Proverbs 1:10-16 — NO!!! NO!!! Say No To This

READ THIS: Proverbs 1:10-16

10 My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them. 11 If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul; 12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; 13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; 14 cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”— 15 my son, do not go along with them,     do not set foot on their paths; 16 for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood.

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

Solomon warns of people who will tempt you or peer pressure you into doing things you are not supposed to. The example he gives is about a group of people trying to tempt their friend into killing someone. 

In verse 11, Solomon is emphasizing the idea of "everybody is doing it, so you should, too!" No one wants to feel left out, and the enemy uses that feeling against us to do evil. In verse 12, the men try to justify their evil actions. The excuse that they use is that they plan on doing this evil to those who "deserve it" or "have it coming." It is easy for humans to justify doing evil when they believe someone deserves the punishment. However, only God can judge and deliver righteous justice. 

Verses 13 and 14 then switches tactics to talk about the wealth YOU could gain if you fall for the temptation. We try to justify our sins by says "it's not that bad" or "others have done a lot worse." But what happens if we get rewarded for the sin? We may believe that its actually good! IT IS NOT!!! Sin is the opposite of good. These manipulative tactics are what cause us to easily give into temptation and sin and work every time if we are not aware of what is happening. Sin never leads us to true fortune. 

The final verses are a plea to make sure we do not fall for temptations. God does not want us to follow those who will lead us to sin. Although we may never find ourselves being tempted to kill and steal from someone, the same manipulative tactics can be used in other ways to make us sin. We will face temptations, but if we know the tactics to watch out for, then we will be better prepared to fight against them and to turn to God instead.

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Reflect on the things that may cause you to sin. How can you actively fight against this sin knowing the ways you might be tempted into it?

2. How can you turn to God when facing the temptations in your life?

 

TRY THIS:

 

We're going to play a little game. It is called, "At what point do you think you would fall for the temptation?" Trademarked. I want you to reread this scripture and familiarize yourself with the tactics being used for temptation. Every time you read one of the temptations, apply it to your own life. Think about whether you would fall for the temptation or not. If you would, find ways to combat the temptation. Hopefully, this will help you be prepared to fight against any temptation you may face in your life.