When it comes to the moment of enticement, when reason and passion compete, it is tragic that passion is often the victor. The author-Solomon-himself is a sobering example: even though he wrote all these proverbs on wisdom and sexual purity, ″King Solomon . . . loved many foreign women″ (1 Kings 11:1).

As I write this devotion, there are numerous reports of adultery circulating in the Australian media. One is about a senior political leader who has been sexually involved with a woman to whom he is not married. Interestingly, the reports refer to this as an ″affair″ and ″sexual relations″, but none have called it for what it is-adultery. Adultery represents the breaking of a vow between a husband and wife to commit themselves to each other unconditionally and exclusively.

The father continues urging his son to keep pursuing wisdom by showing why God desires it and what it produces. In Proverbs 3:21, he adds to the emphasis by pleading with his son not to let these twin aspects of wisdom out of his sight: sound judgment or common sense, and discretion or discernment.

Whenever God gives a command, He accompanies the command with a reason to obey. He never says ″what″ without saying ″why″.