Proverbs 1:15-19 says, “my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths, for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.”
Verse 15 is a direct tie to the invitation to participate in sin found in verse 11. Sin must be rejected at the first temptation, by refusing even the association that can lead to sin. Avoid the beginnings of sin. Reject the offer to even associate with those who are in sin. Even if we aren’t participating in the deeds of the wicked, there is still guilt by association. Growing up my brothers would convince me to come along with them in breaking a rule, even though I was a perfect and innocent child, I would still get in trouble with mom and dad because I was with them…well maybe I wasn’t all that perfect. But by choosing to hang with the wrong crowd, we risk facing the consequence of hurting our reputation. If our friends invite us to spend the evening at a bar, we can hurt our influence as Christians even if we never have a drink. If we hang with the troublemakers we will be seen as a troublemaker. There are consequences tied to the decisions we make.
Verse 16 is a warning not to keep evil company. To be careful in the friends we choose. There is guilt by association. You may not be guilty of their sins; but if you are caught with them, you will pay the terrible penalty with them. Sometimes peer pressure causes us to hang with a group of friends that are in sin. But we rationalize it by convincing ourselves that we are strong enough to say no. We may even associate with them with good intention; but the longer we stay, the more deeply involved we become. The only way to avoid this is to do what Scripture advises. Don’t go with them in the first place. The time to say “no” is before we get in too deep.
Verse 17 is another illustration. “As a bird flies into a net and is caught, so will the sinner get caught if he goes head long into sin.” The thing is, many times we know the net is there, but we fly towards it anyway. We know there are consequences to sin, but we do it anyway. Scripture paints a vivid picture of the consequences we will face if we allow our lives to be filled with sin. John 8:34 Jesus tells us, “everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” Practicing sin leads to the consequence of slavery. This is a vivid analogy showing us that by choosing to sin we are enslaved to it. Sin can and will control every aspect of our lives.
Isaiah 59:2 reveals, “but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” Another consequence of sin is separation from God the Father.
Our actions will determine whether God will listen to us or not. It’s obvious that we will never inherit eternal life if we let sin continue to separate us from God. Romans 6:23 shows us the worst consequence of sin, “The wages of sin is death.” Our physical deaths will only be the beginning of an eternity in torment. The payment of sin is spiritual death.
Solomon warns us of the importance of choosing the right company. He tells us that we have a choice. We can choose righteous company that will help us reach our reward, or we can choose the sinful company. But by doing so, we are accepting sin’s invitation and therefore must face the consequences.
Carl Pollard