Proverbs 6:1-19, Some Practical Warnings

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March 4, Proverbs 6:1-19

Neh. 5:16; Phil. 3:18-21 “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament” (Heb. 7:22).

Some Practical Warnings

The extended warning about adultery is interrupted by three examples of danger which illustrate the warning about going astray in 5:23. They are, suretyship (Snared), the sluggard (Shirker), the naughty person (Schemer). These are still profitable warnings for both this world and the next! “The Book of Proverbs is a better guide for a young man in business than Adam Smith or the Financial Post” (Thomas).

  1. The Caution – Snared (6:1-2)! In earlier times it was sufficient for the Law to forbid usury (interest) with a fellow Israelite, but with the growth of commerce and luxury under Solomon, this had become a real pitfall for young men. Proverbs condemns the practice of usury and the resultant suretyship. a. An Entanglement Depicted: Resist every impulse to incur such a risk, even for a friend. Being a surety, a guarantor, may not always be bad. There is surely a place for support, especially unto them who are of the household of faith (Pr. 18:24; Gal. 6:10), but there are two key considerations here. i. The person you take liability for must be deserving. ii. You should be able to meet the surety assumed. Would foreclosure imperil your other responsibilities, especially to your own family? Without facing these stipulations, all surety becomes wrong. Remember, the most deserving men will seldom ask for surety, and the most competent will seldom undertake it. b. An Empathy Disavowed: Kindness for your friend may turn thinking into a compassion that clouds your mind. You must be able to say No to an unwise transaction as promptly as saying Yes to a valid one (Pr. 3:27-28). Striking hands may close an agreement. One word before the witnesses or written down is sufficient to bind you morally and legally. Striking of hands or word given has ruined many a sincere man. It is so easy to harm oneself and one’s family, both financially and spiritually, but such unwise actions.
  2. The Closure – Skinned (5:3-5)! Don’t sign for anything without reading the fine print first. It may be painful to have to beg for mercy from a creditor who is about to foreclose on the debt, but it may be the only chance of saving your skin. “When a fool goes to market, the merchants rejoice.” If you end up caught in another’s debt, do all you can to remove the liability. In v.5 the hand represents a snare like an animal caught in a trap. a. Promptly Proffer! You have no time to lose. The bond is being called in. Try every means to get out of it. Don’t think of sleep till you do it. Set the record right; seek to deliver thyself now! b. Pleadingly Pray! Become a humble suppliant before thy friend! These verbs are very expressive. Offer thyself to be trampled upon; prostrate thyself. Maybe, he can be persuaded to answer for his own debt. Humbling, yes, but you are desperate! c. Practically Plan! Try to disentangle yourself like the roe or bird from this net. Break loose from it as fairly as you can and be free! Don’t give hasty handshakes to strangers!

Thought: “You are in debt to God, give no sleep to your eyes, till you implore mercy.”

Prayer: Lord, keep me sympathetic yet sensible in all my dealings.