《Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures – Proverbs (Vol. 1)》
The Path of Wisdom that Directs the Body (note a reference to the body in
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The Path of Wisdom that Directs the Body (note a reference to the body in Proverbs 4:22) - The previous passages of Scripture in this chapter tells us how wisdom transforms our hearts ( Proverbs 4:1-9) and how wisdom renews our minds ( Proverbs 4:10-19). We then see in this passage ( Proverbs 4:20-27) how the human body is moved and directed by wisdom. Thus, wisdom sanctifies our whole bodies to become like Jesus, our Saviour and Lord. This passage of Scripture shows a progression in how the human being receives information, processes it and acts on it. For example, when we receive either wisdom or folly into our ears ( Proverbs 4:20 b) and our eyes ( Proverbs 4:21 a), it enters into our heart. Jesus said that it is what enters a man that defiles a Prayer of Manasseh , and not what comes out. Matthew 15:10-11, "And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." If wisdom is received into the heart of man through the eyes and ears ( Proverbs 4:20-21), it brings health to our bodies ( Proverbs 4:22). For this reason, we are to guard what we see and hear, and thus, guard our heart ( Proverbs 4:23). What is in our heart comes forth out of our mouth ( Proverbs 4:24). Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart, the man speaks ( Luke 6:45). Luke 6:45, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." What we say with our mouth determines how we see with our eyes ( Proverbs 4:25). What we fix our eyes upon, our feet with follow ( Proverbs 4:26-27). One preacher said that our thinking affects our believing, and our believing affects our actions. Our actions affects our receiving. This passage explains to us how the human body is moved and controlled by wisdom. Thus, we now realize how God has given us our five "sense gates," which are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching, in order to receive information around us and to process it. Within the context of these passages, we receive most of our information that guides our daily decisions through our eyes and ears. How careful we must be in what we allow ourselves to receive into our souls through these two important sense gates of the body. Proverbs 4:20 My Song of Solomon , attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Proverbs 4:20 — Comments- In order for wisdom to direct our bodies, we must first allow wisdom to enter our ears. This requires a humble heart that will receive God"s Words. It requires us to pay attention to God's Word by reading and meditating on it, by pondering how to apply it to our lives. Proverbs 4:21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. Proverbs 4:21 — "Let them not depart from thine eyes" - Comments- In order to walk in the path of Wisdom of Solomon , we must learn to see wisdom in action, as well as hear instruction with our ears. This is how Jesus Christ taught His twelve apostles. He taught them to preach the Gospel and demonstrated to them how to perform signs and wonders and to minister to the sick. Proverbs 4:21 — "keep them in the midst of thine heart" - Comments- Once wisdom enters our ears and eyes, it goes to the heart. This is why Proverbs 4:23 will tell us to guard our hearts. Proverbs 4:22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Proverbs 4:22 — "For they are life unto those that find them" - Comments- We must seek the Lord and His Word in faith in order to find them ( Hebrews 11:6). Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he Isaiah , and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Proverbs 4:22 — "and health to all their flesh" - Comments- That Isaiah , every part of your body: head, legs, etc. Proverbs 4:22 — Comments- A healthy heart produces a healthy body. Even medical doctors are agreeing to this fact. Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23 — "Keep thy heart with all diligence" - Comments- Once we have transformed our hearts ( Proverbs 4:1-9) and renewed our minds ( Proverbs 4:10-19), we must now protect our hearts in order to walk in the purity that comes as a result of this process of sanctification. If we let sin back into our lives, it becomes much harder to deal with according to Matthew 12:43-45. Matthew 12:43-45, "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a Prayer of Manasseh , he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth Hebrews , and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation." Proverbs 4:23 — "for out of it are the issues of life" - Comments- Or, "for out of it (the heart) are the issues (springs) of life." Jesus said, "A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." ( Luke 12:15) True life is peace and joy within, in our hearts. We must not let our hearts become corrupted, especially by striving after this world's goods. Luke 12:15, "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man"s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." Jesus spoke on this issue when He was teaching His disciples about the traditions of the Pharisees. He said that from a man's heart proceeds either clean or unclean things ( Matthew 