Calvary Chapel of Jonesboro
 
And you say, "How I have hated instruction! And my heart spurned reproof!  Proverbs 5:12

Pride goes before a fall . . . into sexual sin. This entire chapter is a father's advice and counsel to his son. The issue which is being discussed is that of sexual immorality - with an emphasis on the adulterous and immoral woman. Toward the end of his instruction Solomon tells his sons that there will come a day when their aduiltery will be brought to light by God. When that day happens, we are told that the one who followed after these sins will not be truly repentant. Instead he will speak of how he hated all that teaching about adultery being sin. He ignored all that garbage that the Bible had to say about morals. He will say it even as his life is in shambled about him - due to his sexual immorality.

The two words used in this verse are instructive to us about what our attitude becomes toward God's call for holy living. The first word is "sane" which means to hate. The word means to loathe, dislike, and even despise another, their actions or their words. Here the sexually immoral man hates the instruction of the Bible on sex. He also "spurns" reproof. The word for "spurn" is the Hebrew word "na'as" which means to revile, reject, and scorn. This word has the idea that the one doing this is very unhappy and angry as they do this. Thus when reproof comes their way - they can spew angry and unhappy words as they hate what they are hearing. I've had the unfortunate responsiblity to confront people about sexual immorality - and have faced the vitriol that comes toward those who dare to speak against the spirit of this age, which fully embraces a full and free expression of sexuality without any limits.

A quick look at the Biblical record of people who were given over to sexual immorality shows that they were very rebellious to the message of God's Word. Whether that was an appeal to the Law of God - or the appeal of one of God's prophets, they hated when they were rebuked. Just like this passage says, they spurned God's reproof and would not listen to the teachers God sent them. Sexual sin blinds us to the truth - and the further we go into it - the worse that blindness becomes. All that is visible is the desire for more that knaws at those who reject the morality God calls us to follow. 

God warns us in Romans chapter 1 that ignoring His commands concerning sexuality, (Which are simply this - sex is only acceptable in a marriage relationship between a man and a woman - all other sexual activity - heterosexual immorality, monosexuality, or homosexuality are sin) ignoring them is sin. When we reject this - God gives us over to our sin - first in more bondage to fornication heterosexually - and eventually to homosexuality, as a sign that we are further being given over to our sin. What is a little frightening is that by the end of Romans - we have a society that has rejected pretty much all that God commands - and heartily approve of others who live as they do - rejecting God's way. There is a steady move away from God, away from listening to Him and His Word, and away from any kind of teachable mindset. 

A wise man sees far enough into a sexually immoral lifestyle to know that it will hurt him in many ways. We've seen from prior verses that health and relationships are destroyed by it. Now we see that one's relationship to truth is greatly harmed by it - as well as their relationship with the God Who gave His Word to us. Some think they can tinker with immorality without consequence to their relationship with God. After reading and looking at today's proverb - the wise man knows better, and instead submits himself to God's Word. The stakes are just too high to ignore what God says here.

 
 
How blessed is the man who fears always, But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. Proverbs 28:14

This particular proverb is based on the previous verse.  That verse deals with those who conceal versus those who confess and forsake their sin.  This verse is a reminder to us about another comparison.  This one is those who fear God versus those who harden their heart.  That is what happens when we become aware of sin in our lives.  We have a choice at that point as to whether we are going to fear God and deal with our sin - or - whether we are going to harden our hearts and think that sin is not that big of an issue.  Some even deny that sin exists and in so doing, put another crusty layer of hardness from ungodly philosophies over their heart. 

When we become aware of sin we should fear God.  We should fear God because He is holy and sin will break our fellowship with Him.  As a holy God, we should also fear because His great love for us will respond with discipline in our lives to get us to turn from sin.  Anyone who is even remotely familiar with the passages in the Old and New Testament where God responds to sin, should know that good things are NOT going to happen when we choose sin.  Even worse things are in store if we not only choose sin - but them add to our sin by rejecting the conviction of the Holy Spirit when He seeks to alert us to our rebellion against God's Word.  Just naming names and places should remind us of this.  Sodom and Gommorah, Pharaoh, the Egyptian army at the Red Sea, Dathan and Abiram, Achan, Nadab and Abihu, David and Bathsheba, and Annanias and Saphira are names and places that should immediately make us aware that God takes sin seriously.  Then there is that whole "judgement seat of Christ" thing, as well as the "lake of fire" in the book of Revelation that should remind us that God is anything but "pro-sin" in His dealings with mankind.  Therefore we grasp and see that there would be a blessing on the man who "fears always," when it comes to sin.  This does not mean that this man is cowering 24 hours a day thinking God will strike him dead at any moment.  But it does mean that this man has a healthy fear of God that assists him in making godly choices - and steering clear of ungodly ones.

When sin comes to us, we do have a second choice.  That choice is to "harden our heart" toward God.  The wise man receives the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  He embraces what God has to say to him, knowing that God loves him - and sin will be harmful.  But the fool stiffens when God offers rebuke and correction.  The fool doesn't want to listen - and he doesn't want any other authority than himself in his life.  He completely rejects any warning that is given.  He wonders what an ancient document has to do with him.  Why should he restrict his desires and wants due to what the Bible has to say.  Thus he hardens his heart against God and against God's Word (think here whatever God has to say about an issue. 

The problem with a hardened heart toward God is that its rejection of God's Word puts him in the path of calamity.  That is what we read here.  God made this world - and it works best when we submit to Him.  When we do not - problems are on our horizon.  What I am about to say you can take to the bank.  You cannot reject God's Word without causing yourself harm. There are going to be consequences for disobedience and rebellion.  There are going to be consequences for following your own lusts.  There are going to be consequences for choosing your own way or the ways of the world system rather than choosing God's ways.  The best way to describe these consequences is with the word "calamity."  This word is the Hebrew word "raah" and it means something evil or bad.  Zhodiates says that this word has ten or more shades of meaning about evil according to the context where it is used.  It describes absolute evil as well as various aspects of bad things that happen in our lives.  One thing though about this word is that it never means something good.  Thus we may not physically die immediately after rejecting God's Word and hardening our hearts toward Him - but - you can know that nothing good is going to come of it. 

We have a choice day by day as to how we are going to live.  Will we respect our own thinking and ways or the ways of God?  Will be fear God and choose to honor and obey Him and His Word - or will will consider our own finite minds more than adequate to guide us through life?  In the end, the choice that we make will yield very clear consequences.  Thus we need to know as we make these daily choices that every one of them will come with either a reward or a recompense.  May we be wise and choose the right way - the way of fearing the Lord - and the way of turning from sin rather than turning to it.