31 Days With the Book of Proverbs: A Daily Bible Study – Day 7
“Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend.”
Proverbs 7:4
By today you’ve probably discerned that we are using one Proverb from each of the 31 chapters of the Book of Proverbs. Thus inevitably we collide with one of the images of Proverbs, the difference between a “faithful woman” and, well, an “unfaithful” one, to put it mildly.
The choices of life are difficult. We are, says the Teachers, offered a choice between fidelity and wandering after, well, got to say it, harlots who will deceive and destroy us. Of course the temptresses we face are more from sin and false doctrine.
Sin tempts us as the temptations to turn from holy living, right living and thinking, and compromise ourselves in disobeying God’s will to “love neighbor as ourselves.” Paul says that the entire law can be summed up in the love of neighbor. How we are tempted not to, to resort to sexism or racism or agism, or any of a multitude of “isms” that would destroy right relationships with our neighbors. And false teaching is ever before us. The heresies of the early church from Gnosticism to Arianism to Docetism (false knowledge, a false understanding of Jesus as both Son of Man and Son of God, and the idea that Jesus just appeared human), and a host of others are very much alive today and snare many. No, God wants us to join with wisdom, the knowledge of God, and to become one with Christ. Paul says “take every thought captive to Christ.” (II Corinthians 10:5) Good advice.
Photo by Brody Childs on Unsplash
