Proverbs 1:8-9 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
Parents are supposed to teach their children righteousness. Righteousness defined is, Biblically, “To adhere to the standard that God has set”. The Bible says in:
Isaiah 33:22 For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us.
God created the Laws of Gravity, Motion, Energy Conservation – the Laws that make life on Planet Earth possible. This same God “loves righteousness and justice” (Psalm 33:5, ESV). His righteousness is like the mighty mountains, and His justice like the ocean depths (Psalm 36:6, NLT). Christ paid the penalty for the believer on the Cross of Calvary. Everyone who believes in Christ has been given imputed righteousness.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Through the indwelling Holy Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) we who are saved by the Grace of God are drawn to live practical righteousness:
1 Peter 2:24 (ESV) He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
The Christian is drawn by God to “seek first His Kingdom and His RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Matthew 6:33). We are to “flee sin, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11). The Christian parent is to teach their children righteousness, whether that child is saved or not. The righteous instruction of the parents is:
be an ornament of grace unto thy head
Word Study: The word translated “GRACE” is the Hebrew ḥēn (pronounced khane). This refers to Divine Favor and Blessing. The first use of ḥēn in Scripture is with the Prophet Noah:
Genesis 6:8 But Noah found GRACE (ḥēn) in the eyes of the LORD.
When God looked at the evil of the world, He cursed it, and decided to destroy it. But Noah found GRACE because he sought and honored the righteousness of God. Noah did not EARN grace, but FOUND grace in God. Noah turned away from the evil of his day and positioned himself to find grace. Noah heeded the Word of God, not the word of man.
The child who listens to righteous instruction from their parents will find grace unto thy head. When I read this, I think about children wearing bike helmets when riding. The helmet protects their head, the seat of the human soul, in the event of a fall. Grace around your head protects your soul. This is why the Bible tells us:
Ephesians 6:11 (NKJV) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
And as the Apostle describes the armor of God, what is the HELMET that is on the head? It is “the helmet of salvation” (Ephesians 6:17), that which protects the soul.
Parents are to teach their children righteousness as God defines it in the Bible. No righteousness = No Grace.
Illustrate: I was watching an episode of CSI the other day, the one where a little girl on a bike was run over with a car, killing her. As they investigated, they traced the car back to an elderly black man who said he ran over the child. They searched further, and it turned out that it was the elderly man’s grandson who was driving the car. When the child was hit – a black child – the grandfather convinced his grandson to run away and to lie to the police. Had the young man contacted the police, and stayed at the scene of the accident, more than likely the young man would have been given probation. It was just an accident. But hiding the act, and lying to authorities, compounded the problem. When sentenced, the elderly grandfather begged to serve the grandson’s time. Though Jesus died for our sins, we cannot pay the penalty for another. Had the grandfather taught his grandson righteousness, they both would have been better off in the long run. Running away and hiding, both showed a poor view of the value of that child’s life. The grandson went to jail. In my opinion, the grandfather should have served along with him.
You say that this is but a drama, but it plays out in our criminal justice system every day. Children who are not taught righteousness and respect for life grow up to do horrendous things.
The First Lesson Of Solomon: Avoid Those Who Love Sin
Proverbs 1:10-14 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
Word Study: The word translated “sinners” is the Hebrew ḥaṭṭā’, which means “those exposed to condemnation, of criminal intent, one accounted guilty”. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23; 5:12). King Solomon wrote, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). There are none born of humanity outside of Christ who does not fail God, and at times sin. It doesn’t matter who it is. The Apostle wrote:
Romans 3:9 (ESV) … both Jews and Greeks, are under sin …
and in Romans 11:32 (ESV) … God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
In one sense we are all sinners. The Hebrew ḥaṭṭā’ (pronounced khat-taw’) does not refer to the universal nature of sin, but of people who deliberately seek out and rejoice in sin. The first time this word is used in the Bible is in:
Genesis 13:13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners {ḥaṭṭā’} before the LORD exceedingly.
These are people who rejoice in their evil. You see them daily on television, saying “just follow your heart” or “you do you”. The Bible prescribes a different way of life. In the Bible, the great commandment is to “love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength”. The second great commandment is “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:38-40). Our Lord Jesus said that these two commandments are the string that holds up the entirety of “the Law and the Prophets”, the Holy Bible.
When a person embraces their brokenness, declaring it to be right and God sent rather than a thing to be repented of, then they step into the pig trough of sin.
Though All Sin, We Do Not Embrace Nor Normalize Sin
Those who embrace sin wants everyone to celebrate the evil and elevate the evil. Those who embrace sin create a rainbow flagged month where everyone should say that the lifestyle is normal. Those who embrace sin look the other way when theft occurs, saying “It is racist to stop the thief, or to expect responsible behavior from all citizens”.
When people pursue brokenness as normal, it is not long before they become MORE broken.
