Proverbs 7:1-3 (ESV) My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; 2 keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; 3 bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. INTRODUCTION Keep My Words. That is, obey me. Apple Of Thine Eye. Literally, the pupil of thine eye. A figure of extreme preciousness. Upon Thy Fingers. Hence always within view and serving as a constant reminder. [SDA Bible Commentary] The apple of the eye is the pupil. The imagery is used to emphasize how precious the teachings of Gods word should be in the lives of his people. [New Bible Companion] We guard the eye as our most precious and tender member from hurt, and prize it most dearly. The pupil is the most precious part of the eye, and carefully guarded by the eyebrows, eyelids, and eyelashes. As we guard the pupil of the eye from the least mote, which is sufficient to hurt it, so God's law is so tender and holy a thing that the least violation of it in thought, word, or deed, is sin; and we are so to keep the law as to avoid any violation of it. The law resembles the pupil of the eye also in its being spiritually the organ of light, without which we should be in utter darkness. (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary) Bind them upon thy fingers; let them be precious to thee; look upon them as an ornament, as a diamond-ring, as the signet on thy right hand; wear them continually as thy wedding-ring, the badge of thy espousals to God. Look upon the word of God as putting an honour upon thee, as an ensign of thy dignity. Bind them on thy fingers, that they may be constant memorandums to thee of thy duty, that thou mayest have them always in view, as that which is graven upon the palms of thy hands." (Matthew Henry's Commentary) Write them upon the table of thy heart, as the names of the friends we dearly love, we say, are written in our hearts. let the word of God dwell richly in us, and be written there where it will be always at hand to be read. Where sin was written let the word of God be written. (Matthew Henry's Commentary) COMMENTARY PEARL Cherishing God's Word. I find it a dangerous thing to go grocery shopping when I'm hungry. I find myself tempted to buy food that under normal circumstances would not appeal to me at all. I am not alone, according to King Solomon: "One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet" (Proverbs 27:7). This same principle can be applied to our pursuit of purity. There is a real danger in going through our days spiritually hungry because we have not fed well upon the word of God. If we are going to make any meaningful attempt at maintaining our purity, it is imperative that we not only read God's word; we must also cherish it. Solomon - the king of Israel to whom God gave wisdom that surpassed anyone else's (1 Kings 3:3-14) - uses language that gets at the notion of cherishing God's word when he tells his son to "keep" his words, to "treasure" them, to keep them "as the apple of [his] eye," to "bind" them, and to "write" them on his heart. To relate to God's word this way requires us to get beyond using the Bible merely as a textbook to study, a book of proof texts for arguments, or a promise book to which we occasionally turn. Cherishing God's word requires us to seek the perspective of the psalmist who, distancing himself from the proud and the scoffers of his day, says of the man who is walking with God, "His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2). There is a direct correlation between delighting in God's word - allowing it to control and guide our lives - and maintaining a zeal for purity. If we fail to cherish Scripture, the question is not if we will stumble in the matter of purity but when. Everyone of us can keep our way pure by hiding God's word in our hearts (Psalm 119:9). Do you have a plan for memorizing Scripture? Let me challenge you to make a commitment to memorize a verse of the Bible, whether it's every other day, every day, every week, or whatever it might be. Make a plan, and stick with it. Feast on God's word and be satisfied. Cherish the Scriptures and be pure. [Truth for Life by Alistair Begg] COMMENTARY As I work on this manuscript, I'm seated at a desk in a hotel room. I'm away from home. Away from people who know me. Voices that encourage and affirm are distant. But voices that tantalize and entice are near. Although the room is quiet, if I listen, their voices are crystal clear. A placard on my nightstand invites me to a lounge in the lobby, where I can "make new friends in a relaxing atmosphere." An advertisement on top of the television promises me that with the request of a late-night adult movie my "fantasies will come true." In the phone book, several columns of escort services offer "love away from home." ... On television a talk-show host discusses the day's topic: "How to succeed at sex in the office." Voices. Some for pleasure. Some for power. The world rams at your door; Jesus taps at your door. The voices scream for your allegiance; Jesus softly and tenderly requests it. The world promises flashy pleasure; Jesus promises a quiet dinner ... with God. "I will come in and eat." Which voice do you hear? (From In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado) [Inspirational SB] An American Indian was once visiting New York City. As he walked the busy Manhattan streets with a friend from the city, he suddenly stopped, tilted his head to one side, and said, "I hear a cricket." "You're crazy," his friend said. The Cherokee answered, "No, I hear a cricket. I do! I'm sure of it." The friend replied, "It's the noon hour. People are jammed on the sidewalks, cars are honking, taxis are whizzing by - the city is full of noise. And you think you can hear a cricket?" "I'm sure I do," said the visitor. He listened even more intently and then walked to the corner. Spotting a shrub in a large cement planter, he dug into the leaves underneath it, and pulled out a cricket. His friend was astounded. The man said, "The fact is, my friend, that my ears are different than yours. It all depends on what your ears have been tuned to hear. Let me show you." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a handful of loose change and dropped the coins on the pavement. Every head within a half block turned. "See what I mean?" he said, picking up the coins. "It all depends on what you are listening for." Listen today to those things that will make you wise. Heed those things that prepare you for eternity. [God's Little Devotional Bible re Pro.15:3] CLOSING THOUGHT As P. T. Barnum was fond of saying, "A sucker is born every minute." The book of Proverbs agrees! Proverbs teaches through images and metaphors like that of the simple young man. The tale of his seduction serves as a concrete example of the way in which folly can capture a simple-minded person. From Solomon's point of view, every one of us is born "simpler - that is, gullible, credulous, naive. But while Barnum saw human gullibility as an opportunity for profit, the proverbs see the condition as a character weakness to be corrected. All around us people appeal to our gullibility in one area or another. If we're to escape with our money, health and integrity intact, we need to develop what the proverbs call prudence. The first practical step to wisdom is to identify the simpleton in ourselves. The proverbs in this study are a mirror which lets us see where and how we are naive. And more than that, they will set us on the road to wisdom. All of us would agree that young children are naive or simple in all areas of life. But all of us remain naive or simple in some areas. In what way might this be true of you? [Quiet Time SB] ONE LINER The wise person is not the individual of great intellectual achievement, but the person who makes appropriate choices in his or her daily life. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary] LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE Proverbs 7:1-3 - Treasure God's Word - Not Sinful Pleasures. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2007/20070705-2118.html YOUR COMMENTS If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or testimony on this passage of Scripture, either personal or otherwise, I would be interested in hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred Gibbs LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT Most Important Decision in Life: http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo Steps to Peace by Billy Graham: https://stepstopeace.org/ Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782 Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ Amazing Facts Bible Studies: http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study Guides: https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/ LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/ Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657 Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE