“My son… forsake not the law of thy mother:” (Proverbs 1:8)

“My son… consent thou not.” (Proverbs 1:10)

“My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:” (Proverbs 1:15)

First, in verse 8, note Solomon warned his son, “forsake not the law of thy mother”; or the Law of Love. You must not turn from; or give up to; or forget; or walk in another direction than the Law of Love.

Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, you must do it for the Glory of God. God is your first love, and then the brethren. You must always place God’s Honor and your brethren’s honor above all else. When you do this (Matthew 22:37-40); then self is last, and not first.

Second, Solomon said in verse 10, “consent thou not.” This is two-fold: first, do not entertain the message from sinners; do not allow it to enter into your spiritual ear; reject it immediately; do not let it lodge in your spirit. And second, do not meditate upon it at all; resist, and reject, and turn from any temptation of evil. Flee from it; run from it; and don’t look back.

King David consented to looking at Bathsheba, who was Uriah’s wife. He looked; he lusted; and then he sinned.

“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:14-15)

What King David did is what many a saved man has done. He consented to what he saw. The problem is not the eye or what he saw; but the problem is that his heart was not stedfast to God.

You must make some choices toward God and holiness, before temptations come. You must choose Him above all things and all people (Deuteronomy 30:14-19).

You must turn your entire body, soul, and spirit over to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). He must be first in your entire life; He must be your first love.

But you can’t wait until the temptation comes upon you to decide. Your decision must be made on this side of Jordan; as Joshua and Caleb did prior to entering the Jordan River, and it parting, on their way to take the Promised Land, Canaan. (See Joshua 1 – 3.) Even as Joshua states: “…but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15d).

The key word is “serve.” Salvation has been settled in the relationship as “son”; but what remains before each “son” (or saved person) is “service” to and for God. This is why Moses said these words to Israel just before they crossed over to Canaan Land:

“See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;” (Deuteronomy 30:15)

“In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.” (Deuteronomy 30:16)

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” (Deuteronomy 30:19)

One of the problems of the saved man is that his eye concerning Salvation is on eternity, and that is good – but first, you should see Salvation also includes this temporal life. It is here that the race is run; it is here that one grows and matures unto perfection. It is here on this earth that we are ordained unto “good works”:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

And it is here that we are fruit bearers. It is here that we are conformed to His Image. It is here we prove that we are the sons of God, as we overcome sin and all temptations in the Power of Christ (Galatians 2:20). It is here that the saved man is tested (Deuteronomy 8:1-6). And it is here that the Power of God is effectual:

“And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,” (Ephesians 1:19)

It is here that we cry “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:14-16). It is here that the saved can experience what Paul wrote about in Philippians 3:7-14:

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” (Philippians 3:7)

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,” (Philippians 3:8)

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” (Philippians 3:9)

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” (Philippians 3:10)

“If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” (Philippians 3:11)

“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12)

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,” (Philippians 3:13)

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)

Therefore temptations come; tests come – for through these we are perfected:

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

Then thirdly, Solomon warned his son, “My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:” (Proverbs 1:15).

Solomon said “forsake not” (don’t turn); then “consent not” (don’t entertain); and now “walk not” (don’t obey them; don’t join up and in with them).

Walking indicates a conscious decision to act; and that you have acted. It indicates a resolve, a definite move in a certain direction; that you have weighed the cost of this decision to act, or to walk, a certain way, or on a certain path. Walking is indicative that the foot (the tool of a human walking) has been commanded by the brain to follow a certain determined path, or direction.

Remember there are only two paths wherein to walk: (1) the Path of God (the way of Light, Love, Holiness, and Peace); and (2) the path of evil (the way of darkness; hatred; lust of the flesh, and of the eye; and pride; of no peace). No one is in-between – you are on one of these two paths.

God’s ways are very strange to us. First, as a saved man, you have no choice really:

“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” (1 John 3:9-10)

But God has ordained the Preachers of Righteousness to herd God’s people into knowledge, and the choosing of what is right (2 Timothy 4:1-2).

Even Peter said:

“Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;” (2 Peter 1:12-13)

We must be reminded, even though we know the truth. (See 1 Corinthians 1:18, 24.)

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved (a temporal deliverance) it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

There is not one saved person reading this devotion who does not know that he is not to forsake the Law, not to consent to do evil, not to walk in evil. But you also know you are many times tempted to do so. What stops you? The Spirit of God applying His Word to your spirit; convicting you and convincing you to follow Righteousness.

It is a mystery how God works in the saved man’s will. However Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” But in the saved man, a choice is made in his spirit to do that which is right, led by the Holy Spirit of God.

Yes, it is a mystery! But it is God’s Way.

This is exactly what Solomon is doing in the book of Proverbs. He is warning his son, who has the ability to choose Righteousness, because he is Righteous in Christ, and has the Power of Christ dwelling in him. Hallelujah!

Therefore, the Command is three fold: “forsake not” (do not turn from God’s Law); “consent not” (do not entertain sin); and “walk not thou in the way (of sin) with them (sinners); refrain thy foot from their path.”