“My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path,”
Verse 15 strikingly echos verse 10. They both start with addressing the son. Then the father teacher warns the son to stay away from such evil people, despite how enticing their offers may be. In verse 15 the warning goes even further. There is an additional tone of seriousness.
Here, the teacher says do not even let your feet be on the same path as them, let alone to walk with them. The teachers advice is in direct contrast to the enticing call in verse 11, “come with us” they say. The teacher responds “do not walk with them, do not even let your feet walk on the same path they have.” The teacher’s instruction is therefore preventative. He does not merely tell the son to stop once he has begun participating in sin. He instructs him not to begin walking down that path in the first place.
The reader and the son have reached a crossroad in verse 15. They can follow the path of the sinner or follow the path of the teacher. The path of the teacher is in direct opposition to that of the sinner. It goes a different way. While the path of sin often looks enticing at the outset, hardly dangerous, it is difficult to leave the company of sin once the journey has begun.
And so, both the reader and son must now make a decision. The father has provided his instruction, and the sinners have made their enticing offers. The son cannot follow both paths simultaneously. Which path will they choose?
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