15:18-20). In Luke's version of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus discussed the good and evil treasure of a man's heart ( Luke 6:45). Matthew 15:18-20, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man." Luke 6:45, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Jesus spoke on this issue when He called all those who were thirsty to partake of the Holy Spirit. It was out of our hearts that the Holy Spirit would come forth, for that is His dwelling place in our earthly tabernacle ( John 7:37-39). John 7:37-39, "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" Proverbs 4:23 — Comments- In other words, "Be careful who you let influence you." Proverbs 4:24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Proverbs 4:24 — Word Study on "put away" - Strong says the Hebrew word "put away" ( סוּר) (H 5493) means, "to turn off." Proverbs 4:24 — Word Study on "froward" - Strong says the Hebrew word "froward" ( עִקּשׁוּת) (H 6143) means, "perversity," and it comes from the root verb ( עָקַשׁ) (H 6140) that means, "to distort, to pervert." Note Proverbs 6:12, "A naughty person, a wicked Prayer of Manasseh , walketh with a froward mouth." Proverbs 4:24 — Word Study on "perverse" - Strong says the Hebrew word "perverse" ( לְזוּת) (H 3891) means, "perverseness." Proverbs 4:24 — Word Study on "lips" - Strong says the Hebrew word "lips" ( שָׂפָה) (H 8193) means, "the lip, language." Proverbs 4:24 — Word Study on "put far" - Strong says the Hebrew word "put far" ( רָחַק) (H 7368) mean, "to widen, recede, remove." Proverbs 4:24 — Comments- We are to guard our hearts ( Proverbs 4:23), because we will speak what is in our hearts. Note: Luke 6:45, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Proverbs 4:25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Proverbs 4:25 — "Let thine eyes look right on" - Comments- The eyes are figuratively used for "the heart." Luke 9:51, "And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem," Proverbs 4:25 — "and let thine eyelids look straight before thee" - Comments- Two great examples of those who looked ahead to their heavenly reward were Jesus ( Hebrews 12:2) and Abraham ( Hebrews 11:10). Hebrews 12:2, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 11:10, "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." It is the ability to focus on the eternal destiny our soul that keeps us moving forward on the path of wisdom. When we begin to look around at all of the pleasures and distractions of this life, the path of wisdom becomes dim and we lose our way. Proverbs 4:25 — Comments- Note other translations: YLT, "Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you." Proverbs 4:26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Proverbs 4:26 — "Ponder the path of thy feet" - Comments- In other words, take time to consider issues before making a decision. As the next phrase states, our ways will be sure and established. Proverbs 4:26 — "and let all thy ways be established" - Comments- The only thing in this life that is established and sure, unchanging and secure, is the Word of the Living God. Man's promises will change, but God's Word is forever settled in heaven ( Psalm 119:89). Psalm 119:89, "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." Proverbs 4:27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. Proverbs 4:27 — Illustration - I eased out of the church service one Sunday morning to take my four-year old son Michael to the restroom. As I made a straight path for the restrooms in order to get back into church as quickly as possible, Michael darted to the left and to the right, with no apparent purpose other than to expend his energy. He jumped and ran back and forth to the restrooms. The only reason he was able to find it was because he was following the straight path that his father was walking. Scripture References- Note a similar clause in Joshua 23:6, "Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside there from to the right hand or to the left;" Proverbs 4:25-27 — "Let thine eyes look right on…Turn not to the right hand nor to the left" - Comments- When we allow the Lord to lead our lives, we must be careful not to allow our lives to become busy doing many other things. As a business manager of Lighthouse Television, I receive invitations to go and do many things. I could also allow myself to become absorbed in some hobbies, such as boating or fishing, but I have learned to do only what I know I have been called to do and let other things go. I do not consider them by allowing my eyes and ears to pay attention to them. Otherwise, my mind would begin to reason and consider allowing them to become a part of my life. Many well-intending and successful ministers find themselves overwhelmed with things to do. They have become so busy that they are not giving their single calling the proper attention. They become weary in well doing. The Lord has now called me as the station manager of Lighthouse Television in Uganda. I do not do much else on the side. I go to work, go to church and have family time. Otherwise, I spend as much time as possible in Bible Study with prayer time. If I did not give myself such restrictions, I would be busy all of the time and sidetracked on unimportant activities.
