Proverbs 6:3-5
Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself; Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor. Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids; Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Proverbs 6:3 (ESV)
3 then do this, my son, and save yourself,
for you have come into the hand of your neighbor:
go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor.
The "surety" issue is laid out by Solomon in this passage. It is important to note that Solomon does not say "all" surety is wrong. He seems to be speaking about a suretyship that is done when we don't know the individual we are stepping in for. Paul was willing to give a verbal pledge for Onesimus to his slave owner, Philemon. If, however, we do sign a pledge for someone and we later believe the pledge to be a danger, we are to seek freedom with much urgency. Solomon stresses the importance of not signing to care for someone elses debt who cannot pay. We are to seek a release immediately so as to not harm our own family standing for someone we can't trust. If you have signed up to take care of someone elses debt, seek to find delivery.
We are to go with humility. Admitting you did something wrong does not always get you out of your situation. But, the humility is in God’s eyes. God gives grace to the humble, but resists the proud.
We are to with urgency. We are not to delay our pleading with them to be released. This is not something to delay about. Once we see the danger we are to avoid the disaster.
God recognizes we will make a mistake. This proverb states the obvious, if you have done wrong, admit it and seek to resolve it. That is the wisdom taught by Solomon here. If we had wisdom we probably would not fall into this trap. But, now that we have wisdom and see the danger we are to use it to solve the problem.
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