An envelope, or bookend, structure puts similar words or ideas at the beginning and end of a passage and enfolds the rest of the passage within them. In verse 10 Solomon says, My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing. In verse 15 he repeats the words “my son” and gives really the same exhortation in different words. He enfolds within these exhortations the enticing words the sinners use.
There are several different temptations here. One is the attraction of having “friends” or at least companions: “Come with us… Cause your lot to fall with us.” They will be glad to have him with them. They are welcoming to someone who may be lonely and unsure of himself.
But his joining them must be on their terms. That’s the second temptation. They have plans, and he will be welcome if he is willing to join them in carrying them out.
The third temptation is the enjoyment of shedding blood and oppressing the innocent.
Let us lie in wait for blood.
Let us hide for the innocent without cause.
Let us swallow them, living, like sheol,
And whole as those who go down to the pit.
“Stolen water is sweet (Prov 9:17).” Sin is a pleasure to our corrupt hearts, and the oppression of the weak can be more than selfish pursuit of personal advantage; it can also be a source of delight and satisfaction. To cause terror and fear in those who cannot defend themselves can make us feel superior and powerful. There is something of the bully in all of us.
The fourth temptation is the temptation to get rich:
All precious substance we will find,
We will fill our houses with plunder.
The Scriptures speak in many places, both in Old and New Testaments, of the danger of greed and the desire for wealth. Solomon himself continues to warn against it throughout the book of Proverbs.
He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches,
And he who gives to the rich,
Will surely come to poverty (22:16).
A man with an evil eye hastens after riches,
And does not consider that poverty will come upon him (28:22).
Therefore, Solomon’s exhortation to his son is urgent: My son, if sinners entice you, you shall not be willing. And again, My son, do not walk in the way with them. Withhold your foot from their tracks. A godly way of life requires self-denial. We need to be ready to suffer loss of life, health, riches, friends and many other things for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. That’s why he exhorts us to count the cost of following him.
What price are you willing to pay? Which seems better to you, to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season or to suffer affliction with the people of God?
Make your choice, but in making it be aware of the long-term consequences. These Solomon traces out for his son at the end of the passage.