There are three divisions to this chapter:

Verse 1-2 – An admonition to have a change of mind (repentance) concerning wisdom.

Verse 3-14 – The result of not obtaining wisdom.

Verse 15-23 – The result of obtaining wisdom.

I. Verse 1-2 - My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: {2} That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

A. It is necessary to have a change of mind concerning wisdom.

1. The father wants his son to forsake his own personal wisdom and accept the wisdom of the dad, who, by experience, knows what is best.

2. See the word "my", which is used two times in verse 1.

3. If we only accept our own wisdom, we will miss true wisdom.

4. We must accept the wisdom of God as being greater than our own wisdom.

B. The message of accepting the wisdom of another continues through this chapter.

1. Proverbs 1:7-8 – The definition of wisdom and acknowledgement that true wisdom comes from the father.

2. Proverbs 1:20 – Wisdom cries in the streets so all can hear.

3. Proverbs 2:1 – There must be an acceptation of the wisdom of the father.

4. Proverbs 2:10 – An acknowledgment that heavenly wisdom must enter the heart – that heavenly wisdom is not already in the heart.

5. Proverbs 3:1 – A desire of the father for the child to accept the wisdom of another.

6. Proverbs 4:1 – The father desiring his children hear and accept his wisdom.

C. It is necessary to accept the wisdom of another.

1. The passage is a father speaking to his son, desiring the son to accept the wisdom of the father.

2. God is our heavenly father, therefore we should forsake our wisdom and accept the wisdom of our heavenly father.

3. James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

a. If we ask wisdom, we realize we do not have wisdom, or we have incorrect, or insufficient wisdom.

b. If we are going to accept the wisdom of God, we must forsake our own wisdom.

c. It is impossible to add the wisdom of God to our wisdom and have heavenly wisdom for our wisdom is contaminated with sin, and our own personal desires, which is not the desires Christ would have for us.

D. In salvation, we come to understand that we are no good, have nothing good and must reject everything about us, and accept as good the determination of God the Father.

1. There is no difference in the principle of accepting the salvation of God and accepting the wisdom of God.

2. There is no difference in the principle of progressive sanctification and accepting heavenly wisdom.

3. In both, there is a willing rejection of what we have and a ready acceptance of that which belongs only to God.

4. In both, there is a recognition that God alone has what we need, and we cannot get it any other way than to accept his free offer.

E. Verse 2 – If we would regard discretion and keep knowledge, we must reject our wisdom and accept the wisdom of God.

1. Regard discretion.

a. The word "regard" means to observe, or view, or to heed.

b. "discretion" refers to the purpose behind actions.

c. The proper meaning is that heavenly wisdom will do more than give us high thoughts that we cannot reach, but we will have a practical application to guide us in making everyday decisions.

d. All of this is a very private, internal guide.

2. Lips keep knowledge.

a. The private, internal guide of heavenly wisdom will not stay inside us, but will be visible to others as we daily converse with them.

b. It is in this manner that we will be a daily witness of God to all those around us.

c. Matthew 5:16 – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

II. Verse 3-14 – The result of not obtaining wisdom.

A. Verse 3-6 - For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: {4} But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. {5} Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. {6} Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

1. I must remark that the Bible describes sin very vividly, without causing any sort of lust.

a. The Bible speaks in the clearest of terms of the most depraved acts of men, yet readers have no desire at all to commit those acts.

b. The ways of the wicked woman is very clearly stated in Proverbs 7, but there is desire to heed her wooing.

c. When the natural man speaks of evil, even when they speak against evil, they draw men toward that evil.

1.) Many policemen involved in D.A.R.E. have become involved in drugs.

2.) Many good people who start out to fight pornography, wind up being involved in that wickedness.

3.) We must be careful when speaking of wickedness that we do not show enjoyment, but continually show the evil consequences of sin.

2. The word "for" can also means "because".

3. What is a "strange" woman?

a. A "strange" woman is not necessarily a weird woman, or a prostitute.

b. The word refers to a woman that is a stranger to the principles of God.

