Being Saved From Wicked Men - Part 2 - Proverbs 2:12-15

PART 1 can be found here

Proverbs 2:12-15 ESV

Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.

In part one I dealt only with the warning about men whose words are perverse. In part two I want to look at the other wicked behaviors that wisdom will save us from.

To Summarize:

1. Those that turned toward evil behaviors that previously had behaved morally.
2. Those that seem to take pleasure and delight in the doing of wrong.
3. Those that seem to not only enjoy behaving badly, but love to talk about the details of their evil deeds.
4. Those that choose to regularly engage immoral activities and hang out with people that do the same.
5. Those that plot and plan evil acts and are especially deceptive and crafty with their schemes.

To summarize even further:

Listening to and applying God's wisdom will steer you away from the kind of person that plots, plans, participates in, loves, talks about, and draws people into their evil behaviors and activities. 

Why do you think God had to warn us about this. After all, this is the kind of person your parents did everything they could to keep you from hanging out with all your life. I think our parents were on to something. Parents were kids once, and they remember what happened to their friends and others that spent time with immoral influences. Legal trouble, illegal alcohol and drug use, premarital pregnancies, broken marriages, wrecked lives, suicides etc. They have lived long enough to have seen many people make choices, and have seen the results of those choices. Parents are experienced enough to finally realize that the things their parents told them were right, and not just being too strict. How much more wise must God be with regard to these things?


Parents understand the powerful allure of evil influences. It's exciting!, It's fun, and in many cases it will increase your popularity. You'll gain acceptance. You'll feel "grown-up." You'll start being invited to all the fun activities. You'll see all your "friends" joining in. To say "no," is to be alienated, to be labeled a "goody, goody." Rejection...loneliness.  These are the results of choosing righteousness and rejecting the invitations to participate in immorality. We must ask ourselves, "where do my convictions lie? Do our personal standards fall away when the consequences are too costly? Unfortunately, in my own personal experience I've seen that most people give in and join the fun.

Looking back on my own life, even though early on I held out longer than most, I finally gave in to some of these temptations. It wasn't until my late 20's, when I surrendered to the call of Christ, did I place my trust in the truth of God's Word. It was then that I began my journey of following Christ in obedience, no matter the cost. (I journey that I stumble and bumble through, in weakness, I might add.)

In conclusion, I would say that we would all be wise to steer clear of the kind of person described in the proverbs above, unless it's your one and only mission to share Jesus with them.

Continue to the next post in my Proverbs study