Proverbs 1:11-12If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit…
The one who loves and pursues sin “LAY WAIT FOR BLOOD”. They have no respect for life unless it is their own life. Other translations of this text state:
Proverbs 1:11 (NKJV) If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
Proverbs 1:11 (ESV) If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason;
Proverbs 1:11 (NASB-20) If they say, “Come with us, Let’s lie in wait for blood, Let’s ambush the innocent without cause;
Word Study: The Sinner, the ḥaṭṭā’ (pronounced khat-taw’) has no respect for life. Told that a fetus has blood about the 16th day from conception, and by the 20th day the heart pumps red blood cells through the blood vessels, the Sinner says “So what? It’s my body, and I’ll do what I want to do with that fetus”. They have no love for God nor man. They delight in shedding blood, just as long as
Proverbs 1:13-14We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
The “SINNER” values stuff and self more than the life of others
Word Study: They want “precious substance”, yāqār hôn, that which is rare and valuable like gold or silver. They do not cherish God’s Word, but cherish the rocks and metals that God made, considering them greatly to be treasured. They say, “let us all have one purse”, that is, you help us rob others of their valuables, and we’ll do like the pirates did – we’ll divide the spoil evenly. Jesus warned us:
Luke 12:15-21 (ESV) “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
God is the Source of life. I do not know of one millionaire or billionaire who, on the last day of their lives, would not give all they had for just a little more time. The stuff that the Sinner entices us with will one day be left behind.
It is better to be RICH TOWARD GOD. He is the Source of Life. Those who are RICH TOWARD GOD, who have received Christ by faith and live according to the Kingdom Principles, these will live forever!
Proverbs 1:15-16 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
Jesus said “I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE” (John 14:6). To walk “in the way with them” is to court death – for the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). When Adam and Eve took just one bite of the forbidden, they thought it would be innocent. But their eyes were opened, and they died spiritually. It wasn’t long before their son Cain murdered Abel (Genesis 4:8). It all started with just one bite.
Death Starts With One Bite
I like to think of Judas Iscariot. Here was a man that Jesus hand picked to be an Apostle. Jesus loved Judas. When Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, Jesus said “Friend, do what you have come to do” (Matthew 26:50). Jesus called Judas to follow Him, and Judas did follow Jesus when many others abandoned Him (John 6:53). Along with the other eleven, Judas left everything to follow Jesus (Matthew 19:27). Judas was not a monster. But Judas had a flaw that he did not repent.
Judas loved money.
Just before Jesus was brought to trial, a woman with an Alabaster Box of very precious ointment (Matthew 26:7) came and anointed Jesus with the ointment as He ate dinner at Simon the Leper’s home. The Bible tells us that Judas asked, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (John 12:5). Judas didn’t care about the poor, but was the Treasurer for the disciples and carried the purse. Judas starting pilfering money from that moneybag (John 12:6) – probably just a little at a time. But over time he became accustomed to getting money from that bag. I’m sure Jesus knew he was doing this – but Jesus loved him anyway.
When Judas said what he did, Jesus said “Why are you troubling this woman. She is doing a good thing, for she is preparing my body for my burial” (Matthew 26:10-13). “When the Gospel is preached, remember what she did”. What happened next?
Judas wanted to sell the Alabaster Box for three hundred denarii – about 300 days labor for a blue collar worker.
When he was rebuked, the Bible says:
Matthew 26:14-15 (ESV) … Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.
One commentary notes:
“In the Hebrew culture, thirty pieces of silver was not a lot of money. In fact, it was the exact price paid to the master of a slave if and when his slave was gored by an ox (Exodus 21:32). In order to compensate for a slave’s death and burial, it was written into law that 30 pieces of silver would account for the cost. … When Judas Iscariot bargained with the leaders of Israel for the betrayal of Jesus, he asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you?” The leaders then counted out a mere “thirty pieces of silver,” (Matthew 26:15). They considered the cost of Jesus’ death to be that of a slave.”
As close as I can tell, 30 pieces of silver is worth about a hundred denarii, or a hundred days wages (A denarius is one day’s wage: Matthew 20:2). Judas valued Jesus’ life at one third of that Alabaster Box of ointment, or the price of a common slave.
Sin Shortens Your Life
Proverbs 1:17-19 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
What the sinner does, eventually comes back on them. We are told “they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives”. After Judas saw Jesus hanging on that Cross – an innocent Man suffering and dying for thirty pieces of silver – the Bible says that it was then that Judas had second thoughts.
Matthew 27:3-5 (ESV) … {Judas} changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.
Judas did NOT repent. He did NOT go to God and seek forgiveness. Instead, Judas punished himself by committing suicide. He lived by his own hand, and died by his own hand. How said it is, for Numbers 32:23 tells us, “be SURE YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT”. Judas died in his sins, unrepentant, and is probably in hell today. Ancient English Austinian Mystic Walter Hilton wrote in his book “Toward A Perfect Love”:
“Stop and think how Christ loved Judas, who was both his mortal enemy and a sinful dog. How good Christ was to him, how benign, how courteous, how humble toward him whom he knew to be damnable. He chose him for his apostle and sent him to preach with the other apostles. He gave him power to work miracles. He showed to him the same good cheer in word and deed. He shared with him his precious Body, and preached to him in the same manner as he did to the other apostles. He did not condemn him openly; nor did he abuse him or despise him, nor even speak evil of him (and yet even if he had done all of that, it would simply have been to tell the truth!)”.
We do not bless the Sinner when we help them justify their sin. We bless the Sinner by bidding them repent, and walk with Christ. In time, those who pursue sin will reap the death that comes with it. We who love the Lord should warn the Sinner, remembering that though Jesus often sat and ate with sinners, Jesus never justified their sins as righteousness.
That is like saying cancer is normal growth. It is not, and never will be. Sin must not be condoned, nor celebrated, nor courted. We who are wise will reject what God has called sin. We will walk in love, putting God first, and treating others with love and respect.
May God touch your hearts with His Word. Amen and Amen.
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