Aspects of a Wise Father: Proverbs and Fatherhood

Part 3: He Evidences Particular Concerns

No Guarantees

Part 1: He is an Advocate for Wisdom

Part 2: He Practices Godly Reproof

Part 3: He Evidences Particular Concerns

#1: The Attraction of Gangs

#2: Sexual Promiscuity

A Historical Overview

● Our Day

● Church History

● New Testament Concerns

● Old Testament Concerns

I. The Benefit of Wisdom Received (7:1-5)

A. The Source of Wisdom (7:1-2)

● treasure conceal, hid

● apple center, pupil

B. The Assimilation of Wisdom (7:3-4)

C. The Purpose of Wisdom (7:5)

II. The Danger of Wisdom Ignored (7:6-23)

A. The Victim (7:6-9)

● naive susceptible to deception

● lacking sense lacking a middle life, an inner life

B. The Predator (7:10-12)

● lurks ambush, lay in wait

C. The Hook (7:13-20)

● brazen confident, overpowering

● seize to be harsh or hard; overpower, conquer

D. The Hookset (7:21-23)

● persuasions to teach

● flattering being smooth, creamy, slippery; easy to swallow

● seduce to bend, to incline, to win over

● entice to stray

III. The Outcome of Wisdom Rejected (7:24-27)

A. The Rejection (7:24-25)

B. The Outcome (7:26-27)

“If anyone due to sickness has undergone a surgical operation, or if he has been castrated by barbarians, he is allowed to remain among the clergy. But if anyone enrolled among the clergy has castrated himself when in perfect health, it is good for him to leave the ministry. From now on, no such person should be promoted to the clergy. But since this applies only to those who willfully castrate themselves, if anyone has been made a eunuch by barbarians, or by his master, and is otherwise fit for office, church law admits him to the clergy.” “Thus, Paul has exhorted the church of Thessalonica to halt the sexual activity outside of marriage, particularly with each other, that they are either doing or condoning within the fellowship itself. Such sexual activity opposes God’s will as revealed in God’s calling of them, in God’s commands, and in God’s engifting of the believer with the Holy Spirit. In order to accomplish this they will need to hold themselves back from acting on those sexual impulses that are immoral in nature by respecting God’s design for the use of their reproductive organs and by not imitating the behavior of the dominate culture in which they live. Although this is reason enough to comply with apostle’s instructions, they must remember that violating one’s brothers in this manner of participating in sex outside of the marriage relationship has only one ultimate avenger, God Himself.”