The author of the Book of Proverbs understood life. He understood the challenge of trying to live in a godly way in a world that is not only without God’s law, but also one in which an attitude of hostility toward God’s law predominates. The Book of Proverbs contains instruction for us on how to successfully handle the practical affairs of everyday life.
In the first few chapters a clear picture is painted of an environment that has been designed to entrap us and to lead our minds away from God’s way of life. A seductive, immoral woman is pictured as seducing minds that lack godly wisdom. She seeks to entrap minds devoid of understanding and lead them to destruction. This is a good description of the world in which we live, where Satan is the one in control.
In this environment God’s people are to be wise and carefully watch out for the traps that Satan sets. We need the stability which our almighty and unchanging God provides. His law is stable, consistent and applicable to all aspects of life. On the other hand, Satan entices with an unstable, yet very attractive, way of life. This scenario is outlined in Proverbs chapter 5. The way of life offered by the immoral woman is appealing. Honey drips from her lips and her words are smooth like butter. We all prefer the way that is easier and promises the fulfillment of our desires. But the result of following that path is death (Proverbs 5:3-5).
In the light of our environment today, we would do well to pay attention to verse 6. To keep us occupied and to deceive us and make our minds unaware of the way and consequences of following her worldly ways, she promotes and involves us in constant change. “Lest you ponder her path of life—her ways are unstable; you do not know them” (Proverbs 5:6). To keep people from catching on to the real effects of her ways, change becomes a constant—producing instability and attraction to some new and usually deleterious direction all the time. The word “unstable” gives the primary idea of a repetitive to and fro movement. The scale varies, but it promotes a constantly changing approach to life—one could call it wandering. “Thus they love to wander; they have not restrained their feet …” (Jeremiah 14:10).
The reality of our environment is constant change. This change is mostly packaged as positive development and therefore worthy of our time to consider the change being offered. There is no doubt that advancements in the field of technology promote and sustain this constant change. However, a wise person listens to instruction that transpires from the stability of God’s word. We will ponder the path of our feet and in that will establish our way of life. God’s law will keep us from repetitive to and fro movement—it will stop us turning to the right or the left (Proverbs 4:26,27).
God’s law proceeds from a source that is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. The law is a light and its light provides spiritual and physical instruction that illuminates God’s way of life. A way that leads to eternal life.
Let us use the God-given wisdom and knowledge available to us to ponder the instability that an environment of constant change creates. Let us base our lives on the immutable– unchanging–principles of life which God gives us in His law. And in this society of constant and nerve-wracking change, let us heed the message of Proverbs 5:7-8: “Therefore hear me now, my children, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Remove your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house”.
Brian Orchard
