“My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” (Proverbs 1:10)

“If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:” (Proverbs 1:11)

“Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:” (Proverbs 1:12)

“We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:” (Proverbs 1:13)

“Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:” (Proverbs 1:14)

Solomon’s address in these four verses brings out four important facts:

First: The Son-Ship Relationship
Second: The Identification of the Sinners
Third: The Enticement by Sinners
Fourth: The Saved’s Resistance to the Temptation of Evil

The previous devotion spoke of the first aspect, The Son-Ship Relationship. Now Solomon proceeds from Relationship to Recognition. Solomon’s next duty is to identify to his son the group of people who are classified as “sinners.”

Second: The Identification of the Sinners

Sinners are those who not only sin, but who practice sin habitually. They love sin. They live in sin; walk in sin; and are continuously led by the power of sin. They are bond-slaves to sin. Sin reigns in their lives. They are of their father, the devil, who is a murderer from the beginning:

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

“Whosoever abideth in him (Christ) sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” (1 John 3:6)

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)

“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 3:10)

Sinners sin. The definition of sin is: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). Sin is the overstepping of the law.

Sinners are dead in sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1). Sinners hate God and love the darkness (John 15:18, 24). “…sinners also love those that love them” (Luke 6:32).

Sinners love misery; and they want God’s Children to follow them and to be miserable as they are.

Third: The Enticement by Sinners

Therefore, a sinner’s main goals are to sin and to lead others to follow them, “if sinners entice thee.” When sinners tempt you, or try to lead you astray from following righteousness – they are enticing you to sin. Sinners love the company of other sinners.

Notice the sinner’s temptation to the son (or saved man); see Proverbs 1:11-14:

First, “they say, Come with us, let us.” They use the pronouns “us” and “we” in verses 11-14. In Exodus 23:2, Moses said, “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil…” The sinners always have a majority, “a multitude,” following them.

The fact that they are a majority in society is one of their calling cards to tempt the saved man to follow them (since the saved man is in the minority in this evil world). The saved man says, “Surely the majority can’t be wrong.” He hears them say, “Come with us… Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse” (Proverbs 1:11, 14).

This is the way of this evil world: Let us be one. They say: the entire world is following “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:15-17) – so, why not you?

The sinners say: ‘You know Christianity is not is vogue now. Christians are too narrow-minded; they are too conservative for this day and age, the 21st Century.’

Notice in Proverbs 1:11-14, what they want the son to do:

1. “Let us lay wait for blood” (Proverbs 1:11b)
2. “Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause” (Proverbs 1:11c)
3. “Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:” (Proverbs 1:12)
4. “We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:” (Proverbs 1:13)
5. “Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:” (Proverbs 1:14)

If you examine these statements closely, you will see it is all about greed, covetousness, and self-gain (“the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”). The sinners want “our houses” full at any cost, even murder.

They say: ‘If you don’t look out for yourself, you will not have; let us take it for ourselves – me, me, me.’ And the sinners love company: Come and join in with us, “let us all have one purse.”

Socialism, or Communism, has never worked; and it will never work – because “self” is preeminent to all others. “One purse” is a trick of the adversary. Its base is lust, greed, covetousness, and pride.

Fourth: The Saved’s Resistance to the Temptation of Evil

But Son (Saved Man), this is not God’s Ways:

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15)

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16)

“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1 John 2:17)

Child of God, do not fall for the tricks of sinners as they try to lure you using the majority idea; the power of “us” and “we”; the unity idea to ensure prosperity.

Prosperity does not come by theft and by murder – but by God, and by diligent work. You cannot follow the crowd and sin – and expect to prosper.

“Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.” (Ecclesiastes 10:1)

Therefore Reader, beware of the sinner’s message; be aware of his entices.