~ Solomon tells of two basic categories of people who would, in one way or another, speak to the son...
~ The first were his own parents
- They presented instruction...
- Which did imply that the son needed to learn, and thus he wasn't "good enough" as he was...
- Which probably didn't tickle his "wow they really love me" spot, but those instructions were actually of direct benefit to the son, like a wreath or a necklace to his head (or neck, respectively)
~ Second, the son would likely be approached by sinners
- As opposed to his parents who instructed him, these people would entice him. This probably doesn't mean every sinner is going to do this every time, but when they do, here is what it looks like.
- They would make good use of purposefully appealing to him, like this...
- They openly invite the son to go with them, without mentioning any conditions or evaluation of his present condition. They are inclusively, indiscriminately, and unconditionally accepting. And..
- They invite the son individually, giving the impression that they value him specifically, thus appealing to his self-appreciation.
Good. Hopefully that serves as a general overview of what we saw last time. Now, lets ordiri...
Given all that we have looked at thus far, it is fitting to ask "well, then, while they are all together, what do they intend to do?"
Come with us,
Let us lie in wait for blood,
Let us ambush the innocent without cause;
Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, as those who go down to the pit;
In our first post, we gave some thought to the first three words and discovered where they want the son to be: with them. Now we see what they want the son to do: join them in causing harm on people who haven't done anything to demand it from them. Now, it's important to realize that they don't just want to go out whimsically causing harm whenever and on whoever, with no significant forethought or planning. That's not at all the case. They do want to carry out their destructive intentions, but they want to be unpredictable about it. They don't want their prey to be able to tell what they're about to do, they want to be undetectable. This is seen in the phrases "Let us lie in wait...let us ambush...". If they have their way, they will organize their malicious schemes such that the target of their crime is unaware of the peril they have intended for him until it is too late.
However, that's not the only description we have of the damage these sinners hope to cause. In addition to being undetectable, the destruction must also be permanent and entire. We see that they want it to be permanent in that they set Sheol as their self-proclaimed prototype for their consumption. ("Let us swallow them alive like Sheol..."). In saying this, they are taking Sheol to be the example after which they pattern their destruction. And it follows that once one is in Sheol, there's not exactly an emergency exit door to find. So, if they get want they want, then their harm will be irreversible. There will be no turning back. Not just that, but it must also be entire. These sinners won't be content with just partial harm for the innocent people, nor do they want to incur only a slight injury. No, they want to go all the way with this - the innocent must go down and be completely down. They must be engulfed in this violence, they must be taken from a point where they are alive and going about normal things of life to where they have completely lost there wealth (vs.13), and their lives (vs.12) all this by the deliberate strategy of the wicked.
Another aspect of this crime we should entertain here is that in it unjustified, it is uncalled for. By their own admission, the sinners aren't engaging in retributionary punishment, nor are they are not motivated by justice. This isn't an attempt to try and make things even from some mishap in the past, but is mischief initiated by the wicked people themselves. It is a crime driven by pleasure not principle - they just enjoy it. One big aspect of this pleasure is that there is wealth expected to be gained by gathering in the spoil from the victimized people (vs.13). So we see, their actions are completely insensitive to the well being of the innocent or the maintaining of even a hint of justice. While we're here, notice that the target of their plots are plural - "Let us swallow them". It wouldn't be enough to merely enforce all this hurt on just one person, but it must be exercised on multiple people. How many, you ask? Well, however many fit into their stated category of targets - "the innocent". Guilty people aren't in view, but the innocent. If there are innocent people left alive, then these sinners will continue to do what they do.
Now then, they invite the son to become one of them and be guilty like they are, securing exclusion from the malice meant for the innocent by actually enforcing it himself. Instead of risking being innocent and thus becoming a target, he can now evade potential destruction by joining the destroyers, having been individually invited to do so. The sinners aren't exclusive here, but actually proactively beckon him to become a sinner right along with them. We've already seen that secrecy, deception, and undetectability are their primary tactics, yet now they seem to open up just enough to let the son, and only the son, in. No doubt they have and will entice others, but here Solomon's son receives an individual invitation. As we noticed last time, this would be yet another appeal to the young man - that these people want him in particular. They seem to give the impression of valuing him especially.
Let's sum up a description of the sinners' malicious plans by dusting off some somewhat lonely, oversize members of our vocabulary and putting them to use, which I've already done a bit of: the sinners' destruction was to be undetectable, irrevocable, impartial, insensitive, and unjustifiable.
There is one more thing we should notice about this group that perhaps would have been part of the pull for this poor lad. Look at how unified they are.
