“My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent” (v. 10). Here, the father’s voice sharpens (see v. 8a). The loving tone remains, but urgency rises. There is danger in the world—not merely violence, but persuasion to partake in it. Sin does not always shout; it often whispers. It seduces. It says, “Come with us” (v. 11a). It pretends to be a friend, a thrill, a shortcut to wealth or belonging. Solomon pulls back the curtain and exposes the offer for what it is: a conspiracy of destruction. “Let us lie in wait to shed blood,” they say (v. 11b)—not always with knives, but with slander, exploitation (like abortion or societal oppression), betrayal, or mockery. Sin never travels alone; it always seeks company. “Misery loves company,” the modern proverb says. So does sin. Thus, the wise father warns, “Do not walk in the way with them; keep your foot from their path” (v. 15; cf. Psalm 1:1-2).
The path of sinners is not paved in freedom but soaked in blood. What begins as shared mischief becomes a shared grave. “But they lie in wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives” (v. 18). Although they imagine themselves as hunters, they are the prey. This is the tragic irony of sin: it promises life, but it delivers death (cf. Romans 6:23). It masquerades as strength, but it ensnares the soul. Whether it’s the thrill of rebellion, the rush of riches, or the power of control (i.e., the promise of autonomy), all sin leads to the same place: a net spread in vain “in the sight of any bird” (v. 17). Yet we fly into it all the same. The wisdom of God says: Turn around before it’s too late.
The world often calls the Church’s warnings outdated, restrictive, or judgemental. But here, the Word speaks in concern. The father doesn’t say, “Don’t have fun,” but “Don’t die.” He knows what the sinner cannot see: that “so are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners” (v. 19). We are not meant to manipulate one another but to bear one another’s burdens. We are not meant to steal life but to receive it as a gift from the Lord and Giver of life, the Holy Spirit. The Gospel offers what sin cannot: life, and that more abundantly (John 10:10). But that life comes through Christ, who gave His blood to redeem us from shedding others’.
Therefore, dear saints, do not consent to the enticing whispers of shedding innocent blood and promises of wealth. When temptation speaks, silence it with the Word, just as Christ did in the wilderness. When sinners lure you in, remember where that path leads—to death. Look instead to Jesus, who walked the road of suffering to rescue you from the road of destruction. His footsteps mark the narrow path. His cross stands as a warning and a welcome. And His blood, unlike the blood in this passage, was not shed in greed but in love (John 3:16)—to wash you clean, crown you with wisdom, and guard your feet from every snare. As the Father spoke of Him, “Listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5).
The Lutheran Column 