if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth, Sermons
I. A FEATURE OF ANCIENT LIFE. The warnings against incurring this responsibility are very frequent in this book (Proverbs 11:15; Proverbs 17:18; Proverbs 20:16; Proverbs 22:26). For the bail was treated like the insolvent debtor (2 Kings 4:1; Matthew 18:25). He was subject to distraint or to be sold into slavery. Ben-Sira (29, 18, seq.) says, "Suretyship hath destroyed many that were doing well, and swallowed them up as a wave of the sea. It hath turned mighty men out of their homes, and they wandered among foreign peoples." The surety struck his band into that of the debtor, as a sign that he would answer for him. This would be accompanied by a verbal declaration, and hence the man had bound and confined himself - "snared himself by the words of his mouth." The rigidity of ancient custom in this particular told with terrible severity against thoughtless incurrers of responsibility, no matter how kind the motive. Hence - II. THE URGENT NEED OF PRUDENCE. Ver. 3: "Since thou hast come into the hand [power] of thy neighbour, stamp with thy foot, and storm thy neighbour;" i.e. be urgent and insistent with the careless debtor for whom thou hast pledged thyself, press upon him the fulfilment of his responsibilities before it be too late. Exercise a sleepless vigilance (ver. 4, "Tear thyself free like a gazelle from its haunt, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler"). III. MODERN REFLECTIONS AND LESSORS. 1. Let us be thankful that the severity of the ancient laws and customs concerning debt and suretyship has been mitigated. The history of the changes of law is one of the best evidences of Christianity, and proof that prior conceptions of God advance side by side with gentler conceptions of social relations and duties. 2. Prudence is a constant necessity, and its cultivation a virtue, though not the highest. We must learn to adjust the claims of prudence and of neighbourly love. 3. Independence is not only a "glorious privilege," but the firm foundation for the best life enjoyment and life work. These are golden words from Ben-Sira, valid for all time: "Take heed to thyself, lest thou fail. The elements of life are water, bread, and a coat to one's back, and a dwelling to hide unseemliness. Better the poor man's life in his hut than faring luxuriously in others' houses... It is an ill life from house to house, and not to be able to open your mouth where you are sojourning." To do our own work or God's work well, we should aim at detachment, disembarrassment, freedom of spirit. - J.
These six things doth the Lord hate. A catalogue of evils specially odious to the Infinite One.I. HAUGHTY BEARING. "A proud look." Pride is frequently represented in the Bible as an offence to the Holy God. Haughtiness is an abomination, because it implies — 1. Self-ignorance. 2. Unkindness. 3. Irreverence. II. VERBAL FALSEHOOD. "A lying tongue." 1. Falsehood always implies a wrong heart. A pure heart supplies no motive for falsehood. Vanity, avarice, ambition, cowardice are the parents and patrons of lies. 2. Falsehood always has a bad social tendency. It disappoints expectations, shakes confidence, loosens the very foundations of social order. III. HEARTLESS CRUELTY. "Hands that shed innocent blood." Cruelty implies — 1. An utter lack of sympathy with God's creatures. 2. An utter lack of sympathy with God's mind. He who inflicts pain is out of sympathy both with the universe and with his Maker. IV. VICIOUS SCHEMING. "A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations." There are some hearts so bad that they are ever inventing some evil thing. Illustrate by antediluvian man. V. MISCHIEVOUS EAGERNESS. "Feet swift in running to mischief." They not only do mischief, but they do it eagerly, with ready vigilance; they have a greed for it. VI. SOCIAL SLANDER. The slanderer is amongst the greatest of social curses. He robs his fellow-creature of his greatest treasure—his own reputation, and the loving confidence of his friends. VII. DISTURBING STRIFE. "And he that soweth discord among brethren." He who by tale-bearing, ill-natured stories, and wicked inventions produces the disruptions of friendship, is abhorrent to that God who desires His creatures to live in love and unity. This subject serves to show three things — 1. The moral hideousness of the world. These seven evils everywhere abound. 2. The immaculate purity of God. He hates these things. Therefore they are foreign to himself. 3. The true mission of the godly—to endeavour to rid the world of the evils offensive to Heaven. (D. Thomas, D. D.) People SolomonPlaces JerusalemTopics Captured, Caught, Ensnared, Hast, Lips, Mouth, Net, Overcome, Sayings, Snared, Trapped, UtteranceOutline 1. against indebtedness6. idleness 12. and mischievousness 16. seven things detestable to God 20. the blessings of obedience 25. the mischief of unfaithfulness Dictionary of Bible Themes Proverbs 6:2Library The Talking BookA Sermon (No. 1017) Delivered on Lord's Day Morning, October 22nd, 1871 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "When thou awakest, it shall talk with thee."--Proverbs 6:22. It is a very happy circumstance when the commandment of our father and the law of our mother are also the commandment of God and the law of the Lord. Happy are they who have a double force to draw them to the right--the bonds of nature, and the cords of grace. They sin with a vengeance who sin both against … C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs An Appeal to Children of Godly Parents The Talking Book How Sowers of Strifes and Peacemakers are to be Admonished. A Jealous God How Subjects and Prelates are to be Admonished. The Preface to the Commandments "Boast not Thyself of to Morrow, for Thou Knowest not what a Day May Bring Forth. " The Heavenly Footman; Or, a Description of the Man that Gets to Heaven: In Death and after Death "And Watch unto Prayer. " Proverbs Links Proverbs 6:2 NIVProverbs 6:2 NLT Proverbs 6:2 ESV Proverbs 6:2 NASB Proverbs 6:2 KJV Proverbs 6:2 Bible Apps Proverbs 6:2 Parallel Proverbs 6:2 Biblia Paralela Proverbs 6:2 Chinese Bible Proverbs 6:2 French Bible Proverbs 6:2 German Bible Proverbs 6:2 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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