4. There is an undeniable link between a hellish, sensual woman and a lack of heavenly wisdom.

5. Earthly, natural wisdom is referred to as a hellish sensual woman.

a. Each of us has a natural fleshly desire to sin, and a longing to sin.

b. This is the "hallmark" of our sinful nature.

c. The desire to remain in our own natural, fleshly wisdom is as appealing as the natural God-given desire of sex.

1.) The desire and necessity of sex is strong, both in the young and the old, both in the married and the unmarried.

2.) The need for heavenly wisdom is upon both the young and old, the married and unmarried.

6. The lips of a strange women drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil.

a. Looks and words are what a woman uses to rape a man, or to draw him into immorality.

b. Proverbs 7:21 – With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

1.) The consequences of rape is just as long-lasting for a man as it is for a woman.

2.) Society today rejects the notion that a woman can rape a man, but God’s word does not, as is clearly stated in the chapters and verses to follow.

c. In Proverbs chapter 7, Solomon will go into the details of how a strange woman works.

d. Oil is a lubricant, and the mouth of the wicked woman applies "lubricant" so the man can be easily enticed into wickedness.

1.) Oil can be used correctly, as in a car engine.

2.) When things are used "out of place", injury will occur.

7. Verse 4,5 – The end result of wickedness is exactly the opposite of what it appears to be.

a. Wormwood speaks of the bitterest curse imaginable.

1.) Revelation 8:11 – And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

2.) This passage makes it abundantly clear that wormwood is very bitter as wormwood is compared to the greatest tribulation that will ever come on this earth.

b. Ecclesiastes 7:26 – And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

c. I know there are good women, as the Bible readily records, but women can lead men far from the blessings of God.

8. Verse 6 – Not seeking heavenly wisdom leads to following strange women, which makes a person too busy to realize they are on a downward path that leads to eternal destruction.

a. The ways of sin and wickedness are constantly changing, therefore much time is wasted trying to follow the latest trend or fad.

b. There is a lot of change with the paths of wickedness and with the strange woman, but God tells his people in Jeremiah 6:16, Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

c. The changing ways of the strange woman.

1.) The charms of the false woman is fake, therefore she constantly changes her charms to suit whoever she happens to seduce.

2.) It is impossible to know the path of the strange woman, but men will spend much time trying to find it.

3.) The strange woman does not know what she will do next.

4.) She will do whatever is necessary to seduce her next victim.

d. This world is constantly changing.

1.) There are many fads in this world, all of them causing people to desire them and work toward them.

2.) Nothing ever remains the same, therefore there is constantly much effort put forth to remain on the "cutting edge".

3.) Staying on the "cutting edge" of this world is a waste of God’s time.

B. Verse 7 – Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

1. Solomon points out the danger of following strange women, then again directs his children to hear his words of wisdom.

2. It must be remarked that Solomon is not only speaking about physical adultery, but "heart" adultery as well.

a. Refer to Proverbs 4:21-23 where Solomon encourages his children to keep their heart with all diligence.

b. In Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus reveals that "heart" adultery is just as much a sin as physical adultery.

1.) The consequences of "heart" adultery and physical adultery can be very different, however.

2.) In "heart" adultery, only one person is involved, but in physical adultery, man people can be involved.

C. Verse 8-14 – Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: {9} Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: {10} Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; {11} And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, {12} And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; {13} And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me! {14} I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

1. Personal responsibility.

a. Those who believe in "absolute predestination" are blinded by Satan.

b. Look at all the waste that can be avoided if heavenly wisdom is accepted and applied.

2. Verse 8 – The first step in not wasting your life is to stay away from the "way" of the wicked woman, and staying away from fulfilling your own lust.

a. If the wicked woman is the ways of this world, then we must realize that it is possible for the believer to waste their life.

1.) I know many people who do a lot of things in this world instead of what God wants them to do.

2.) They continually try to take care of work, play, the house, pay the bills, and everything else instead of using their time in the things of God.

b. If the wicked woman is a literal wicked woman, the same truths apply.

