Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 246 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 7:1-5 – Another Warning About Immoral Women #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 246 of our trek, and yesterday we arrived back at base camp after a 25 day trek which covered our Wisdom-Trek Life Plan program called Your Life Plan Blueprint. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. Paula and I are refining all of these daily concepts along with worksheets into an easy to use workbook, and I will let you know when it is complete so that you can download it.

For the next several days, we will be remaining at camp as we search for the nuggets of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. We will continue with Chapter 7 where we left off in our previous study of Proverbs.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This past Friday evening we took Mom Jarvis, who lives with us, to Applebee’s for her 83^rd birthday. We had a good meal, and mom had one of her favorites “Brownie Bites” for dessert. Afterward, we stopped by Elizabeth and Nat’s home and spent time with the grandkids and also had some birthday cake. It was a pleasant evening.

After returning home Friday, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Alf Herigstad for his newly released Being a Better Man podcast. I will let you know when it airs.

On Saturday, I made very good progress on the woodwork and floors in the library. When we return later in February, I will be ready to apply the polyurethane. On Sunday, we headed south back to our home in Indian Trail.

For today, let’s gather around the campfire and dig into the nuggets of wisdom which are found throughout the book of Proverbs. Sit back and relax as we share together. As you visualize the campsite today, take in the sights and sounds of the outdoors. Listen to the crackling of the fire as it whispers bits of wisdom. Let them permeate your heart, mind, and soul. Today we will continue with Chapter 7.

If you recall, the first 9 chapters of Proverbs are considered Solomon’s Wise Lessons in which he instructs his children and specifically his sons how to gain wisdom and warns of the perils that will come to them if they do not follow these lessons.

Proverbs Chapters 7 through 9 are considered the last and greatest of Solomon’s lessons. Since Chapter 1, we have read the words that Solomon taught to his children. Solomon’s Wise Lessons end in Chapter 9. From Chapter 10 on, the remainder of the Book of Proverbs lists short distinct and, many times, contrasting proverbs or wisdom nuggets.

In the Hebrew text of chapters 7-9, Solomon writes three great poems.

• The first great poem is in chapter 7. This poem is about a woman who tempts a simple man. This man behaves like a fool because he trusts her. He does not realize what will happen to him.
• The second great poem is in chapter 8 and the first part of chapter 9. This moves us as the readers into a court situation – in Old Testament times, legal matters were handled and settled at the city gates. This poem is a legal hearing, such as you would hear in front of a judges or elders of the town. The speaker who is a woman lawyer is called Wisdom. She argues the case that everyone should listen to her words and precepts.
• The final great poem is in the last part of chapter 9. This poem contrasts the woman lawyer Wisdom, against another woman lawyer called “Folly.” Both lawyers plead their case and invite the simple people to an eternal feast. If you accept the right invitation, you will be set free to eat abundantly and have life eternal. If you accept the other invitation, then you are condemned to death. The choice is clear, and the choice is yours.

Let’s dig into Proverbs 7 which is titled:

Another Warning about Immoral Women

· Chapter 7

¹ Follow my advice, my son;
    always treasure my commands.
² Obey my commands and live!
    Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes.
³ Tie them on your fingers as a reminder.
    Write them deep within your heart.

⁴ Love wisdom like a sister;
    make insight a beloved member of your family.

If we look back to Proverbs 2:2 Solomon told us to learn to be wise. – Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. In the first part of chapter 7, he tells us that wisdom should become part of the very fabric of our lives as if they were our eyes, mind, and heart. In Proverbs 2:1, Solomon told us, “My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.” Now he tells us to love Wisdom like a sister. He continues to compare wisdom to a woman, which in itself is wise advice.

Solomon’s lesson is a very personal lesson. Wisdom must be close to us. Wisdom must become part of us. Wisdom must be part of our lives. Wisdom must guide every decision we make.

⁵ Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman,
from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.

Wisdom will protect us when evil things attract us. As in earlier chapters, Solomon writes extensively about inappropriate sex when it is conducted outside of marriage. However, his exhortation applies to all types of evil behavior. His story warns us about people who tempt us with their evil ideas. In the story, a woman tempts a simple man to have sex. Solomon shows how one person can tempt another person. In the remainder of chapter 7, he also shows us the result if we do evil things.

It has been a few weeks since we stayed in camp to dig for these nuggets of wisdom in Proverbs. Let me remind you as we study Proverbs that there is a big difference between the simple person and the foolish person. A simple person has not learned to be wise but is capable of accepting wisdom and applying it to his life. In Proverbs when a person is referred to as a fool or foolish, it implies that this person knows about wisdom but has refused to apply it to his life. The person has rejected God’s wisdom and chosen to live by his own foolish precepts.

Since we spent most of January on an extensive 25 day trek on which we explored the Wisdom-Trek Your Life Plan Blueprint, we will reflect for several days on the abundance of wisdom contained in Proverbs. We will take our time to dig for nuggets of wisdom and apply them to our lives. Tomorrow we will continue starting with verse 6 of Chapter 7. So encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our podcast for today. As you enjoy your daily dose of wisdom, I encourage you to help us promote Wisdom-Trek in the following four ways:

1. Leave us feedback about the podcast on Wisdom-Trek.com, so we can continually improve.
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Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!