Proverbs 21:16 One who wanders from the way of good sense will rest in the assembly of the dead.

As we read the proverbs, we have to remember that they describe general truths of life. A good example may be found in Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Many parents, when their child seems to wander from the faith, run to this verse and find some comfort. Two thoughts give me pause though.

Proverbs 22:6 does not speak of faith but of lifestyle. Yes I know those two things can be synonymous, but not necessarily so. The second thing to notice is that Solomon does not instruct us with what we want him to say, such as my mashed up verse 6.

Train up a child in the way he should go; and though he departs from the faith for a season, never going to church, or even praying, I promise he will return to the very denomination he left when he gets older.

See the difference? Solomon speaks of the child never departing. We think he is telling us the child will return.

My point is that the proverbs should be read carefully, and we should not try to extract an absolute truth from a proverb. They are general truths. Solomon speaks of the child not departing if he/she has been trained properly, but we all know godly families who have a son or daughter who has rebelled and walked away.

The proverbs provide general truths.

Now, back to our topic verse, and to consider what Solomon is trying to generally tell us. I think there are two items worthy to consider in this verse.

1. – TO WANDER

First off, consider that the one spoken of here is “wandering from the way of good sense”, or “strays from common sense” (NLT).

The Hebrew verb תָּעָה tâʻâh, is typically translated “wander” in this verse. The one passage I found above, translating it as “stray” is rare. To wander or to stray, speaks of an undisciplined life, a life that may not have a goal in sight, or that the life goal has been lost, ignored, or even forgotten.

When the topic of wandering comes to mind, I always think of my days trapping beaver and muskrat with Reynald in northern Canada. He definitely had a goal as we trudged through that field to the beaver dam, but I seemed to wander! If interested, check out Let Me Tell You a Story – Plowing

To wander implies no goal, or a forgotten goal. Might Peter be speaking to the same topic?

2 Peter 1:9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

2 – TO WANDER FROM

Yes I know my first point included wandering, but let me explain.

This soul who is wandering in Solomon’s mind is wandering from something. Solomon is not stating that this soul is one who is currently in the assembly of the dead, but that he has his origin in the “way of good sense”. He wanders, not from a neutral position, or even from within an immoral, sinful position, but from the way of good sense.

Does this verse speak directly of the absolute truth of the conditional security for the Christian believer? No. I don’t think so. It is a general truth. A truth that may apply to one who wanders.

As we have looked at passages in the Conditional Security series, it has become evident (at least to me) that walking away from God is a common thread in the Word, that there is danger in sliding away, and that we need to pay attention, not wander, from the Savior and His will for our lives.

Paul warns the early church of an apostacy from sound teaching, and this counsel is appropriate for us in the modern church.

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
2 Timothy 4:4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Teachers in the church are not immune to this wandering, sometimes swerving from the truth and into vanities.

1 Timothy 1:6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion,
1 Timothy 1:7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

Finally, though speaking specifically of widows, the truth is still presented, that after some wandering from, there is the next step of straying after.

1 Timothy 5:15 For some have already strayed after Satan.

My friend, there is only One Savior and He is the way, the good path. Let us not be the one who “wanders from the way of good sense”.

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