There is one more topic I would like us to consider that is found in the compilation of Proverbs
That is the issue of life and death.
People love to think about and talk about ‘life’ ------ People don’t really like to think or talk about ‘death’
Every man knows that he must die, but no one believes it. Judeo-German Proverbs
Actor Woody Allen said, “It’s not that I’m afraid to die. I just don’t want to be there when it happens"
At the top of every hour in the Old Town Square of Prague people gather to see the wondrous display of a 15th
century astronomical clock whose inventor was blinded in order to prevent him from re-creating his masterpiece
elsewhere.
The Orloj is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun
and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork
hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures; and a calendar dial with medallions
representing the months.
On either side of the geocentric clock, there are four moving figures: the Turk shaking his head (symbolizing
lust), the Jewish moneylender clenching his bag of gold (greed), and the well-dressed man gazing into his
mirror (vanity). And the 4th figure is the grimacing expression of the skeleton (death).
Pulling on a rope in his right hand and inverting an hourglass in his left hand, postponing the inevitable – death.
Job in the middle of his life journey said: "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He
springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure. (Job 14:1-2 NIV)
Before a man attains one-half of his desire, death comes. Talmudic proverbs:
The boundaries which divide life from death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where one
ends, and the other begins? - Edgar Alan Poe
News this last week – 2 Articles that I found interesting
#1 - Raymond Chandler – Author of the Philip Marlowe – Detective Stories --- 1930 – 1950s
#2 – Body Fishing
In the book of Proverbs there are many truisms about life and warnings of death.
Some are to be taken in the narrow sense – Clear teaching that wisdom and good conduct tends to prolong a
man’s days while foolishness and evil conduct tends to shorten them.
Other times the use of the contrast is used to show instruct that life and death in a quantitative not qualitative
way.
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death. (Proverbs 13:14
NIV)
The path of life leads upward for the wise to keep him from going down to the grave. (Proverbs 15:24
NIV)
He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of conduct will die. (Proverbs
19:16 NASB)
One of the central themes of the book of Proverbs is the idea that a wise person chooses life while a fool
chooses death.
Two roads are open before us: the way of life and the way of death.
There are continual forks in the road – Wise – Foolish
Not just one decision – WOULDN’T THAT BE NICE?
Yearly, monthly, weekly, daily and sometimes hourly – Wise=Life or Foolish=Death
The way we go depends eventually on us.
Here’s how Solomon described the reality:
The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. (Proverbs 10:27 NIV)
As you read through the book of Proverbs and consider the topics of life and death it is important to realize that
the terms life and death are not merely referring to physical existence.
This can be seen in the use of such phrases as “tree of life”, “fountain of life” and “way of life.”
Right at the very beginning – there is a picture of a young man being tempted, enticed and DARED …
My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for
someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul; let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like
those who go down to the pit; we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"--my son, do not go along with them, do not
set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood. How useless to spread a
net in full view of all the birds! These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!
Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it. (Proverbs
1:10-19 NIV)
The way of the godly leads to life; that path does not lead to death. (Proverbs 12:28 NLT)
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. (Proverbs 14:12 NLT)
“Every man dies - Not every man really lives.” William Ross Wallace
Tongue brings life or death
He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin. (Proverbs 13:3 NIV)
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:21 NIV)
Another way that Life and Death is pictured in the book of Proverbs
Is by TWO WOMEN
The “immoral woman” and the woman Wisdom
One leads to death and the other to eternal life.
While these metaphors may be taken as a lesson on morality/chastity, the early Jews and Christians saw in the
opposing symbols of these two allegorical women a much broader spectrum of applications.
The strange woman, the foolish woman, the sinful woman, the adulterous woman leads to all evil, to death —
away from the ways of Truth and Wisdom.
The “strange woman” is very dangerous and should be avoided at all costs
“Running after” or “going to” the Prostitute is symbolic of foolishness and living a life void of the truth.
Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, for the prostitute reduces you to
a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life. (Proverbs 6:25-26 NIV)
All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow
pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life. (Proverbs 7:22-23 NIV)
The woman wisdom – making wise choices – living wisely says: is completely praiseworthy and is to be sought
out with great diligence
For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD. (Proverbs 8:35 NIV)
For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. (Proverbs 9:11 NIV)
Many of life’s choices – similar to stepping into quicksand.
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (Proverbs 4:23 NIV)
One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching.
Judeo-German Proverbs --- Life and Death --- Better a noble death than a wretched life.
Garden of Eden – Adam and Eve – created – God said – it is very good.
Work the garden, tend the animals, be fruitful and reproduce
Eat anything you want – but that fruit there
Enjoyed life
Serpent comes along and tempts them – they eat and a virus enters the human race
Spam makes up 90% of all email traffic
2 weeks ago – email Spam – Here you have …
Spread out across the net – 14.5% of all spam for a couple of days – were that email
42 Billion emails – shut-down: ABC-Disney, Comcast, Wells Fargo, Google, Coca-Cola, NASA, AIG, ,
Proctor & Gamble, Florida Department of Transportation
Virus infected everyone – rewrote the code – changed the way the human heart operated.
Prior to the fruit – Men looked Godward
After the fruit – Me, Mine
The LORD saw how bad the people on earth were and that everything they thought and planned was evil.
(Genesis 6:5 CEV)
Cain – Abel
Cain grew fruit
Abel tended the animals
Cain got mad at God
Got mad at Abel
Let’s go out to the field
Cain killed Abel
No one had to tempt Cain to do wrong --- the virus of sin had already rewritten his heart
Same virus that has infected all of us
Paul --- The things I want to do – I don’t – the things I don’t want to do – I do them anyway. Who will set me
free from this Virus?
Jesus is the anti-virus!
Jesus – I came that you might have life and have it all the way!