Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20120923.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Proverbs: Motivating Teens And Adults To Align With God's Fixed Moral Order
Part IV: Proverbs Of Other Godly Men On God's Fixed Moral Order, Proverbs 22:17-24:34
A. Thirty Proverbs Of Other Godly Men, Proverbs 22:17-24:22
4. Studying Proverbs 23:26-35
  1. Introduction
    1. Solomon's Proverbs 10:1-22:16 sayings are followed by those of other men in Proverbs 22:17-24:34 (Bib. Know. Com., O. T., p. 925, 954), and 30 of them are grouped in Proverbs 22:17-24:22, Ibid., p. 954.
    2. In contrast to Solomon's style, many of these proverbs have a theme that is presented in more than one verse, and we view proverbs seventeen and eighteen of this group of 30 in Proverbs 23:26-35 (as follows):
  2. Studying Proverbs 23:26-35.
    1. Proverbs 23:26-28 presents the seventeenth saying, teaching (26) My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes favorably accept (resah, B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T. , p. 953) my ways, (27) because a harlot (zanah, Ibid., p. 275-276; ptc.) is a deep (amoq, Ibid., p. 771) pit (shuhah, Ibid., p. 1001) and an adulteress woman ( nakri, Ibid., p. 648-649) is a narrow (sar, Ibid., p. 865) well (be'er, Ibid., p. 91). (28) Surely (ap, Kittel, Biblia Hebraica , p. 1183; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 64-65) she (emph. pron.) lies in wait, ambushes (arab, Ibid., p. 70) as for prey (hetep, Ibid., p. 369), and multiplies ( yasap, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 414-415) the faithless [to marital contracts] (bagad, Ibid., p. 93) among common man (adam, Ibid., Kittel; Robert B. Girdlestone, Syns. of the O. T., 1973, p. 45-50). To counter the lure of immorality, we must (a) heed the example of the godly parent of our gender, (b) view immoral parties as dangerous (deep pits, wells), with adulterers the most dangerous due to vengeance from their spouses (narrow well is harder to escape, and one can drown at its bottom), (c) to avoid their company or to be guarded if we must be around them, (d) to know the immoral are selfishly aggressive (lie in wait, ambush) and (e) hurt others without conscience (prey), (f) ruining many marriages of common folk who lack the character of nobles!
    2. Proverbs 23:29-35 presents the eighteenth saying, asserting (29) Who has woe? [impassioned expression of grief, despair, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 17] Who has sorrow? (KJV) Who has arguments, strife? ( madon, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 193) Who has complaints? (siha, Ibid., p. 967) Who has needless (hinam, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 336) wounds, bruises? ( pesa', Ibid., p. 822) Who has dullness (hakelilut, Ibid., p. 314) of the eyes? (30) Those who tarry, remain behind (ahar, Ibid., p. 29) over wine, who go in search of ( haqar, Ibid., p. 350) mixed wine beverages (mimsak, Ibid., p. 587). (31) Do not [lustfully] gaze upon (ra'ah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 906-909) wine when it reddens itself ( adam, Ibid., p. 10; Hithpael = intensive reflexive), when it glides, flows (halak, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 229-237; Hithpael = intensive reflexive) [down the throat] with smoothness ( meshar, Ibid., p. 449). (32) In the end it bites (nashak, Ibid., p. 675) like a serpent, it pierces (parash, Ibid., p. 831) like a venomous viper ( sip'oni, Ibid., p. 861). (33) Your eyes will see strange things (zarot, Ibid., p. 266) and your heart, mind (leb, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 524-525) will utter perverse things ( tahpukah, Ibid., p. 246). (34) You will be like one who lies down (shakab, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1011-1012) on the great [high] seas, and like he who lies down on top of a mast [a crow's nest] ( hibel, Ibid., p. 287). (36) "They have smitten (nakah, Ibid., Kittel, p. 1184; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 645-646; Hiphil = causative) me," [you will say,] "but I am not lame from wounds ( halah, Ibid., p. 317); they have struck (halam, Ibid., p. 240) me, but I did not experience [feel] (yada', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 393-395) it; when shall I awaken? ( qis, Ibid., p. 884) I will still again (od, Ibid., p. 728-729) seek another (yasap, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 414-415 [another meaning than the Pr. 23:26 use]) [drink]." Alcoholics and all substance abusers (drugs; gluttony), face sorrow, strife, complaints, needless harm and mental dullness as they linger over the lusted item, trapped in lust for its appeal. In the end, they suffer physical decline and confusion, they speak perverse things in spiritual failure and become incapable of productive work (like a drunk sailor reclining in a crow's nest versus looking out from it as his job), while seeking for more intoxication.
    3. Both of these proverbs teach (1) the futility of being ruled by our drives (versus 1 Cor. 6:12b), and the (2) need to view as perilous immoral people or substances that, by the abuse of our drives, will ruin us!
Lesson Application: May we align with God's fixed moral order in each of these realms for blessing.