The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:18 "For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead."




Most people don’t spend time in their front yard.With the exception of playing basketball and hockey or riding bikes on the driveway, most people prefer the back yard over the front yard when spending time at home.Certainly, there are exceptions in a world with a wide variety of property layouts, but most people feel more comfortable in the privacy of their back yards.Rarely will a pool be installed in a front yard.It is even more unlikely for a hot tub to be placed in a front yard. While many people do sit on their front porch, most people eat and gather on their back deck.
In our culture, homes and properties are designed to reflect this social tendency.Our homes are designed to let us impress from the front and relax in the back.It’s all about curb appeal in the front and privacy in the back.We spend our money on architecture and landscaping for the front and decking and fencing for the back.Ra…

Proverbs 2:17 "Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God."


Solomon’s description of his son’s male and female threats start with very similar characteristics.The first characteristic he lists of the evil man is his froward words (verse 12) and the first characteristic he lists of the strange woman is her flattering words (verse 16).The second description he lists of the evil man is his past, in particular, his spiritual past (verse 13).Here in verse 17, the second description he gives of the strange woman is her past informing his young son that she too had a spiritual past.The evil woman that Solomon was concerned about was the woman who had a godly upbringing guided by the Lord God of Israel.This woman didn’t forget the covenant of Israel’s God, she intentionally forgot the covenant of HERGod.
The strange woman of Proverbs 2 is not the young lady who was raised by drunkards and gluttons.She is not the little girl who was passed from house…

Proverbs 2:16 "To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;"



For Solomon’s successor to have success, he would need to open his heart to wisdom.Standing in the way of Rehoboam’s success were evil people.Rehoboam’s projected prosperity as heir apparent to the king would undoubtedly attract evil people looking to capitalize off his fortune and fame.Solomon knew that there would be evil men who would see his son as their path to power.The wise king knew that there would also be evil women who would see his son as their path to prestige.Few, if any cared about what they could do to help Rehoboam achieve success while many cared about what Rehoboam could do to help them get what they wanted.This is precisely why Solomon was teaching his son the need for wisdom.Wisdom’s daughter, Discretion would help Rehoboam identify and avoid the evil people who, like leeches, intended on latching onto him in order to steal from him success and …

Proverbs 2:14-15 "Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:"


In the passage, Solomon described the man that he knew would pose his son great spiritual risk.He assigned three specific characteristics to this man so as to help Rehoboam identify him.The first characteristic of an evil man is that he will speak froward, or perverse things (verse 12).He will have a dirty mouth, one given to evil words and wicked content.The second characteristic of an evil man is that he will have left the paths of uprightness (verse 13). At some point in his past, he will have had experience with the right way, making him an effective recruiter of those still on that way to join him in the ways of darkness.The third and final characteristic of an evil man is that he willrejoice to do evil (verse 14).Not only will he rejoice in his own evil but he will delight in the frowardness, or perversionof other evil souls.
A…