Study Questions: Proverbs Week #4
Wisdom Flees Sin
Proverbs 5:1-23 (CGS#4)
INTRODUCTION: You’ve probably caught this already in Proverbs, there is a consistent contrast between wisdom and folly. I really appreciate the way that one commentator expresses it, reflecting on chapter 9, “Here is the ultimate encounter on the path of life. The man is walking along, and all of a sudden, he sees two women, each described as speaking from the “heights overlooking the city.” Each is issuing an invitation to the young men—an invitation to dine, an invitation to a relationship. We, reading the book hundreds of years later, find ourselves confronted by the same choice: Wisdom or Folly? Before we decide, we need to explore who these women are, what they are saying to us, and what the consequences of our decision might be.” [1]
Wisdom or folly, which will we choose?
That choice is uniquely posed for us in chapter 5, as we encounter wisdom being offered for marriage. Specifically, wisdom is being offered when it comes to the importance of faithfulness and the problem of sexual sin within a marriage. One of the things that I love about the Bible is that it doesn’t pull its punches. It speaks to real life and cuts directly to the core of the issue. Here, in chapter five, the father, who has been appealing to his sons to listen and apply the wisdom he is offering, tells them exactly what will happen if they are not faithful in their marriages. He acknowledges that it is not a matter of if they will be tempted. Instead, it is a matter of when they will be tempted. Oh, how true that is for all of us when it comes to sin in general and sexual sin specifically. Whether we are married or single, we will all face temptations. The father is clear temptations will come, but don’t be mistaken; you are not powerless against them. No, you can and need to resist temptation. There is much to glean in this passage about marriage and the beautiful intimacy that comes from a godly approach to the sexual union within marriage. There is also much to glean about the frank nature of the father’s advice to resist temptation and flee sin. Again, wisdom or folly, which will you choose?
If we see sin as something innocuous or incidental, then we really won’t understand the author’s appeal. Or, if we see sin as something we’re powerless against or isn’t our fault, then why even try to resist? The father in Proverbs won’t let his sons off that easily. Not only does he stress that they need to be disciplined against sin (v.23), but that when they fall into sin, they need to take appropriate responsibility for their part in it all (v.13). Sin is a truly destructive force, as the father explains in vv. 12-14. God doesn’t want us to experience this kind of anguish or pain. He wants us to experience the abundance of life that is offered through his Son, Jesus. That is the life we were created to experience and to live. Sin, instead of giving life, robs us of the joy of that life in Christ. So, how will we approach sin? Will we listen to the father in this section? Or will we dismiss him? Here’s the thing, we may not want to admit to the pain of our own sin. Some of us are very aware of the pain of our sin. But, when others sin against us, we are quite aware of the pain that sin causes. The Bible teaches us that we can avoid much of the pain of sin if we live wisely. No, we’re not going to be able to avoid the pain of sin completely because we can’t control others. When we take sin seriously, though, it helps us to be increasingly willing to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and resist sin. When we allow wisdom to saturate our hearts, we experience the abundant life of Christ and believe that sin quickly ensnares and robs us of joy.
GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. Sin can be described as a shortcut to get what only God can give. Was there a time in your life when you took a shortcut only to regret it later? Example: One time, when hiking, we thought we had taken a shortcut only to find out it was much longer than the actual trail. No harm in the end. Just a couple more miles hiked!
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage(s). It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions.
- What did you hear God’s Spirit say to you through the passage this week? How does it encourage you? How does it sharpen you?
- Is there an image, word, or picture that stands out to you in the passage from this week, and what about it is powerful or helpful?
- How would you define sin? Do you agree with the idea that sin can be like a shortcut where we try to get for ourselves only what God can give? Why or why not?
- As believers, when we sin, we don’t lose our salvation. What is then our motivation to not sin?
- If you want to overcome struggles with sin in your life, one of the most important things to do is to identify your patterns of sin. Not just the sins themselves but also what is going on around you and inside of you when you give into temptation and sin. Are there consistent patterns or circumstances that come up for you with a sin that you struggle with?
[1] Tremper Longman III, How to Read Proverbs (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2002), 30.