3. What will happen if heavenly wisdom is not accepted and applied.

a. If believers do not understand their lives are more than what they wear, where they live and what they eat, they will work only toward those physical things.

1.) In Matthew 6:31-33 Jesus explains that God knows we need all these physical things, and he will provide them for us, if we will only seek the kingdom of God first.

2.) Many mistakenly believe that God will keep them from having the things of this world – that God wants us to be poor so we will be humble.

3.) Deuteronomy 8:18 – But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

b. Verse 9 – Honor and years are given to others.

1.) The word honor refers to the best we have – our beauty, or comeliness, our strength, so forth.

2.) Many a person intends to serve God, intends to be saved, intends to be faithful to God in his kind of church, yet they put off doing what they know they ought to do, grow older and older, and finally realizes they have lost the best years of their life by giving those years to the cares of this world.

3.) Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:7 urges young people to give their youth to the Lord, before the evil older age comes when our body is racked with pain and we cannot do as God wants us to do.

c. Verse 10 – Strangers.

1.) The word "stranger" in verse 10 is the same word as "strange" in verse 3.

2.) The one (whether the "stranger" is a wicked woman or being overly concerned with this world) the young person has been drawn toward is the same one that will steal your wealth and labor, leaving you penniless, helpless, hopeless, full of despair and regret.

3.) The one that promised fulfillment does not deliver on the promise to give, instead taking everything that is valuable for themselves.

d. Verse 11 – The mourning is at the end of life, when there should be rejoicing.

1.) The end of life should be a time when we look back and are satisfied with what we have done for God.

2.) II Timothy 4:1-8 – Paul urges Timothy to continue to stand for the truth in his youth, even though his listeners will not endure sound doctrine.

3.) Paul is now old and as he looks back on his hard life of service to God, he is grateful he stood for the truth, endured afflictions, did the work of an evangelist, and made full proof God had called him into the ministry.

4.) Paul has no regrets, and he wants Timothy to have no regrets.

5.) If you have regrets about your life and the time you have wasted on this world, you need to ask God to forgive you and cause others to not follow in your footsteps.

6.) You should earnestly pray that God would bless the remainder of your life with his works, that you would not continue to do what you have been doing all your life.

7.) Paul is looking forward to a crown of righteousness, which he knows he will receive.

8.) He is not at all bashful about stating he will receive that crown of righteousness.

9.) If we do not have that same confidence, it is because we know we have not lived our life as God desired.

e. Verse 12 and 13 – Regret is verbally stated.

1.) It is very sad when a person looks back at a wasted life and laments his loss.

a.) It is worse when a believer does not look back and examine his life in the light of God’s holy Word.

1) Solomon is an example of this type of loss.

a) When he got old, he allowed his many wives to turn his heart away from God.

b) He also fought against the decrees of God in not giving all the kingdom of Israel to his son, Rehoboam.

c) There is no record he ever repented of this great evil.

d) It must be remembered that Solomon wrote these proverbs, yet did not remember these same proverbs when he got old.

i. It is good to remember the Lord when we are young.

ii. It is better to remember the Lord as we age.

iii. The prove of true religion is not what it makes us do when we are young.

iv. The prove lies in whether we are faithful to God at the end.

2) King Saul is another example.

a) His rebellion at the clear command of God was rejected, therefore God rejected Saul as the king of Israel.

b) Saul desired his son, Jonathan, to rule after him, and tried countless times to kill David, the anointed of God.

b.) There is no record as to whether the person is lamenting the evil he did, or the evil that has come upon him because of his evil ways.

2.) This mourning comes at the end of life, whether that life is old or young.

a.) This mourning does not come until after the flesh and the body are consumed.

1) The terms "flesh" and "body" both refer to the physical body.

2) There may be a distinction between the life of the body and the life of the person that is clearly seen in old age.

