Decline

“...decline...”

Proverbs 4.5

 

The word decline here means to bend away from.  It’s like a picture of someone walking along and being offered something but putting their hand out and veering away.  We also define it as to “politely refuse (an invitation or offer)”.

 

                                                          “...decline...”

 

Last week when we were on holidays my wife Shelley’s dad, Peter Leslie, said that this word had jumped out at him during his Bible reading when he realized who said it!  Solomon said it, and eventually Solomon did just that – he bent away from, he veered away from, he “politely refused”!

 

The whole verse is this, “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.”

 

Though Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived there came a time in his life when he “declined” from... the Words of God!  He allowed his many foreign wives (especially foreign to the faith of the Bible) to lead him astray – they caused him to “decline”!  In fact he listened to them - and not even to what he was saying!  “Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.” (Proverbs 7.25)

 

When Solomon was being led astray by ungodly people and ungodly things he should have listened to the words of his own wise father, David, when he said, “Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not decline from thy testimonies. (Psalm 119.157)

 

May that also be our prayer –

Let me “not decline” from the Word of God!

 

Run with patience,

          Pastor