LIGHT vs. DARKNESS TIME FOR A CHECK-UP Part 2 Proverbs 4:-27 Solomon is giving another fatherly talk to his son. He begins by contrasting two things: 1. LIGHT 2. DARKNESS These pictures provide us with a vivid contrast between the believer and the unbeliever. Sort of a double metaphor. PROVERBS 4:-19 But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. 19 The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. These 2 verses actually summarize vv. 1-17 vv. 4-13 Is the obtaining of wisdom. vv. 15-17 Is the opposing of evil. Proverbs 4:7 One of the key verses (LIGHT) 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Proverbs 4:14 (DARKNESS) 14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. vv. -19 not only summarize the previous verses, but they also prepare us for the final section of this chapter vv. 20-27. THE ROUTE OF THE RIGHTEOUS THE WAY OF THE WICKED But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. 19 The way of the wicked is like darkness John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." THE ROUTE OF THE RIGHTEOUS 1. SHREWD - having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astute 2. SANCTITY holiness Ephesians 5:8-9 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
LIGHT vs. DARKNESS TIME FOR A CHECK-UP Page 2 of 6 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit [lit. LIGHT] is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) 3. SINCERITY Philippians 1:9-11 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, sincere Only here and in 2 Peter 3:1 where it is rendered "pure mind. "that which is judged in sunshine" The word "sincere" means literally without wax (sine cera); SAFETY SPIRITUAL LIFE SPLENDOR OF HEAVEN THE WAY OF THE WICKED Proverbs 4:19 The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. What are some characteristics of darkness? 1. DULLNESS and IGNORANCE 2. DECEPTION 3. DEPRAVITY There are many others but let me just mention a few: DANGER DEGENERATION DESPAIR - there is no hope for the wicked DEATH 4. DAMNATION Isaiah 60:1-2 1 Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.
LIGHT vs. DARKNESS TIME FOR A CHECK-UP Page 3 of 6 So it seems in the following verses of Proverbs 4, Solomon is telling his son it is time for a CHECK-UP. FUNNY? A careful check-up on these things in our own lives will help us have an accurate assessment of where we are spiritually. ILLUS: PHYSICAL CHECK-UP to go in the military. 1. YOUR EARS 20 My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. give attention to prick up the ears (also in 5:1) We are all born with spiritual deafness. But if God unstops our ears, we must be very careful to LISTEN. Take every opportunity to hear God s Word and PAY ATTENTION. Are you open to GOD S COMMANDS? 2. YOUR EYES Proverbs 4:21a Do not let them depart from your eyes As believers, if we are to stay on the straight and narrow path we need to keep looking straight ahead. Matthew 6:22-23 "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light 23 But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! NLT Verse 25 basically repeats this for emphasis. Proverbs 4:25 Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. AMP Many verses emphasis this: Psalms 101:3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes NASU Psalms 119:37 Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets MSG Job 31:1 "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman. Isaiah 33:15 Says a person who walks righteously is one who shuts his eyes from seeing evil. 3. YOUR HEART Proverbs 4:21b Keep them in the midst of your heart
LIGHT vs. DARKNESS TIME FOR A CHECK-UP Page 4 of 6 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. heart 85X in Proverbs, 3X in this chapter. Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. If the heart is wrong, nothing else can be right. PURITAN WRITER: The heart of man is the worst part before it is regenerated, and the best afterward; it is the seat of principles and the foundation of actions. The eye of God is, and the eye of man ought to be, principally fixed on it. Proverbs 4:23 Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. NLT Are you guarding your heart? It is the well-spring of life. Matthew 16:26 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? In this CHECK-UP, are you ignoring your heart or soul? Is it a heart of flesh or a heart of stone? Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Matthew 7:17- A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. NLT 4. YOUR MOUTH A real change of heart will change everything about a person. Many times our speech is one of the first things that changes. PROFANITY GOSSIP RUDE and CRUDE SPEECH or SARCASM Proverbs 4:24 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. 24 Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. MSG
LIGHT vs. DARKNESS TIME FOR A CHECK-UP Page 5 of 6 Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace. Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. Colossians 3:8 But now also put these things out of your life: anger, bad temper, doing or saying things to hurt others, and using evil words when you talk. NCV 5. YOUR FEET Finally, we come to the feet. Here we are concerned chiefly with WHERE we go. Proverbs 4:26-27 26 Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. 27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil. NASU Hebrews 12:13 13 and make straight paths for your feet 1 Peter 2:21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. NLT 1 John 2:6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. NLT If you are stumbling about in the dark, if you are in bad health spiritually and making no progress, there is only one answer. Come out of the darkness and that broad road and into the life-giving way found in Jesus Christ. Romans 13:12-14 12 The night is far spent; the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. John 3:17-21 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
LIGHT vs. DARKNESS TIME FOR A CHECK-UP Page 6 of 6 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."