Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20000402.htm

PROVERBS: ALIGNING TO GOD'S FIXED MORAL ORDER
Part II: Sparking The Reader's Motivation To Heed God's Fixed Moral Order
H. Motivating YOUNG MEN To Adhere To God's Fixed Moral Order To Avoid Poverty
(Proverbs 6:1-11)
  1. Introduction
    1. Christian heads of households are to provide a living for their families as part of their Christian testimony. Failure here makes such parties worse than unbelievers according to 1 Timothy 5:8.
    2. Though recalling that God may permit us to experience financial loss as part of His plan (as in the case of the upright man, Job), believers today still need to know how avoid undue exposure to poverty struggles.
    3. Solomon's instruction to young princes on avoiding poverty is instructional for both parents as well as for youths in the area of financial management at follows:
  2. Motivating YOUNG MEN To Adhere To God's Fixed Moral Order To Avoid Poverty, Prov. 6:1-11.
    1. We recall that Solomon structured the book of Proverbs after the Egyptian sboyet, a literary genre designed to train young princes to adhere to an observed fixed moral order for success.
    2. Since princes became kings, it was necessary that they know how to handle finances well as that skill would affect the entire monarchy's economy. Thus, Solomon directed young princes on being motivated and knowing how to align to God's fixed moral order on managing their finances as follows:
      1. Step One - God's moral order to avoid poverty includes taking FULL control of our money, 1-5.
        1. Solomon warned that if one signed on as collateral for another party's loan, he was to move swiftly by all means to get out of the arrangement, Proverbs 6:1-4.
        2. This step was necessary since becoming collateral puts one's financial status at the mercy of another party's actions, leaving the co-signer helpless before another, 6:5.
        3. Thus, we must seek to minimize getting into financial arrangements where others can control our welfares, and try to maximize our own control of our money! (1 Th. 4:10-11)
      2. Step Two - God's moral order to avoid poverty includes HABITUAL investing over time, 6:6-8.
        1. We are to avoid being lazy and become wise by taking a lesson from the ant, Prov. 6:6.
        2. That lesson is found in the capacity for the ant, without being forced or pushed by a ruler to make it take advantage of the summer months to store up food for winter, Prov. 6:7.
        3. Since ants carry very little provisions at any given time, and their activity proceeds during a variety of summer weather conditions, Solomon taught we should make ourselves regularly invest, even if done in seemingly small amounts, and done in all sorts of financial climates to accumulate a nest egg for future insurance, Proverbs 6:8.
        4. Thus, to avoid financial loss in the future, we should make ourselves regularly invest even small amounts of resources, regardless of the status of the financial markets!
      3. Step Three - God's moral order to avoid poverty includes VIGILANCE regarding our finances!
        1. Solomon began his final point by asking the sluggard to stop wasting time, Prov. 6:9.
        2. He then noted that not being vigilant with one's financial affairs would result in one's developing a habit of stalling that would produce missed opportunities and poverty, 10f.
Lesson: Heeding God's Fixed Moral Order enables one to avoid undue poverty, and that means (1) we assume full oversight and control of our own finances (cf. also 1 Thess. 4:11-12), (2) that we take advantage of TIME and compounding to save regularly in all financial climates for the future and (3) that we stay vigilant with our financial affairs throughout our lives.

Application: To avoid UNDUE poverty, we must practice these steps that are in keeping with God's Fixed Moral Order in God's power, and teach our children to do the same for their own financial welfares!