Series in Proverbs - Watch Out For Side-Walk Decisions

 

Watch Out For Side-Walk Decisions

Proverbs 6:1-5

How many times have we wished to take back the vow or oath we made in the rashness of the moment? We have been caught in the spontaneity of a matter, made a sidewalk decision, and only later we wished to be freed from the obligation, promise, or pledge of that spontaneous vow. This is the godly advice from a father to a son or daughter. GET OUT OF IT NOW!

So let’s read the entire portion of the lesson. “My son, if you have put yourself as a trust for what your neighbor owes to another, or if you have made a promise for a stranger, you have been trapped with the words of your lips. You have been caught with the words of your mouth. Do this now, my son, and get yourself out of trouble, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go without pride and beg your neighbor to let you go. Do not let your eyes sleep. Do not let your eyes close. Take yourself away like a deer from the man who kills animals, and like a bird from the hand of the man who catches birds.” (NLV)

Solomon knew the art of a deal, for he did business with almost every nation and culture of his day. Like the Queen of Sheba who came to test him and to see if Solomon was for real, or just smoke and mirrors, a product of fake news and superlative false marketing. Only to find out Solomon truly was blessed by God in the treasures of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and discernment. 

Now, Solomon needed to train his child in the facts of the world of trusts, usury, vows, and promises, especially those done in a rash or spontaneous manner. First, he exhorted his son not to give himself as a cosign for a neighbor or friend, especially when you don’t have the means to absorb the debt loss. Solomon pointedly told his child to escape the rash emotional avowing and entrusting of a debt for a friend or neighbor to a stranger. For the stranger could call in the debt immediately or sooner than the child is able to pay back, and leaves the child bound to the stranger. The financial binding of a promissory note could restrict them to slave labor to pay off the debt. For debt slavery was common in the ancient biblical times. (Ex. 21:2-6) 

Solomon’s father David, wrote a few Psalms about the importance of bolting the tongue to keep from making rash commitments. "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!" This is a prayer for divine assistance in controlling your speech and preventing it from leading to sin.” and “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle…” Psalm 141:3; 39:1 (ESV)

Second, Solomon now gives instruction on escaping the trap sprung by the child’s errant mouth. Do this immediately, humble yourself to the one in whom you have agreed to the trust or promise. Solomon even went as far as begging and pleading to resend the rash agreement. DON’T GO HOME AND SLEEP ON IT! 

Last, there will be this nagging feeling that it will be like one being hunted. They will look for shelter and run aimlessly from the debtor possibly into the worst of places, even to giving themselves into the loan sharks of the Biblical times who would gladly lend them money with a hefty interest rate (usury).

Application - Oh how I wished I would have had this sound advice when I was younger. I know that we want to keep our friendships and that we want to have our friends back as they say today. But it isn’t wise to cosign on a debt that you nor your friend as the means to pay back. Jesus, told a parable of the unforgiving debtor. (Matt. 18:21-35) A certain man owed another a sum of money in a debt agreement, the man wasn’t able to pay, so the creditor was going to throw him in jail until he paid it all back. Even though the creditor had borrowed a large sum of money from the King and then couldn’t pay the debt , he was forgiven by the King by humbling himself and asking for mercy. The merciful and benevolent King had pity on him and forgave his debt. 

The whole concept of credit for debt, and the establishment of entrusting yourself for the debt of someone else has been around a very long time. And if we are wise, we will listen to those who have been there and done that in their own lives. 

The bottom line is DON’T DO IT. But if you have borrowed money from someone or you have cosigned on a loan for someone else, you are bound to the agreement, and if you aren’t able to meet the agreement, you are now in the hands of the creditor.

As Solomon exhorted his children, don’t let your lips make promises that you can’t keep. As Solomon advised; go and free yourself immediately, humble yourself and plead for mercy, much like the debtor in Jesus’ parable about forgiveness and mercy. 

It is a very sad testimony in our world, but the supermajority of people today live in debt they can’t pay, and much of the debt comes through rash or spontaneous decisions of the mind or through the rashness of the tongue. They find themselves in court or having things repossessed, even having to go to jail because of the debt.

So let’s receive the wisdom from God’s Word and put it into practice. Don’t let your mouths, hearts, or desires lead you into debt. Don’t make sidewalk decisions, stop and think about the ramification of this moment or debt agreement. 

It is one thing to help someone who has fallen into a large hole, and it is another to jump into the hole with him. Point made. 

God wants us to be good and wise stewards of our lives and finances, and it is prudent to wait and think through all the consequences and the aftermath of our words and actions.

If you are already in the large hole, ask God for help, seek him for wisdom and guidance, He gives freely and mercifully. And the whole principle on debt should be compared to our debt of sin against God. Paul wrote in Colossians that God has and will forgive your debt of sin, for it came through the giving of His Son on the cross for a debt we could never pay.  “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” (Col. 2:14 NLT)

As always, I want to end with presenting the gospel in the form of the ABC’s of salvation for all those who have not yet received Jesus Christ for salvation. For Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I have revised my webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. Thank you. 

http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com