3) It is clearly seen that the entire life – the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual life – is wasted, and cannot be redeemed, replaced, or made up for.

b.) The fact of when the mourning come makes me think the person does not even think about his waste until he is no longer physically able to continue in his worldly ways.

3.) There is remembrance of past instructions.

a.) This statement shows knowledge of error.

b.) When the person first disobeys, it is not because of ignorance, but willful disobedience.

c.) The first disobedience may be difficult, but as time progresses and the person further disobeys, it becomes easier and easier.

4.) It is good to verbalize our errors, as a warning to others, but it would be better to live such a life before others that we would have no errors to verbalize.

f. Verse 14 – Wickedness in the life will be present at times of worship.

1.) I do not know if Solomon is stating his personal case or not, but the statement certainly fits his life.

2.) It is impossible to "cut off" evil thoughts or "put on" holy thoughts just because a person comes to the place where God is worshipped.

a.) Even when the person comes to the house of God, his mind continues to be on the things of this world.

b.) Numbers 25:6 – And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

c.) This is a most terrible crime and the people involved were rightly killed.

d.) There is no difference in this crime, which was committed in the body, and the crime of "mind adultery", which is committed in secret before men, but openly before God.

III. Verse 15-19 – The result of obtaining wisdom.

A. Be careful in these verses that we never lose sight of the subject: wisdom.

1. Seeking Godly wisdom will set many things right.

2. The major thing set right is the spirituality of the person, not just the mind.

3. There is a certain good attitude that comes automatically when God gives wisdom.

B. Verse 15 – Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

1. This point is not clear to us today, as few people have a private well, or even know what a cistern is.

a. One little girl was told milk came from cows, but she did not believe it. She said milk came from Wal-Mart!

b. Most people are on some kind of public water, whether it is city water, country water, or a group water source.

c. Few people have a cistern, which is a container of water, usually holding several thousand gallons.

2. It is hazardous to depend on others for water, a necessity of this life.

a. Years ago, I heard a preacher declare that the Anti-Christ would use utilities as a means to conquer a people living in luxury.

b. He declared that people will get used to having running water, electricity, telephones, television, cars, a good job, and will do anything to keep those utilities, even selling their souls for the temporary comfort of this life.

c. A very short look around us will reveal that people today are willing to do almost anything for the comforts of this life.

d. People will forsake the house of God to work on Sunday so they can get time and a half.

1.) Just as people today are willing to do almost anything to keep their comforts of life, so people that are not satisfied with their spouse will do almost anything to receive "comfort".

2.) Just as people will willingly accept the Anti-Christ, and the judgment of that acceptance, they will also face the confusion produced by not being satisfied with the spouse God has given to them.

3. I believe this verse speaks about using that which God has provided for you and not looking elsewhere for help.

a. If God has provided you a spouse, you should be content with that spouse.

b. Each household formerly had only one cistern, therefore it is good if a man has one wife, and a woman has one husband.

c. There is plenty of comfort in one spouse, there is no need for more than one.

4. I Corinthians 7:9 states, …it is better to marry than to burn.

a. The lawful marriage bed fulfills the appetite, therefore it is good to marry and enjoy your spouse.

b. A person will not need to steal waters out of the cistern of another if they will satisfy their fleshly appetite with water out of their own well or cistern.

5. The particular point, as seen in the context, is happiness and contentment in marriage.

a. There is a satisfaction of personal growth and accomplishment, which is not dependent on others, whether they agree or disagree.

b. God has established from the beginning of this world that men and women would be satisfied with lawful marriage.

c. God does not want us to deprive ourselves of a God given desire.

d. We should never complain to God that we cannot have pleasure in the things he allows.

6. Running waters out of thy own cistern.

a. A cistern does not have "running waters".

1.) The passage speaks of the continual "turning over" of the cistern water, as it is constantly used up and re-supplied.

2.) If water stays a long time in a cistern, it becomes stagnant, just as the spouse becomes stagnant if not enjoyed.

b. There is no thought that the water supply in the cistern would run out.

1.) There is a living by faith, trusting that God would supply more water as necessary.

