Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20110417.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Proverbs: Motivating Teens And Adults To Align With God's Fixed Moral Order
Part II: Explaining The Value Of Heeding God's Fixed Moral Order, Proverbs 1:8-9:18
C. Desiring God's Fixed Moral Order For Avoiding Terrible Relationships
(Proverbs 2:1-22)
  1. Introduction
    1. After seeking in Proverbs 1:20-33 to motivate young princes [and princesses by application] to align with God's fixed moral order through personifying that order (hokmah ) to be a desirable spouse, Solomon moved to the opposite issue -- motivating the young prince [or princess] to avoid terrible relationships!
    2. Proverbs 2:1-22 thus offers the third in a series of a sixteen-part section in his Egyptian sboyet format aimed at motivating the young to heed God's fixed moral order, a section showing the value of aligning to God's fixed moral order to avoid getting into terrible relationships (as follows):
  2. Desiring God's Fixed Moral Order For Avoiding Terrible Relationships, Proverbs 2:1-22.
    1. Proverbs 2:1-22 presents the Proverbs 2:1-4 conditions that produce the Proverbs 2:5-22 blessings.
    2. So, the Proverbs 2:5-22 blessings arise out of obeying Proverbs 2:1-4 as follows:
      1. If one accepts and treasures Solomon's words, if he turns his ear to them, if he inclines his heart to understand, calling out for its insight and crying aloud for its understanding, looking for it as silver and searching for it as treasure (Proverbs 2:1-4 NIV) , he will be enjoy the Proverbs 2:5-22 blessings.
      2. Thus, one must be motivated to heed Solomon's words to enjoy the Proverbs 2:5-22 blessings.
    3. The way those blessings are realized in one's experience is detailed for us in Proverbs 2:5-22 as follows:
      1. If one pursues God's fixed moral order, he will gain a reverence for God and find His knowledge, and God will reciprocate by providing this party His personal help in that person's experience, Prov. 2:5-8:
        1. Solomon noted that to pursue the knowledge and application of God's fixed moral order leads one to know and thus to respect God (Prov. 2:5), for it is God [Jahweh is in the emphatic position, Biblia Hebraica, p. 1156) Who is the Fount of wisdom via His mouth (Word), and it is He Who treasures up "wisdom that leads to success"! (tushiyah , Theol. Wrdbk. of the O. T., vol. I, p. 413)
        2. God also takes a personal, protective interest in one who applies His Word, acting as a personal handheld shield (megan, Ibid., Bib. Hebr.; Roland DeVaux, Ancient Israel: Social Institutions , v. 1, p. 244-245) to those whose walk is blameless in adjusting to Scripture, Proverbs 2:6-8.
      2. Pursuing God's fixed moral order like this equips one to discern every good path, Prov. 2:9, and one such good path is the capacity to discern good from bad people for relationships, Proverbs 2:10-22:
        1. God's wisdom, knowledge, discretion and understanding (Proverbs 2:10-11 NIV) to one thus committed to His fixed moral order will be part of his thinking that affects his whole way of life.
        2. This experience will rescue him from relating to evil parties of his own gender, Prov. 2:12-15 NIV: evil men who speak perverse words, leave straight paths to walk in darkness, who delight in wrong, crooked and devious ways will not be able to win the trust of the youth who sticks to God's order.
        3. Also, Proverbs 2:16-19 NIV shows God's wisdom and guidance keep him from fellowship with bad parties of the opposite gender who otherwise more easily entrap him : (1) the youth will not be trapped to sin even by a bad other gender party's seductive words (Prov. 2:16), for he will (2) note the party violates Scripture (Prov. 2:17). (3) He will recall Scripture warns the ways of such parties are perilous for him, so he will avoid these parties regardless of their natural allure, Prov. 2:18-19.
        4. Then, the youth will gain upright relationships of blessing, Prov. 2:20-22: (1) He [or she as the case may be] will walk in the paths of wholesome (tobim) people and stay on upright paths, Prov. 2:20; Ibid, Bib. Hebr. (2) This results from being upright, from adopting God's fixed moral order in one's thinking and so coming under His personal help (see above) so as to live a long life. However, the wicked violate that divine order and are ensnared by evil folk. They will be cut off in judgment, and those who are unfaithful to the bounds set by God will be torn from the land, Proverbs 2:21-22 NIV.
Lesson: The youth must learn that his adoption of God's fixed order will bring God's protective insight that aids him in avoiding bad and gaining good relationships, thus spurring him to adopt God's order!

Application: May we realize the big benefit heeding God's order offers in eluding terrible relationships.