And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me! I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

This proverb is from a father to a son. It begins My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding. And notice that rest of that verse we started with. The proverb states that he was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. Remember what the Psalmist said (Psalm 1:5) The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. This advice is for those in the house; the church; the saved individual.

Why do we not listen? Why do we not heed the instruction and the reproof of those who have gone before us? Why do we forsake the wisdom and understanding of those who have it? Do we have to go into error to learn the truth? Do we have to step into folly in order learn our lesson? We jokingly speak of the school of hard knocks. But I wonder if we truly realize how hard we got knocked.

As this journey goes on, I’m starting to see more and more that all the saints of God seem to get knocked down, but some never get back up. The bible says (Proverbs 24:16) For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: Possibilities don’t always come to fruition. They don’t always get back up. People do fail. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak. David states the ideal circumstances (Psalm 1:2,3) But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Sound goods. I like that prosper part! But perhaps there’s more to the story.

David delights in the law of God, as we should. But Paul states the reality of the matter. (Roman 7:22,23) For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Maybe that is why Paul was such a good teacher. He knew the dangers of the flesh. It’s very easy to stray from the good teaching of the church, the bible, and the man of God. It’s very easy to be deceived into thinking that you know more than you truly know.

Reproof? Instruction? If I’ve learned anything my years of existence, it’s this: People just don’t like being told what to do. People just can’t stand it. They always always always always always buck! In fact, it’s usually the opposite, where everybody wants to be the teacher. People just want to be the one to teach you a lesson; to tell you something that you don’t know. Paul, instead admonished us (1 Thessalonians 4:11) And that ye study to be quiet..

Paul said (Romans 12:3) For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Paul’s qualifications and credentials were God’s grace. It was through God’s grace that Paul could say these things to us. Paul had been through some things. Labours. Stripes. Prisons. Deaths. Stripes. Rods. Stones. Shipwreck. The deep. Journeyings. Waters. Robbers. Weariness. Painfulness. Hunger. Thirst. Fastings. Cold. Nakedness. Paul had known the amazing grace of God. And through all that he warns us to not think ourselves more highly that we ought. I think Paul was saying I’ve needed alot of grace, and you’re going to need it too. There are some people that just plain know what they’re talking about and it would behoove us to heed their warnings. Like the old song says:

Drifting too far from shore,
You’re drifting too far from shore,
Come to Jesus today,
Let Him show you the way
You’re drifting too far from shore,

(1 Corinthians 10:12) Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. The proverb says I was almost in all evil… You don’t know how far you’ve strayed until you turn back around and see just how far you’ve drifted. The Psalmist said (Psalm 73:2) But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. Repentance is honesty; honestly with God; honesty that you’ve not obeyed the voice of your teachers, nor inclined your ear to them that have instructed. I was almost in all evil. My feet were almost gone. It’s not too late. You think you can do it on your own; without the church; without the man of God; without the instructors or teachers that God has given you. You’re wrong and you know it. Come back before even almost is gone.