For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
The turning away of the simple slays them because they turn from wisdom's reproof and refuse God's knowledge, call, counsel and correction, while fools are destroyed by their prosperity and self-chosen ways. That prosperity is only apparent and temporary, and fools are those who refuse the fear of the Lord and follow their own devices. This ruin comes by the fixed law that reaping follows sowing, so that misery and suffering are the sure fruit of one's own way and are not to be charged to God. Those who refuse counsel and despise reproof are left to eat the fruit of their own way and to be filled with their own devices, suffering in the time of reaping the consequences of the path they chose.
God gives light through the simple means He has ordained, and if that light is doubted and not received He gives people up to their own ways to be filled with their own doing. Those who reject His light become increasingly indifferent and unable to distinguish truth from error. Turning from God's counsel to pursue worldly pleasures leads to ruin because the attractions of the world can absorb the attention, harden the heart and dull the conscience until people no longer heed truth or desire to sacrifice for God.
The same turning away includes serving self and making a god of the stomach, and abusing any organ of the body to gratify lustful appetite and debased passion in married or unmarried life. Such indulgence violates nature's laws and sows to fleshly lusts, showing itself even in the countenance. The licentious and profligate person becomes a hunted slave to passion, unwilling to break its chains, and is at last left without conviction, mercy or hope to destroy himself. He is given over to the natural process of corrupting practices that degrade him beneath the brutes, ruin the mechanism of the living machinery, and turn transgressed natural laws into tormentors.
This was seen in Ahithophel, who though esteemed wise lacked the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom and plotted treason upon incest as if no overruling Providence would cross corrupt designs. Refusal to heed wisdom leads to calamity and distress in which cries for help come too late and will not avail. That warning applies to those who ignore God's call and counsel, so that when mercy has passed and judgment comes their cries will not avail. By contrast, those who listen to wisdom dwell safely and are quiet from fear of evil.
The turning away of the simple slays them because they turn from wisdom's reproof and refuse God's knowledge, call, counsel and correction, while fools are destroyed by their prosperity and self-chosen ways. That prosperity is only apparent and temporary, and fools are those who refuse the fear of the Lord and follow their own devices. This ruin comes by the fixed law that reaping follows sowing, so that misery and suffering are the sure fruit of one's own way and are not to be charged to God. Those who refuse counsel and despise reproof are left to eat the fruit of their own way and to be filled with their own devices, suffering in the time of reaping the consequences of the path they chose.
God gives light through the simple means He has ordained, and if that light is doubted and not received He gives people up to their own ways to be filled with their own doing. Those who reject His light become increasingly indifferent and unable to distinguish truth from error. Turning from God's counsel to pursue worldly pleasures leads to ruin because the attractions of the world can absorb the attention, harden the heart and dull the conscience until people no longer heed truth or desire to sacrifice for God.
The same turning away includes serving self and making a god of the stomach, and abusing any organ of the body to gratify lustful appetite and debased passion in married or unmarried life. Such indulgence violates nature's laws and sows to fleshly lusts, showing itself even in the countenance. The licentious and profligate person becomes a hunted slave to passion, unwilling to break its chains, and is at last left without conviction, mercy or hope to destroy himself. He is given over to the natural process of corrupting practices that degrade him beneath the brutes, ruin the mechanism of the living machinery, and turn transgressed natural laws into tormentors.
This was seen in Ahithophel, who though esteemed wise lacked the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom and plotted treason upon incest as if no overruling Providence would cross corrupt designs. Refusal to heed wisdom leads to calamity and distress in which cries for help come too late and will not avail. That warning applies to those who ignore God's call and counsel, so that when mercy has passed and judgment comes their cries will not avail. By contrast, those who listen to wisdom dwell safely and are quiet from fear of evil.