2.) There is also a living by faith, enjoying the spouse, trusting God to bless and make the marriage new every day.

7. Verse 16 – Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

a. Let thy fountain, not thy cistern, be dispersed abroad.

1.) It is as impossible to hide a happy marriage, as it is to hide an unhappy marriage.

2.) The result of a happy, fulfilling marriage should be evidenced by all.

b. Just as our cistern supplies life sustaining water to us, so our happy, fulfilling marriage, and the children produced, is an encouragement to others.

1.) The person who allows their spouse to satisfy them has no need to steal waters out of another’s cistern: betray the marriage vows with another.

2.) Accompanying the fulfilled marriage is children, who themselves seek the same things they see in their parents, so they can pass to their children the same fulfillment.

c. As this fulfillment is continued generation after generation, the entire nation becomes stronger and stronger.

1.) If waters are stolen from another’s cistern, it may not seem to hurt immediately, but the long term result is the complete destruction of the nation.

2.) I realize some would criticize my conclusion, but the evidence of a destroyed nation is clearly seen in the U. S. A.

d. It is very fulfilling for a mom and dad to have honorable children, which others admire.

1.) Proverbs 10:1 – The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

2.) Proverbs 15:20 – A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.

e. If we apply this passage to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, it causes us to understand where our priorities are.

1.) Many today are enthralled with the "major ministries", seemingly believing the local church is nothing, but the big radio and television preachers have more influence than the "little church".

2.) Years ago, I was visiting a church member in the hospital and Tanya was small. A man started talking to her, stating she was a cute little girl and he thought she went to Sunday School. She replied she did. He asked her who her preacher was, and she replied my dad and there he is, pointing to me. The man and I talked for a while. I discovered he was an Assembly of God pastor, but completely disagreed with Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart. He stated that some of his church members really liked these two men and their ministries, and wondered why those ministries could do so much and their own local church could do so little. He stated those church members would send their tithes and offerings to those "big" ministries", and his local church was always running short of money.

3.) Many local churches are begging for church members to help, but that cry often falls on deaf ears, but people will continually seek help from the "big" ministries.

8. Verse 17 – Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

a. I think this passage is referring to the children of a fulfilling marriage.

1.) It is good when there is no doubt as to whose the children are.

2.) The billboard that advertises a DNA test to determine the father of a child, is very, very sad, and a sign of the coming destruction of this nation, as the foundation is destroyed.

b. If a spouse has to do with another’s spouse, there is doubt as to whose the children are.

c. If a spouse has to do with a prostitute, there is doubt as to whose the children are.

9. Verse 18 – Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

a. Note the word "let", which indicates a purpose of our will.

b. Each spouse should remain with their own spouse, and that will cause the fountain to be blessed.

c. Rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

1.) This passage is given to husbands, indicating it is more likely that husbands will be unhappy with their wives than the wives will be unhappy with their husbands.

2.) Many today believe the wife sets "the tone in the home", but the Bible continually indicates it is the husband who "sets the tone".

d. The passage indicates that the loving relationship of husband and wife should continue even into old age.

1.) After youthful lusts have abated, there is still rejoicing with the wife God gave in your youth.

2.) Husbands should consider their wives a precious gift from God and enjoy that gift, as they would enjoy other gifts from God.

10. Verse 19 – Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

a. Note the word "let", which indicates a purpose of our will, as in verse 18.

b. Word definitions.

1.) Loving means amorous – literally in the plural.

2.) Hind is a deer, which is an untamed animal.

3.) Roe is a female mountain goat.

c. The words used to describe the wife are not intended to be unflattering.

1.) These words reveal that the wife is not conquered, nor is she intended to be conquered.

2.) She has an individual personality, which will always remain her own.

d. The husband should find fulfillment in his wife.

1.) The word "breasts" refer to her body, as the husband should find complete fulfillment in her body, never needing to steal waters from another’s cistern.

2.) The word "satisfy" has been translated "made drunk", be intoxicated, or to be fully satisfied.

3.) …at all times… means all of the time.

