Proverbs 9:13-18 – Sin Calls
Solomon has painted a picture of Wisdom calling out to us with a gracious invitation of salvation. In contrast to this, we see Foolishness or sin also calling out to men and women with an invitation that may seem lovely on the surface but leads to destruction. The call of sin is pictured as a call to adultery, and everytime we sin, it is as though we are committing spiritual adultery. We are not being faithful to our Lord God – we are putting something else in His place, even if it’s just wanting our way rather than God’s.
The call of sin is loud, we hear it all around us – in the paper, on TV, on the radio, as we ride the train, or talk to our co-workers. In our country that no longer has any desire for the things of God, we are daily met with a barrage of invitations to sin – loud, persistent, and deceptive. The call of sin is shameless – it sees nothing wrong with what it wants to do. When we remove God from the highest place in our hearts, when we stop looking to Him to know what’s right and wrong, we become our god. We decide what’s right and wrong, and if it makes us feel good or seems okay, we see nothing wrong in what we do, no matter what God has said about it. This is the sin of Adam and Eve – instead of obeying what God says, they choose to decide what is right and wrong. They decide to play God. And the secret sins that we hold close to our heart, that we are so reluctant to give up are not really secret. All is open before the eye of God, and all must be answered for. It doesn’t matter that no one else on this earth knows – God does.
Two feasts set out for men and women, two voices calling, but two very different results. Wisdom brings life, but sin brings death.
Questions
- What is sinning like adultery?
- How can we resist the call of sin?
- Are any of our sins secret?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we would resist the call of sin.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.