1) United in invitation
"If sinners entice you...if they say..."
This friendly group all together brings the same request to the son, giving unified consent to to what is said.
2) United in action.
"Let us lie in wait for blood,"
They are all going to unanimously do the same thing. They intend to co-operate in their malicious schemes, and they want Solomon's son to join them. They all come saying the same thing, reflecting the same intentions.
3) United in benefit.
"We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with spoil;"
They will all find wealth together as a result of their violence that they cooperated on.
4) United in resources.
"Throw in your lot with us,
We shall all have one purse,"
The sinners request that the son relinquish his personal resources for the mutual benefit of the group, promising the same in return. ( Of course, given what the sinners have said already, though, to trust such a promise would betray an extreme lack of discernment.)
So really, what's the bad part? He's going to sin? But look at the benefits, what harm could come to him because of it? These people Solomon is calling "sinners" aren't threatening to hurt this lad, but calling him to be with them both in hurting others and reaping the benefit. This is an opportunity to escape the frustration of listening to parents, escape the effort of walking righteously, escape the destruction these sinners claim to have in store for the innocent, vent any irritation he may be harboring, and be with people who care enough to invite him in particular to be with them, without judging him for who he is. They do ask him to give his stuff up for the common use of the group, but they say they are all going to do that, so everybody can both help and benefit from everybody else. So when everything is weighed out, maybe it really isn't that bad of an idea.
The father's exhortation
"My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path."
Although it's not been what I call a "detailed exposition", we have thus far given some thoughts to verses 9-14 of Proverbs 1. We have seen the parents' instruction, the sinners' invitation, and now we come to the father's exhortation in verses 15-19.
Interestingly, Solomon starts where the sinners started: association. We must remember the sinners' first three words back in verse 11: "come with us". What, then, are Solomon's first words of exhortation? "My son, don't walk in the way with them. Keep you feet from their path." He begins by saying "My son, don't go with them, and don't do what they do". It would start there, so it must be stopped there. Nip it in the bud, and don't associate yourself with them. Solomon would go on to say in Proverbs 24:1-2 "Do not be envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them; For their minds devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble." Don't want to have what they have, and don't want to be where they are; don't count yourself in on their 'group'. Let it go, because any desirability presented is merely a deceptive attraction.
But why? Why should the son listen to his dad and not the sinners? Why should he turn down their offer, and everything that went with it? Why should he shun their open acceptance and friendship? What explanation does the father give?
"For their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed blood."
If you notice, this actually isn't new information. The father isn't telling his son anything that the sinners wouldn't tell him themselves: they are hungry for blood, and eager to do harm. The sinners already clarified that point, so it wasn't a secret the father knew but the sinners didn't. In fact, you don't even have to believe the father to believe this much about the sinners, they themselves make this information evident. However, there is one nuance of this that the son won't hear from the sinners:
"Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net in the sight of any bird;
But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives."
Both the sinners and the father admit that these men desire to shed blood and are committed to causing harm. However, only the father tells the son that they themselves will actually become the targets of their own schemes. The sinners don't mention this minor detail, but, if we think about it, that's only consistent with their stated design for their destruction: it would be unpredictable. So it was. They planned to gain wealth, they were driven by pleasure and self-benefit, and they intended to have abundance because of their crime. But, outweighing any promises of gain that they had to offer, the reality was that these people would actually destroy themselves by means of their malicious undertaking - not just the innocent - and would thus fall prey to their own trap. So then, if the son chose to go with them, no matter how pleasing the invitation seemed, he would indeed go all the way with them - right into their self-imposed destruction. If the son became persuaded by their words, then he would also become the unsuspecting target of their own schemes, along with everyone else in that sorry group.
So what, again, did Solomon exhort his son?
"My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their paths."
Now we see that Solomon is trying to protect his son by keeping him from joining the sinners, even though they try (in more than one way) to appeal to him and win his allegiance. This protection is done at the expense of allowing him to consent to the (seemingly) caring, appreciative, and even loving (by today's standards, i.e. "they don't judge me") camaraderie of these people. So who really loved and cared for the son? The flattering, enticing sinners, or the honest, instructing father? But which had a potentially more appealing first impression? No wonder the father's instructions were so valuable to the son. No wonder the son was supposed to listen to his father and not reject his mother's teaching. Those things protected him, they kept him safe, and guided him. It's almost as if they were his...oh I don't know...life
" Hear, my son, and accept my sayings
And the years of your life will be many.
I have directed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded;
And if you run, you will not stumble.
Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your life."
~ Proverbs 4:10-13
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