December 2

Dec 2 – Today from Proverbs 2 we look at verse 15
"Whose (the wicked – verse 12) paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways."

Crooked paths. Why would this be such a disdainful picture for the student? What exactly are the ‘straight paths’ that the wicked leave (verse 13)? Let’s first consider the obvious – particularly for the culture in which this was written. In the culture of that day, the overwhelming majority of transportation was by foot. People moved from place to place by walking paths. The straight path got you to your destination faster. The crooked path required more time and more energy. The straight path allowed you to see much farther ahead. The crooked path blocked your view at the very next turn. The straight path allowed little opportunity for ne’er-do-wells to lie in wait to ambush you. The crooked path provided many opportunities for them to hide and lie in wait. It is obvious that the wicked – those with malicious intent – would want travelers to choose the crooked paths. It much better suited their purposes than did the straight.
The only other place we find this Hebrew word for ‘crooked’ in the Bible is in Isaiah 59:8. Here we get a little better insight into the preferred path of the wicked. "The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace." Isaiah is speaking for God against Israel – particularly against their leaders. God provided a straight path for the nation when He gave them a strong moral code through His law. This code protected the rights of all and was encapsulated in the Great Commandment, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself." This provides all of the benefits of the straight path. The leaders turned them into crooked paths by corrupting justice for their own self-serving purposes. If you were to read the rest of this chapter, God goes into detail as to how they had distorted His ways. This is, in fact, the literal translation for the word ‘crooked’ in both verses – distorted. The wicked do not obliterate the path. This would deprive them the opportunity to lie in wait for their victims. Rather, they distort the path, providing clever twists and turns in it whereby they can hide and attack the unsuspecting traveler who wanders onto it. It is a great analogy, and one that bears sober contemplation.
How then does one avoid wandering onto this path? By pursuing wisdom. This is exactly what verse twelve says at the beginning of the discourse we are looking at today, "Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men." In the following chapter we read two very familiar verses, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5 &6). The wicked would love for us to lean on our own understanding. It will draw us onto their crooked paths every time. Wisdom is trusting in the Lord even beyond our understanding. This is the way of the straight path.