4.) Ravished is like the word "satisfy", meaning to be intoxicated, or completely drawn away by, the opposite of which a person is drawn away into sin.

C. Verse 20-23 – The negative result of not obtaining wisdom.

1. Verse 20 – And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

a. A question that cannot be answered, except for a lack of Godly wisdom, therefore the man follows his natural lusts.

b. Here is a very strange thing indeed.

1.) A man has a loving wife, yet forsakes her love for a woman who is a stranger to God.

2.) These strange women would give herself to any number of men, then wipe her mouth and say, "I have done nothing wrong".

c. James 1:14-15 states, But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

1.) Every man is drawn away of his own lusts – the devil did not make him do it!

2.) There is a difference between being tempted – which is not a sin (Jesus was tempted) – and following a temptation.

3.) Regarding temptation: no person can keep a bird from flying over his head, but every person can be blamed if the bird builds a nest in his hair.

2. Verse 21 – For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

a. Every person needs to be very aware that God sees everything every person does.

1.) God sees both the good and the bad.

2.) Nothing escapes the view of God, even things that are done in secret, or in the dark of night.

a.) Many believe if their actions are hid from men, they are also hid from God.

b.) Many believe if they do their evil deeds under the cover of night, they will somehow escape condemnation of that evil act.

3.) God ponders the goings of men even if men are too busy (see verse 6) to ponder their own goings.

a.) The word "ponder" does not mean the Lord is trying to figure out what the person is doing, why they are doing it, or the result they will face.

b.) The word refers to the "weight" God is putting on the acts of men, as he "weighs them in the balance of justice", proportioning righteous judgment in its due time.

b. God not only ponders the goings of the wicked, he will judge them at the time of the judgment.

3. Verse 22 – His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

a. The wickedness of the wicked entangle that person in their own wickedness.

1.) It is true that God will judge the wicked, but this verse is not speaking about that judgment.

2.) This verse is speaking about entangling circumstances surrounding illicit acts, which literally tie a person up so tight there is no way to get out.

3.) Examples:

a.) Sexually transmitted diseases.

1) There are a very many of these.

2) Today, there is a push to believe that some kinds of cervical cancer is caused by a virus, which can be inoculated against.

3) The truth is that this virus is caused by promiscuity.

b.) Crimes, both white and blue collar, which result in prosecution and jail sentences, and a scar on your permanent record.

c.) Any kind of wickedness that will be remembered.

d.) Divorce and remarriage, whether justified or not.

1) It is likely the former spouse will always have to be contented with.

2) The children of a former marriage will have to dealt with as well.

b. The wicked is holden with the cords of his own sins.

1.) It is assumed that wicked acts will satisfy, but they only encourage more sin.

2.) As a person gets older, his body slows down, but in his mind he does not grow old.

3.) A person will either repent of his sins in his youth, or two things will happen to him.

a.) He will harden himself in his old age and become more accustomed and open to his sins.

1) Even if disease comes upon him because of his sins, he will not repent, but will seek a remedy for his disease.

2) He will excuse his sins, not calling them sins, but indiscretions, mistakes, or something else.

b.) His conscience will grip him with guilt of a wasted life and he will become very depressed, thus he is holden with the cords of his own sins.

c. Jude 1:6 – And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

1.) It may be these fallen angels are not bound with literal chains, but with the chains of a decision they made to follow Satan instead of God.

2.) If these fallen angels are the demons that often possess the lost, it would explain how that happens.

d. Note the strength of sin and the inability of man to rid himself of sin, and the ruin that comes to men because of their willful sin.

4. Verse 23 – He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

a. For the young person this should be a severe warning to seek the wisdom of God.

1.) Many a young person has not sought the wisdom of God, believing they are different from others and that the result of sin will not come upon them.

2.) Many a young person has played with sin until they are destroyed, their youth and health are gone, they are old, diseased, and in misery, and it is too late.

b. This passage is not stating that a sinful person cannot turn to Christ in their old age, but the likelihood is small.