20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? 21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. 22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. 23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

INTRODUCTION: A cord is a thick string or a strong rope. As a picture, a cord is any force acting as a tie or bond connecting you to something else. Our life is tied up with thousands of thin cords. Some of them tie us to the world and its pleasures; some of them tie us to God and His service. The Bible mentions a number of these cords. Please consider your own life in relationship to these cords.

1. THE CORDS OF OUR SINS
1. These are the cords initiated by the sins in our lives. (Proverbs 5:22His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
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2. Each sin we commit limits our power with God and our effectiveness in service and becomes a hindrance in our communion with God. (Isaiah 59:1-2 [1] Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: [2] But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
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3. These sins must be confessed and deserted so that we can cut the cords that hinder us (1 John 1:9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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4. The tongue is an example of how little things can cause big problems (James 3:5-10 [5] Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! [6] And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. [7] For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: [8] But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. [9] Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. [10] Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
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2. THE CORDS OF VANITY
1. The cords of vanity are the empty things of this world that come to mean a lot to us. (Isaiah 5:18Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
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2. They may seem harmless, but they often draw iniquity behind them (Isaiah 5:22Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
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3. Solomon’s love for comfort, pleasure and compromise led him to later sins (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 [1] I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. [2] I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? [3] I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. [4] I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: [5] I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: [6] I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: [7] I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: [8] I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. [9] So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. [10] And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. [11] Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
   See All...; 1 Kings 10:26-29 [26] And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem. [27] And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance. [28] And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. [29] And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.
   See All...; 1 Kings 11:1-8 [1] But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: [2] Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. [3] And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. [4] For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. [5] For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. [6] And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. [7] Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. [8] And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
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3. THE CORDS OF THE WICKED
1. These cords are external cords of wicked men who oppose the righteous and seek to hinder the work of God (Psalm 129:1-4 [1] Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say: [2] Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me. [3] The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows. [4] The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.
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2. If you live godly in Christ Jesus, you will suffer persecution (Luke 6:22-23 [22] Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. [23] Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
   See All...; 2 Timothy 3:12Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
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3. We must look to the Lord for help when facing opposition and remember that the word of God is not bound (2 Timothy 2:9Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
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4. THE CORDS OF AFFLICTION
1. These cords deal with the trials and afflictions of this life that hinder us and hold us down (Job 36:7-11 [7] He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted. [8] And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction; [9] Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded. [10] He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. [11] If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
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2. We must understand that God sometimes allows these afflictions for His special purpose; as in the case of Joseph (Psalm 105:17-21 [17] He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: [18] Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: [19] Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. [20] The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. [21] He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:
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3. God can even use the afflictions themselves as a way of bring glory to Himself; as in the case of Paul (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 [7] And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. [8] For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. [9] And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
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5. THE CORDS OF RESTRAINT
1. This refers to limits and boundaries that the Lord puts on the wicked so that they can go no further than He allows (Psalm 2:1-4 [1] Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? [2] The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, [3] Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. [4] He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.
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2. This is illustrated in the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-8 [1] And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. [2] And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. [3] And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. [4] And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. [5] And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. [6] And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. [7] Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. [8] So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
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3. This truth should give the Christian peace and confidence. He will face no temptation greater than God is ready to give him the strength to conquer (1 Corinthians 10:13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
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6. THE CORDS OF LOVE
1. These are the cords of love by which God draws us to Himself (Hosea 11:1-4 [1] When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. [2] As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images. [3] I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them. [4] I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
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2. We are to constrained to give our lives to God because of the love shown in the ultimate sacrifice of His Son (2 Corinthians 5:14-15 [14] For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: [15] And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
   See All...). NOTE: The word constrain means to tie down or to pull forward as with string or cords.
7. THE CORDS OF SACRIFICE
1. The Old Testament brazen altar had projections or horns at each of its four corners. These horns could be used to tie the sacrifice to the altar while it was being sacrificed. (Exodus 27:1-2 [1] And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits. [2] And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.
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2. The picture of this passage (Psalm 118:27God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
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3. This is illustrated by the testimony of Jesus when He determined to do, not His own will, but the will of the Father (Mark 14:36And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
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4. Paul was also ready to lay His life down in sacrifice for the Lord (Acts 20:22-24 [22] And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: [23] Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. [24] But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
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CONCLUSION: Zechariah 4:10For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
See All... speaks of the danger of despising the "small things." Song of Solomon 2:15Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
See All... tells us that it is the "little foxes" that spoil the vine. Continually, we are making new ties and breaking old ones. Christ is drawing us with cords of life; the world with sin and vanity. You must decide which ties to make and which to break. What would the Lord have you to do?