Proverbs 4:10-17

Why don't we go ahead and have some coffee. Good morning. It's so great to have you this morning. It's where every day we get together, we get into God's Word, and we grow in our love for the Lord together. And this year, 2021, we'll make it through all of the wisdom literature. We've made it through Job. We made it through Psalms. Now we're at Proverbs. Proverbs chapter 4.
We're going to do verses 10 through 17 today. Why don't we go ahead and pray. Father, thank you so much for this day. Thank you for a blessing. We're getting to come to your Word. Father, we pray that we might have ears to hear now. We pray that your spirit might enlighten our minds, that you would teach us, that we would sit at your feet, and we would hear and do what you command. In Jesus' name, amen. All right, here we go.
Proverbs chapter 4, verses 10 through 17. Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in right paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let go. Keep her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it. Do not travel on it. Turn away from it and pass on. For they do not slip unless they have done evil, and their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
All right, well, we need to ask ourselves, A, what is this about? B, what's the best verse to summarize this? And C, what are we called to do in response to this? First, I'm going to get another drink of coffee. My throat's a little dry here today. A, well, what's this about? What is this talking about?
Well, this is the third time in this short part of Proverbs 4 that God's, or that Father Solomon is speaking to the son, his son, you know, saying, hey, come on, listen, pay heed, right? He said in verse 1, he said in verse 4, And now in verse 10 again, hear my son, receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. How many times do you have to tell a kid, hey, listen up. No, no, come on, keep listening. Come on, keep listening, keep listening. He says it again.
He promises the years of your life will be many. Again, this is the difference between the promises and the principles. I said promise before, but these are the principles of life. If we tell our children the fifth commandment, what Paul says in the book of Ephesians, that it will go well with you if you honor your father and your mother. Right? Obey your parents and the Lord for this is right. That doesn't necessarily mean everything's going to be hunky-dory for them, but it will go well with them. These are godly principles.
So he says, I taught you in the way of wisdom. I led you in righteous paths. He says, walk in them. Walk in the paths of righteousness. Walk in the ways I've taught you. When you walk, your step will not be hindered. And when you run, you will not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let it go. Keep her, for she is your life.
Chase after wisdom. Chase after knowledge. That's where you're going to be able to walk. We read that in the book of Psalms. How can a young man keep his way? By taking heed according to your word. Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Jesus Christ is the one who turned his ear to his Father, heard every law, and walked every one of them perfectly. Doesn't mean everything turned out great in this life for Jesus, did it? No, but eternally it sure did. Right? Jesus Christ walked before his Father in wisdom, held on to understanding.
Do not enter the path of the wicked. And this whole next part, verses 14 through 17, is, hey, here's what the wicked are like. Right? There are wicked people that they just can't stand not to do wickedness. The wicked, it says, they don't sleep unless they have done evil, right? They don't find rest because the only thing that motivates them to keep going is the evil that they want to do. Just don't even go near them. Stay away from them. Stay far away from them. Keep them over there.
This is what the book of Colossians warns us, right? I'm going to say this two different ways. First of all, Book of Colossians tells us, bad company corrupts good morals. But it's interesting what precedes that. It says, do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals. These are going to be people that seem like it's going to be fun to hang out. Friends that you might want to associate with. People with business dealings that they seem to be getting rich quickly, but they're doing it immorally.
And the scriptures tell us, don't be deceived. They can't sleep unless they do evil. They're wanting to do these evil things. Stay away from them. It might seem like it's pleasurable, but just stay away from them. It's going to lead to destruction. But if you cling to the knowledge of Christ, If you hold on to holiness, it'll go well for you, son. Listen up. So, where are you going to walk today? Are you going to walk in the paths of the Lord? This isn't moralism, this is saying, God's desire for you is your sanctification. Will you follow the Lord? Will you walk after his paths? Don't go the way of sinners. Don't sit in the seat of scoffers. but delight in the law of the Lord.
Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for Jesus Christ, who perfectly obeyed your law. In his active obedience upon this earth, in his state of humiliation, he obeyed every bit of your wisdom. Lord, we pray that you would teach us to walk after him, that you would make us more like him. We pray that you would forgive us for our shortcomings, comings or failings and that we would, Lord, that we would be more like your Son. Please, let us walk in the paths of righteousness after our Savior. Do this by the work of your Holy Spirit in our hearts. In Jesus' name, Amen. Well, may God bless you today. May you walk in the paths of righteousness and I'll see you tomorrow. Bye.