Proverbs (Part 069) - Pro 6:23-24

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23. Pro 6:23 - "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:" A. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; i. The commandment and the law are both synonyms for the scriptures, the word of God (Num 15:31; Psa 119:172; Deut 17:18-19; Mic 4:2). a. Commandment n. - 1. An authoritative order or injunction; a precept given by authority. 2. esp. A divine command. b. Law n. - I. A rule of conduct imposed by authority. 1. a. The body of rules, whether proceeding from formal enactment or from custom, which a particular state or community recognizes as binding on its members or subjects. (In this sense usually the law.) †Also, in early use, a code or system of rules of this kind. ii. The word of God (the scripture) is a spiritual lamp that gives light so that we can see God's will for our lives, our sin, the nature of the world around us, and how we should live in it. a. Lamp n. - 1. a. A vessel containing oil, which is burnt at a wick, for the purpose of illumination. Now also a vessel of glass or some similar material, enclosing the source of illumination, whether a candle, oil, gas-jet, or incandescent wire. b. Light n. - 1. That natural agent or influence which (emanating from the sun, bodies intensely heated or burning, and various other sources) evokes the functional activity of the organ of sight. a. Viewed as the medium of visual perception generally. Also, the condition of space in which light is present, and in which therefore vision is possible. Opposed to darkness. iii. God's word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psa 119:105). iv. When God's words enter our minds they give us light and understanding (Psa 119:130). v. The New Testament especially is as a light that shines in a dark place to elucidate God's truth and make it plain to be understood (2Pe 1:19). vi. The path of the just, which is illuminated by the scriptures, is as the shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day (Pro 4:18). B. and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: i. Reproof of instruction is one of the primary purposes for which the scriptures were given (2Ti 3:16). a. Reproof n. - 3. Censure, rebuke, reprimand, reprehension. 1611 Bible Prov. xv. 5 A foole despiseth his fathers instruction: but hee that regardeth reproofe, is prudent. b. Instruction n. - 1. The action of instructing or teaching; the imparting of knowledge or skill; education; †information. ii. Pastors are commanded to preach the word and reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine (2Ti 4:2). iii. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life. a. Life in the real world is accompanied by reproofs of instruction. (i) He who hears and keeps instruction is in the way of life (Pro 10:17). (ii) Wise men will hear the reproof of life (Pro 15:31). (iii) He that regards reproof is prudent (Pro 15:5). b. But those who despise and refuse reproof and instruction are stupid fools (Pro 1:7; Pro 12:1; Pro 15:5; Pro 23:9). (i) Those who will not hear rebuke are scorners (Pro 13:1). (ii) Those that refuse instruction hate themselves (Pro 15:32). (iii) They will be impoverished and ashamed (Pro 13:18). (iv) They that refuse reproof are not in the way of life, but rather in the way of death (Pro 15:10). c. If you are a person who hates reproof and doesn't think it should be part of life, you are not living in reality because reproofs of instruction are the way of life. C. Tying both parts of Pro 6:23 together, the scriptures preached by men of God are used to reprove sinners and expose their sin as light exposes things hidden in darkness (Hos 6:5). 24. Pro 6:24 - "To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman." A. To keep thee from the evil woman, i. One of the benefits of keeping God's commandments (Pro 6:20), hiding them in our hearts (Pro 6:21), letting them lead and guide us (Pro 6:22), and having them be a light to our path and a reproof of our ways (Pro 6:23) is that they will keep us from the evil woman (Pro 6:24). ii. Evil - A. adj. The antithesis of good in all its principal senses. I. Bad in a positive sense. 1. Morally depraved, bad, wicked, vicious. Also absol. Obs. as applied to persons. iii. The Bible uses the phrases "evil man" and "evil men" 15 times. a. The phrases "evil woman" and "evil women" are only used once in the Bible (Pro 6:24). b. But it's not only men who are evil; some women are too (Deut 17:2-5; Deut 28:56-57; 2Ch 24:7; Rev 2:20). iv. The evil woman in this context is the strange woman (Pro 6:24) and the whorish woman and adulteress (Pro 6:26). v. The word of God gives us wisdom (the ability to make good decisions) which will deliver us from the evil woman (Pro 2:6, 10, 16; Pro 7:4-5). B. from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. i. A strange woman is a fornicatress or a prostitute. a. Strange adj. - 4. strange woman: a harlot. b. Harlot n. - 5. Applied to a woman. a. As a general term of execration. c. spec. An unchaste woman; a prostitute; a strumpet. (Very frequent in 16th c. Bible versions, where Wyclif had hoore, whore; prob. as a less offensive word.) c. Unchaste adj. - Not chaste; lacking chastity; impure, lascivious d. Chaste adj. - 1. Pure from unlawful sexual intercourse; continent, virtuous. e. Chastity n. - 1. a. Purity from unlawful sexual intercourse; continence. f. Lascivious adj. - 1. Inclined to lust, lewd, wanton. g. According to God's law, unlawful sexual intercourse is fornication (1Co 6:18) and adultery (Heb 13:4). h. Fornication n. - Voluntary sexual intercourse between a man (in restricted use, an unmarried man) and an unmarried woman. In Scripture extended to adultery. i. Therefore, a strange woman is not merely a prostitute, but is also a woman who offers the same service free of charge to boyfriends or men whom she dates. ii. The strange woman uses flattery to seduce her victims (Pro 7:21). a. Flattery n. - 1. The action or practice of flattering; false or insincere praise; adulation; cajolery, blandishment. b. Flatter v. - 1. a. intr. Of an animal, bird, etc.: To show delight or fondness (by wagging the tail, making a caressing sound, etc.). 2. To try to please or win the favour of (a person) by obsequious speech or conduct; to court, fawn upon. 3. To praise or compliment unduly or insincerely. †Const. of. †Also in weaker sense, to gloss over, palliate (faults), speak too leniently to (an offender). iii. The word of God will keep a man from being deceived from the strange woman's flattery. a. The scriptures teach us to not think highly of ourselves (Rom 12:3). b. A wise man who knows the Bible will consider the praise that others give him and will refine it to determine if it's valid praise or flattery (Pro 27:21). (i) A fool who thinks highly of himself (Gal 6:3) will readily accept all praise and be puffed up by it. 1. He will get a smile on his face as soon as someone compliments him. 2. A man like this is an easy target for a strange woman. (ii) Conversely, a wise man endowed with wisdom from the word of God will quickly recognize if the praise is undue, insincere, or exaggerated and will not accept it and be very wary of the person who gave it to him. (iii) The reason for this is that the wise man knows himself (Pro 14:8) and loves the truth (Psa 15:2) and will therefore not believe praise that not true of him. c. Therefore, the man who reads the Bible, hides it in his heart, and keeps it will be kept from the flattery of the strange woman.