whom Jehovah loves he disciplines, in fact, he scourges everyone whom he receives as a son.” Therefore, 1Peter 5:5-7 says "But all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the haughty ones, but he gives undeserved kindness to the humble ones. 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time, 7 while you throw all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you."

"24 They will guard you against the bad woman, Against the seductive tongue of the immoral woman. 25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart Or allow her to captivate you with her alluring eyes,"

Prove 6:24-25 These "reproofs of discipline," along with God's laws and commands, will guard one against the "seductive tongue" of an immoral woman, and with appropriate warnings should move us to steer far away from desiring her beauty in our heart. We should reserve such desire for the spiritual and physical beauty of the wife that God can allow us to find, being captivated by her eyes, and no one else's. Recall that the punishment for immorality in the Mosaic Law provided by God was severe, bringing strong repercussions, or consequences. This was to teach mankind the seriousness of the offense, that the effects spiritually and perhaps physically are significantly detrimental, promoting disloyalty to God and others, and toward the bond or covenant of marriage, which we should rather want to treasure and appreciate for an eternity!

"26 For because of a prostitute, a man is reduced to a loaf of bread, But the wife of another man preys on a precious life."

Prove 6:26 What are some of the consequences of being seduced by an immoral woman, be she a prostitute or the wife of another man? Regarding the prostitute, the verse says the man is "reduced to a loaf of bread." Clearly, any material wealth is squandered, over time, as she entices him to give up what he has. Both the man and the woman are shown willing to violate God's standards to get what they want, not living a life of honest integrity. Thus they are not having God's approval, blessing, or prosperity by Him. If the woman is the wife of another man, she "preys on a precious life," as the violation of adultery is a serious violation of trust and loyalty, that threatens the very life, spiritually and physically, of those involved. These days, however, we must keep in mind that God can completely understand the motives and circumstances. If repentance is shown, it is up to the wronged mate to decide whether to forgive the erring one, and work to restore trust in the relationship. Willfully choosing to continue sexual intercourse with the erring one is evidence that such forgiveness has been extended. If there are problems in the marriage to begin with, rather than violating any of God's standards, can we not promptly beseech Jehovah, the Originator of the Marriage Arrangement, for His assistance?

"27 Can a man rake fire to his chest and not burn his garments? 28 Or can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet? 29 It is the same with anyone having relations with his neighbor’s wife; No one who touches her will go unpunished."

Prove 6:27-29 We must realize and look for the consequences of our behavior before doing something or making some decision that may be important. This is shown by the illustration of raking fire to one's chest. There are consequences. Will not one's garments get burned? Such is an apt illustration regarding immorality, as such an act will sully spiritual garments--our Christian identification and many Christlike qualities can be seriously damaged, leaving off vital faith or trust in God and faithfulness to Him and others. Also, if you would walk on hot coals, would there not be an effect? Would it not scorch your feet? We should never undervalue the spiritual implications of our behavior, just because we may not yet understand all of the effects. God's loving warning should be enough until we do. It is an aspect of divine wisdom, foresighted shrewdness, or prudence, that involves seeing the consequences of our actions and decisions, so as to hate and avoid the wrong path. Proverbs 22:3 accordingly cautions: "The shrewd one sees the danger and conceals himself, But the inexperienced keep right on going and suffer the consequences."

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PSALM 119 STANZA 13B

STANZA 13 Theme: KEEP GOD'S WORD.

The 8 verses of this stanza address questions such as these: What are these two aspects of divine wisdom, and how are they beneficial? Why was the psalmist motivated to avoid evil, and how does obeying God deepen our wisdom?

Stanza 13B reads like this:
101 I refuse to walk on any evil path,So that I may keep your word.
102 I do not turn aside from your judgments, For you have instructed me.
103 How sweet your sayings are to my palate,More so than honey to my mouth!
104 By your orders I act with understanding.That is why I hate every false path.