Proverbs 7 – Live in the Darkness
Thursday, 9th March 2023
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
What is our attitude towards life? We could have done nothing about our status quo and just live on as it is, but do we see that we are in the darkness? When we strive to really live in the darkness, then we can see the light. It is just like King Hezekiah, who decided to find the proverbs of Solomon, the words of wisdom, which is the Word of God, because he knew he was in the darkness, the whole nation was in the darkness, and he was determined to see the light. Let us look around, do we recognise that we are in the deep darkness? This is not where we should be, that’s also why God allows us to receive Proverbs 7.
Section One V1-5 Keep the Commands and Live
V1 ‘My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you.’ We must treasure the Word of God, be careful to observe God’s Word, and prepare ourselves to receive the life given by God. In Proverbs 6:8, it says, ‘Provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.’ Our lives is like the four seasons, Sprint time is our childhood and Summer time is our youth, but do we gather food during this time while we are young and strong? In this generation, our young people have lost their ways and are attracted by the worldly entertainment and enjoyment. We must be mindful, God has given us His commands already, that we must listen and obey, we should not wait until we are ready to keep the commands.
V2 ‘Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye.’ By keeping the commands, we are living out the Word of God, to treasure and protect the Word of God that is given to us. What is our attitude toward the Word of God? His law, His commands, and his teaching, do we allow the world to challenge our faith? Or do we strive to protect this Word that is the most precious treasure to us?
V3 ‘Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.’ The fingers are previous, we are using our fingers everyday to do many things. We must know how important it is to have the Word of God in our lives, when we bind them on our finders and write them in our hearts, then we have this attitude to always protect and keep the commands.
V4-5 ‘Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your nearest kin, that they may keep you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words.’ What is our relationship with God? Do we only come to God when we need Him? Or do we come close to Him everyday like a sister, like our nearest kin? Our interactions with God should be close and intimate, do not let God become our servant or a wish will. When we have an intimate relationships with God, then everything on this world cannot lure us into the darkness.
Section Two V6-23 Leave the Temptation of Darkness
V18 ‘Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us delight ourselves with love.’ In the darkness, there are a lot of temptations that want to keep us in the darkness. In darkness we can do a lot of wicked and sinful things, and that is why a lot of people choose to stay in the darkness, they think that they have the freedom to do whatever they want, but they are actually bound by the darkness. At night time we should be sleeping and resting, but when we choose to stay awake at night, then the temptation will come, when we are tired then we will easily fall into the devil’s trap, and at the end, we will choose to stay in the darkness.
Do not let this become a habit, let us stay away from temptations and stay away from darkness, let us humble ourselves and know that we are weak, we cannot overcome the devil’s traps by ourselves, therefore we must insist to stay in the light, to let God’s Light come to our lives so we can really live! Instead of staying up a night, we must learn to wake up early in the morning, and let this become our lifestyle, then we can live.
Section Three V24-27 Protect Our Hearts
V24-26 ‘Now therefore, listen to me, my children; pay attention to the words of my mouth: Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, do not stray into her paths; for she has cast down many wounded, and all who were slain by her were strong men.’ Do not wait until we think we are ready, God is talking to us right now! It’s about listening and taking the action. We often just hear and leave it, we turn around and continue to walk our own ways. We have so many excuses to not follow God’s commands. We must protect our hearts to be soft, to be humble, to be willing to stay in the Light and the Word of God.
箴言 7 – 在黑暗中得存活
2023年3月9日 星期四
潘锡安牧师
希西家王当时所面对的是黑暗的环境，他选择不再活在自己父亲那样的幽暗中，他在所罗门所写的箴言中寻求神的智慧，就在这里找到他所需要的。我们是否看见自己其实处在黑暗和幽暗中？神通过年初的暴雨、飓风、地震让我们看清自己的光景，也借着箴言第7章让我们领受祝福。
一、v.1-5 要遵守诫命 得生命
人通常所渴求的是为所欲为的自由，趁年轻享受当下，却不愿意为将来殷勤预备自己。教会的年轻人流失严重，求神帮助我们，让我们用神的话语帮助他们。
V1-2 神给我们的话不是我们想听就听的选择，这些都是生命的教导、命令，我们要存记在心，并且活出来。我们也要保护自己所领受的“法则”，如同保护自己的眼睛。我们是否轻易让世界来挑战我们对神的信心？
V3 我们的“指头”很重要，当时的大祭司用他们的指头按在祭物上，是需要分别为圣的。我们是否让自己的手分别为圣？我们要明白自己是软弱的，不要看自己过于所当看的，只要谨守遵行神的话语。
V4 对智慧说话就是对神说话。我们与神的关系应当是亲密的，可我们什么时候才寻找神呢？是遇到问题、希望他来帮我们愿望成真的时候我们才祷告吗？我们没有把神当亲人，而是仆人。唯有与神关系亲密，才有智慧在黑暗中分辨。
二、v.5-23 要远离黑暗的诱惑
诱惑通常发生“在黄昏，或晚上，或半夜，或黑暗之中”，它给我们带来的是享乐、自由，让我们以为“可以饱享爱情直到早晨”，至终却走向死亡。神让我们白天工作、晚上休息，但我们若不谦卑，深夜还不休息，我们就很容易让自己披露于黑暗中的试探，陷入仇敌的诱惑。若是早上无法早起，我们就该在夜间早点入睡，靠着那加给我们力量的神，我们才凡事都能做。遵守神的话如同军人遵守军令，才保守我们不被敌人攻击，得以存活。
三、v.24-27 要保守我们的心
V24 我们不要用“等我预备好”当成拖延的借口，而是“现在”就要听从。当我们听到神的话语、牧者的教导时，我们是否专心去听，并且跟从？
V25 我们不愿意听，听到后又有很多抵触、小剧场，因为我们的心有问题。求神帮助我们有柔软的心，愿意听道、受教，在黑暗中仍能存活，并且发光，因为耶和华的的光已经来到。