We see that the heart, the lips, the eyes, and the feet represent a progression of events that lead a person into a life of righteousness or wickedness. When a heart is made pure, a person begins to speak right. He then begins to think (or see) correctly. This leads to actions of a godly lifestyle. The same process takes place in the heart that is corrupted with wickedness. 05 Chapter 5 Verses 1-11 The Three Paths to Destruction- Once we receive the call from wisdom in chapter 1, and are shown how to find it in chapter 2, and what blessings come as a result of answering the call of wisdom in chapter 3, and we learn how wisdom transforms our lives in chapter 4, both spirit, soul and body, we are then shown how sin enters our lives and transforms us in chapter Proverbs 5:1 through Proverbs 6:11. Sin will first enter our hearts ( Proverbs 5:1-23), then it will corrupt our minds ( Proverbs 6:1-5) and finally, it will defile our bodies ( Proverbs 6:6-11). Proverbs 5:1 thru Proverbs 6:11 can be entitled "The Three Paths to Destruction." This passage of Scripture gives us warnings about some of the most common paths of destruction that people fall into. Man"s heart can lead him into bondage through the path of the adulteress ( Proverbs 5:1-23). Man"s lack of understanding can bring him into bondage because of his tongue, which is coming into agreement with the wisdom of this world ( Proverbs 6:1-5). Man"s body can bring him into the bondage of poverty through slothfulness ( Proverbs 6:6-11). We are taken behind the scenes to see the fearful end of those who follow these three deceitful paths. Just as the three paths of wisdom manifest themselves in the lives of those who follow her path, so does the fool show outward manifestations of the path that he is on. Heart- If a person with a transformed heart ( Proverbs 4:1-9) will manifest a "crown of glory" ( Proverbs 4:9) with an outward peace and anointing, then the corrupted heart of the person who is on the path of adultery ( Proverbs 5:1-23) is manifested by being in bondage to sins ( Proverbs 5:22). Mind- For those who have a renewed mind ( Proverbs 4:10-19), their lives reflect someone who is able to make wise decisions in which they do not stumble ( Proverbs 4:12; Proverbs 4:18). But those with a corrupted mind ( Proverbs 6:1-5) will be manifested as a person who cannot make sure decisions, but is constantly agreeing to things to please others ( Proverbs 6:1-2). Body- Those who allow the Word of God to direct their bodies ( Proverbs 4:20-27) will be manifest as those who live a long and health life ( Proverbs 4:22). In contrast, those who do not yield their bodies to serve the Lord become people who indulge in fleshly passions, which addictions cause a person to become a sluggard ( Proverbs 5:6-11). This is manifested as poverty ( Proverbs 6:11), which will be seen in the life of the sluggard. As we step back and evaluate the lessons that we have learned thus far, we find a common factor in each of these sections. They all begin with wisdom calling us to take heed to God's Words. Every one of these sections, the three paths of wisdom as well as the three paths of the fool, all begin with this same charge. This is because when we take time each day to mediate and study God's Word, we allow our minds and hearts to become established in the truth so that we will not be deceived by all of the noise from the world. Outline- Note the proposed outline: 1. The Heart- Warnings of the Adulteress — Proverbs 5:1-23 2. The Mind- Warnings of the Loose Tongue — Proverbs 6:1-5 3. The Body- Warnings against Laziness — Proverbs 6:6-11 Verses 1-14
The verses in this passage speak to us in pairs, our couplets, being Proverbs 5:1-14. Proverbs 5:1-2 tell us to seek wisdom so that we will speak from a heart of wisdom. Proverbs 5:3-4 tell us the trap of seduction from a woman"s lips that appear so pleasant and contrasts it with the horrible results of being led into seduction. Proverbs 5:5-6 tell us this seduction will lead down the path of death and not the path of life. Proverbs 5:7-8 tell us to stay near the path of wisdom and far from her path. Proverbs 5:9-10 tell us that our honour, our life, our wealth and our strength will be lost if we follow the path of the strange woman. Proverbs 5:11-14 give the words of a man consumed with grief. Outline - Here is a proposed outline: 1. Maintain Wisdom as a Priority — Proverbs 5:1-2 2. The Lips of Seduction — Proverbs 5:3-4 3. The Strange Woman Leads a Man to Hell — Proverbs 5:5-6 4. Stay on the Path of Wisdom — Proverbs 5:7-8 5. The Man Gives Her His Honour, Labour, and Wealth — Proverbs 5:9-10 6. The Words of Grief from the Fool — Proverbs 5:11-14
He allowed this wife to build her idolatrous temple of worship in Jerusalem and defile the holy city. This appeared to be a small compromise at first. Then Solomon followed tradition by taking other heathen daughters until they drew his heart away from the Lord as he attempted to keep peace in his harem ( 1 Kings 11:4). He never intended on backsliding, but compromise is the first step in departing from God. God would have given Solomon the victory in any battle against other nations, as He did with David his father, but Solomon was led by his fleshly desires and carnal reasoning rather than by the Word of God. No one has fallen further in this area of sin than did King Solomon. If we will allow God to work in our lives, He will be able to take our greatest failures and turn them into our greatest anointing. How deep was Solomon's failure in this area. Yet, God used Solomon's utter failures to speak the message of Proverbs under a mighty anointing, which had touched the lives of mankind for centuries.
In Solomon's day, there was nothing sweeter than honey or smoother than oil. There was nothing more bitter than wormwood. Yet the lips of a whore are sweeter and smoother than honey and oil. The sweetness of the lips appeals to our sense of taste. The smoothness of oil appeals to our sense of touch. Song of Solomon , the adulteress is appealing to man's five sense gates. She is attempting to get in and capture his heart. The battleground is the mind. It is through the mind that the heart is captured. The spoils of the victor are the wealth of a person whose heart and mind have led him down a path of bondage to sin; for whoever controls his heart gains his wealth. For a man will give his strength and wealth for what he holds dear. This is a daily battle that we must fight as long as we live in this mortal body of ours. Now the strange woman knows that she has to enter a man's mind and heart through his five sense gates; for she has been learning these rules of warfare from her youth. Thus, she speaks soft words to his ears, she beautifies herself for his eyes, she prepares her lips so that he will desire their taste and touch, and she will apply perfume to appeal to his sense of smell. There is no entrance gate that she will leave unattended. Proverbs 7:26 will tell us that "she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her."
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