Proverbs 22:5
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Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.
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A froward person is contrary to what is demanded or reasonable; perverse, difficult to deal with, hard to please; refractory, ungovernable; bad, evilly-disposed, 'naughty'. These stubborn people are going to do things their own way regardless of what is right or what they are taught. We can confirm this definition elsewhere in the Bible (2:15; 4:24; 6:12,14; 8:8; 10:32; 16:28; 17:20; Psalm 101:4; I Pet 2:18).
Self-will is a horrible sin (II Pet 2:10-12). See the comments on 14:9 and 28:14.
Youth are often froward. Not willing to listen to the instruction of parents and elders, they run into sin and find themselves in the thorns and snares of its consequences. They are sure they can avoid the thorns and miss the snares; so they rush ahead frowardly. Our Preacher warned against this folly and vanity of youth (22:15; Eccl 11:9-10; Ps 25:7).
Thorns are painful difficulties in life. Instead of a plain and easy way, a hedge of thorns makes the way full of troubles and problems (15:19). The way of transgressors is hard (13:15); they will not have an easy and pleasant life. Thorns were part of God's first curse upon man for his sin in Eden (Gen 3:17-19). And they are still His curse (Is 5:1-7).
God hates the froward (3:32; 11:20), so He is froward to them (Ps 18:26; Lev 26:23-28). Rather than blessing them, He curses and judges them (Jer 23:12). Instead of prospering the work of their hands, He hinders it with blasting (Amos 4:9; Hag 2:17). No matter how the froward turn, they are pricked, torn, hurt, and shredded by thorns from God.
The negligent father is pained by rebellious children (29:15; I Kgs 1:6). An impulsive marriage brings fifty years of trouble and grief (30:21-23). See the comments on 21:9. Obnoxious habits not corrected cause all friends to disappear. See the comments on 18:24. Foolish spending brings a chronic shortage of money (21:17).
Snares are traps that catch and hold men for punishment. Instead of being free from fear and evil, the froward are trapped and caught by their sins (29:6,8; Job 18:8; 22:10; Ps 11:6). The LORD will not let them get away with rejecting His wisdom and counsel (Josh 23:13; Eccl 9:12). See the comments on 13:14.
Sin gets men into problems from which they cannot escape. Men are trapped by their folly, and it keeps punishing them without respite or relief (18:7; Eccl 10:13; I Tim 6:9).
The adulterer is caught between the adulteress and her husband (7:22-23; 6:26-35; 5:20-23). The impulsive co-signor finds himself trapped with serious liabilities (22:26-27). The unbridled talker finds himself shamed by the correction of his neighbor (25:8-10).
The man who keeps his heart and soul will be far from thorns and snares (16:17). This lifesaving goal is to be sought with all diligence (4:23)! Such a man humbly hears the words of wisdom and instruction, and he does them. He does not resist, rebel, or try to protect his own opinions. He is careful to apply God's word to his whole life.
How do we keep our heart and soul with all diligence, to avoid the thorns and snares of life? We fear the Lord, and not man (13:14; 29:25). We avoid foolish men (22:25; Deut 7:16; Judges 2:1-5). We let nothing interfere with hearing God's word. We obey all the truth we hear. We pray for wisdom to understand and grace to obey. We beg to be saved from our hearts (Ps 139:23-24); we make straight paths for our feet (Heb 12:12-13). We seek to be conformed to His perfect will more than anything else in life (Rom 12:1-2).
The fear of the Lord and the way of righteousness is a fountain of life, to save us from the snares of death (14:27)! His yoke is easy and His burden light, why will you reject the good and easy path for one with painful thorns and dreadful snares (Matt 11:28-30)?
Dear reader, let us beg the Lord for thorns to keep us from sin! Let us ask for snares to catch our feet and keep us in the way of righteousness! Let us pray to avoid temptation, and if we fall before it, to envy the swine and come to ourselves quickly (Luke 15:14-20). Such thorns and snares that turn us to our Father are gracious pricks of pure mercy!
Our Lord Jesus kept His soul in faithful obedience to His Father. And the thorns He wore as a crown and the snare that held Him for three days was by His free choice for all our sins! And by those thorns and that grave we are delivered from the snare of hell! Glory!
Why do bad things keep happening to some people? Why do they keep getting into painful situations with no escape? They have not kept their heart and soul. They have been froward, unwilling to take correction and instruction, and they are being punished.
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