Pro 4:14-19 | KingComments | STEP | The young man is warned to avoid the path of evil men by not taking even one step on that path ( ). If no first step is taken on that path, he will never end up wrong. This warning connects with the admonition to hold fast. He who goes in the path of wickedness loses his firm grip on sound teaching; he no longer holds firmly to it and will let go. In , in four short sentences in the imperative, the necessity of avoiding the path of evil men is presented to the young man. To choose that path means to choose the path of death. The father is very decisive: 1. First there is the inner attitude of rejecting that path. 2. Attached to that is the clear decision not to go down that path. 3. It is even that he must not even want to come near it; he must turn away from it 4. and pass by it, not set foot on it. If he gets close to it, the suction can still suddenly become too powerful for him, causing him to end up on that path. He should walk around it with a curve and keep going. He should not dwell on it or look at it, even if from a distance. He should not pay attention to that path, but totally ignore it. For the practice of life, it means that we should not be influenced by the thinking that determines the path of the world. If we are not commissioned by the Lord for it, we should not get involved in it and stay far away from it. We should not want to know all that can be experienced on that path. Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, wanted to know what was on that path. She found it out. We see in what she experiences, where ignoring this command leads ( ). She is a cautionary example. It may be appealing to read all kinds of gossip in magazines and on the Internet. We may want to do so with the excuse that, after all, we need to know what is going on in the world. But we should reject that thought. Not only should we not participate in gossip, we also should not take note of it. We must turn away from it and pass on. The reason to avoid the evil path is its addictive effect ( ). The wicked and evil men are addicted to evil ( ). If they have not been able to do their daily portion of evil, they are upset, just as a drug user becomes upset if he does not get his daily dose of drugs. They become more and more restless, unable to sleep if they haven’t done something evil or made someone stumble. They are real children of their father, the devil. They are not even after money or power anymore. Their concern is with evil itself. There is love for evil. Doing evil is their “bread” and “wine”, that is, their eating and drinking ( ). These are the means with which Melchizedek came to the weary Abraham to strengthen him ( ). These people, however, do not take this food and drink from the hand of God, but take it from “wickedness” and “violence”. That is what they eat from, that is what they live by, that is what they find their pleasure in. People who go this way lack any kind of human kindness. , which begins with the word “but”, shows the contrast with and makes it clear how dangerous the way and life of the wicked are. It is the contrast between darkness and light. The path of the righteous is a light that has risen in their life after living in darkness (cf. ). It breathes the freshness of the morning and casts around them the beauty of the rising sun. The path itself is a light because on it truth, righteousness and holiness are seen. Christ is seen and He is the light. The righteous are also called the light of the world, who let their light shine before men ( ; ). The further the righteous progress on that path, the brighter the light will shine, until they end in full light. Then it will have become full day. That is the day of the kingdom of peace. The path of the wicked is the deep darkness of sin and unbelief in the middle of the night ( ; cf. ) through which they will stumble and fall. They have no idea what they are stumbling over, for they see nothing. Stumbling is also a result of wrong teaching of the law ( ). There is darkness around them and within them. He who walks in the light does not stumble; he who walks in darkness stumbles ( ). He who walks in darkness ends up in everlasting darkness, where the light of God is changed into everlasting fire.

‏ Proverbs 4:14-19

The Path of the Wicked

The young man is warned to avoid the path of evil men by not taking even one step on that path (Pro 4:14). If no first step is taken on that path, he will never end up wrong. This warning connects with the admonition to hold fast. He who goes in the path of wickedness loses his firm grip on sound teaching; he no longer holds firmly to it and will let go.

In Pro 4:15, in four short sentences in the imperative, the necessity of avoiding the path of evil men is presented to the young man. To choose that path means to choose the path of death. The father is very decisive:

1. First there is the inner attitude of rejecting that path.

2. Attached to that is the clear decision not to go down that path.

3. It is even that he must not even want to come near it; he must turn away from it

4. and pass by it, not set foot on it.

If he gets close to it, the suction can still suddenly become too powerful for him, causing him to end up on that path. He should walk around it with a curve and keep going. He should not dwell on it or look at it, even if from a distance. He should not pay attention to that path, but totally ignore it.

For the practice of life, it means that we should not be influenced by the thinking that determines the path of the world. If we are not commissioned by the Lord for it, we should not get involved in it and stay far away from it. We should not want to know all that can be experienced on that path.

Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, wanted to know what was on that path. She found it out. We see in what she experiences, where ignoring this command leads (Gen 34:1-2). She is a cautionary example. It may be appealing to read all kinds of gossip in magazines and on the Internet. We may want to do so with the excuse that, after all, we need to know what is going on in the world. But we should reject that thought. Not only should we not participate in gossip, we also should not take note of it. We must turn away from it and pass on.

The reason to avoid the evil path is its addictive effect (Pro 4:16). The wicked and evil men are addicted to evil (Psa 36:4). If they have not been able to do their daily portion of evil, they are upset, just as a drug user becomes upset if he does not get his daily dose of drugs. They become more and more restless, unable to sleep if they haven’t done something evil or made someone stumble. They are real children of their father, the devil.

They are not even after money or power anymore. Their concern is with evil itself. There is love for evil. Doing evil is their “bread” and “wine”, that is, their eating and drinking (Pro 4:17). These are the means with which Melchizedek came to the weary Abraham to strengthen him (Gen 14:18). These people, however, do not take this food and drink from the hand of God, but take it from “wickedness” and “violence”. That is what they eat from, that is what they live by, that is what they find their pleasure in. People who go this way lack any kind of human kindness.

Pro 4:18, which begins with the word “but”, shows the contrast with Pro 4:17 and makes it clear how dangerous the way and life of the wicked are. It is the contrast between darkness and light. The path of the righteous is a light that has risen in their life after living in darkness (cf. 1Pet 2:9). It breathes the freshness of the morning and casts around them the beauty of the rising sun.

The path itself is a light because on it truth, righteousness and holiness are seen. Christ is seen and He is the light. The righteous are also called the light of the world, who let their light shine before men (Mt 5:14 ; 16; Phil 2:15). The further the righteous progress on that path, the brighter the light will shine, until they end in full light. Then it will have become full day. That is the day of the kingdom of peace.

The path of the wicked is the deep darkness of sin and unbelief in the middle of the night (Pro 4:19; cf. Exo 10:22) through which they will stumble and fall. They have no idea what they are stumbling over, for they see nothing. Stumbling is also a result of wrong teaching of the law (Mal 2:8). There is darkness around them and within them. He who walks in the light does not stumble; he who walks in darkness stumbles ( Jn 11:9-10). He who walks in darkness ends up in everlasting darkness, where the light of God is changed into everlasting fire.