Under Gods command

We see many instances in the New Testament when the demon spirits are afraid of Jesus, because they know that He is the Judge of the world and that they have a terrible fate awaiting them.

In Matthew 8:29, “And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come here to torment us before the time?”

You see, sudden fear gripped them, because of the terrible fate they know they have awaiting them. If you know that you are saved and safe with the Lord, you have no sudden fear. The only fear permitted to those who trust in the Lord is Godly fear. You see, trust in the Lord brings confidence, a knowing that all is well.

In these verses, it is not saying that it is not a sin to steal. It is saying a person has sympathy for someone who is so hungry that he steals to feed himself. If he is caught, the person he stole from will be happy to not prosecute him, if he will pay back what he stole 7 times.

The stealing here is not nearly as serious as the sin of adultery that we read of in the next few verses. Adultery is compared to a starving thief, who, though it may cost all he has, can make restitution and put the crime behind him permanently.

But for the adulterer, there is no restitution as there was for the thief, as he destroys his soul.

Delaying to do good is inconsiderate and unfair whether it is repaying a loan, returning a tool, or fulfilling a promise.  Withholding destroys trust and creates a great inconvenience.  Be as eager to do good as you are to have good done to you. 

“Sinks to death” The destructive nature of this blinding sin leads on to walk alongside death.  Death in Proverbs is presented as both a gradual descent and a sudden end. 

God’s covenant with mankind (men and women), is twofold.  We must keep His laws to receive His  blessing.  God punishes sin.  When we deliberately break Gods’s laws, we can expect death, not life.  God says in His law that men and women are to save themselves for the marriage bed.  Notice (in verse 19) that those who follow this sinful way of life find death. 

Death in Proverbs is presented as both a gradual descent and a sudden end. 

There are only two paths to take. The path of sin leads to death and destruction. The path of righteousness leads to life everlasting.

The irreversible nature of continuing in this sin points to its devastating consequences. It leads to physical death, as expressed in the Hebrew euphemisms of (verse 22; “cut off” and “uprooted”). After that comes the reality of eternal death.

Wisdom is the key word of the book and basically means “skill in living.” It is used in the Old Testament to refer to a physical skill such as tailoring, metalwork and woodwork, spinning, engraving and designing, and warfare. Used metaphorically, as in Proverbs, it refers to the skill to live life successfully.

Instruction refers to moral discipline of one’s life, not to classroom instruction. It refers to the discipline of a moral nature.

Understanding means the capability to distinguish between true and false, good and bad, what matters most, and what does not matter at all. To the Hebrew mind, wisdom was not knowledge alone, but the skill of living a godly life as God intended man to live. This word looks at the mental discipline which matures one for spiritual discernment.

Solomon came to the throne with great promise, privilege and opportunity. God had granted his request for understanding and his wisdom exceeded all others. However the shocking reality is that he failed to live out the truth that he knew and even taught his son Rehoboam, who subsequently rejected his father’s teaching.

Proverbs contains a gold mine of biblical theology, reflecting themes of Scripture brought to the lever of practical righteousness, by addressing man’s ethical choices, calling into question how he thinks, lives and manages his daily life in light of divine truth. More specifically, Proverbs calls man to live as the Creator intended him to live when He made man.

The recurring promise of Proverbs is that generally the wise (those of righteousness who obey God) live longer, prosper, and experience joy and the goodness of God temporally, while fools suffer shame and death. On the other hand, it must be remembered that this general principle is balanced by the reality that the wicked sometimes prosper, though only temporarily. Job illustrates that there are occasions when the godly wise are struck with disaster and suffering.