Warnings Against Folly
Proverbs 6:1-35
- What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?
- What is your favorite animal? Why?
- Who is the person you most admire? What is it about their personality that you admire?
- Which of your dad's or mom's sayings can you recall? Which do you use?
- What were you disciplined for most often? How were you disciplined?
#People = Listener, Borrower, Guarantor, Ant, Sluggard, Adulterer, God
#Time =
#Place = Field, Vineyard, Home of the Neighbor
#Obedient faith
#Sin
#Key Idea
Practical Warnings
6 My son, if you have put
up security for your neighbor,
have given your pledge for a stranger,
2 if you are snared in the words of your mouth,
caught in the words of your mouth,
3 then do this, my son, and save yourself,
for you have come into the hand of your neighbor:
go, hasten, and plead urgently with your
neighbor.
4 Give your eyes no sleep
and your eyelids no slumber;
5 save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the
hunter,
like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant,
O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
7 Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler,
8 she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.
12 A
worthless person, a wicked man,
goes about with crooked speech,
13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet,
points with his finger,
14 with perverted heart devises evil,
continually sowing discord;
15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.
16 There
are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.
Warnings Against Adultery
20 My
son, keep your father's commandment,
and forsake not your mother's teaching.
21 Bind them on your heart always;
tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, they will lead you;
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
and when you awake, they will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a
light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of
life,
24 to preserve you from the evil woman,
from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;
26 for the price of a prostitute is only a
loaf of bread,
but a married woman hunts down a precious life.
27 Can a man carry fire next to his chest
and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one walk on hot coals
and his feet not be scorched?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife;
none who touches her will go unpunished.
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
31 but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold;
he will give all the goods of his house.
32 He who commits adultery lacks sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
33 He will get wounds and dishonor,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy makes a man furious,
and he will not spare when he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation;
he will refuse though you multiply gifts.
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- When have you pledged yourself to something you later regretted? How does humility (v. 3) work to get you out of difficult situations?
- What does sluggard-like and ant-like behavior look like in your friends? In yourself? In what one way can you be more like the ant this week?
- If all your material needs were met without having to work, would you still work? Why?
- Where have you seen the character described in verses 12-14: In a TV melodrama? In church? In the mirror? How do you deal with the villain within you? Likewise, the villain in your fellowship?
- Solomon gives a checklist (vv. 16-19) to evaluate our relationship to the Lord: How do you measure up? How would your closest friend rate you? How can your small group help you improve in one of these areas?
- What do you suppose this "father-son" (or mother-daughter) talk involved: Monologue? Q & A? Trial and error? Bedtime prayers?
- What images help picture what the "commands" and "teaching" are like? And what sexual sin is like? What does it mean that a "prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread"?
- How does the use of poetry (exaggerated language, parallelism, emotional pull) help to make the point vividly?
- What do you see in verses 30-31: Situation ethics? Moral relativity? Justice? Or what?
- Do you think God's judgment (vv. 32-35) is brought on by ourselves, or exacted by others? Why?
Proverbs 6 presents idleness as a pathway to sin, including adultery, illustrating how laziness in one area of life can lead to moral compromise and spiritual downfall in other areas.
In our bustling world, idleness might seem a small concern. Yet, Proverbs 6 alerts us to its covert dangers.
1. The allure of laziness is deceptive, luring us into a false sense of security. (Proverbs 6:6-11)
A. The passage uses the ant as a model of diligence, contrasting with human laziness.
B. Idleness leads to poverty, symbolizing broader spiritual and moral decay.
2. Idleness breeds a culture of irresponsibility and deceit. (Proverbs 6:12-15)
A. The 'worthless person' exemplifies the consequences of a lazy spirit.
B. Such behavior not only affects the individual but undermines community integrity.
3. Engaging in laziness opens the door to more egregious sins, like adultery. (Proverbs 6:20-35)
A. Adultery is depicted as a result of not prioritizing wisdom and godly instruction.
B. The severe consequences serve as a dire warning against moral complacency.
Proverbs 6 not only condemns laziness but also illustrates its perilous trajectory towards spiritual downfall. Let us strive for diligence, not just in our work but in our spiritual lives, guarding against the subtle encroachments of idleness.
- How would you describe the "intensity" of this passage: Fireside chat? Fiery sermon? Political filibuster? Ad for a TV mini-series? Or what?
- What is Solomon's point? How well does he present it? How effective are his figures of speech?
- If he were writing for a modern audience, would he have to change anything? If so, what? Why?
- From verses 1-5 (also Psalm 15:4b), what are the dangers of "co-signing for a loan"? Why?
- From verses 6-11, why work? Why use an ant to make this point?
- What is the ultimate end of the "scoundrel and villain" (vv. 12ff)? Is this a natural consequence? Or the judgment of God? Why do you think so?
- How have your parents' instructions guided, watched, or spoken to you? If their instruction is wrong or not of God, must you still obey? Why? What experience of parental discipline illustrates your point?
- When in your life, past or present, have you been burned when "playing with fire" (vv. 27f)? How does this passage suggest you keep your life pure?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
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