1-2 My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger - if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. 3 Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. 4 Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do. 5 Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net. (New Living Translation)

It seems that contracts in those days were sometimes made simply by saying you would honour it, or by a small action such as a handshake. The problem is that it's easy to say something on the spur of the moment and then later regret it. So someone may have said to a friend – or even to a stranger – that they would back a business venture, only to realise later that it was a hasty and foolish thing to do. The father tells his child that the best course of action is to try and get out of that predicament. He compares it to being like a deer or a bird desperately trying to avoid being caught in a trap. (vs 5) What's the first thing that's involved in such action. (vs 3)

They will have to humble themselves if they are going to ask to be released from the debt they have placed themselves in. And what other advice does the father give in verse 4?

He tells his child to treat the matter with the greatest urgency. When our words have placed us in the debt of others, we need to try and make matters right as soon as we can. And while the father here was thinking of financial debts – what he said is also true of all hasty words we've spoken which have placed us in need of the forgiveness of others. Listen to how Jesus put this in Matthew 5:21-24.

“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder and if you commit murder, you are subject to judgement.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone - you are subject to judgement! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell! So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”

So any angry, unkind and insulting words we speak will put us in debt not only to those we have offended, but to God Himself. We shouldn't think its ok to go to Church if there are people hurting because of things we said and the way we said them. And, as the father in Proverbs said, this will involve humbling yourself. We will need to swallow our pride and go and apologise. And Jesus also said this was something that needs to be done urgently. Listen to His words in Matthew 5:25-26.

“When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.”

There are times and situations in life when we need to act as fast as we can. Humbling ourselves and seeking forgiveness is one of those times. When we put this off we run the risk of such an action becoming harder to do as time goes by, of the hurt experienced by those we offended deepening, and even of them or us dying before forgiveness was sought and given! This seeking to have debts forgiven is especially true of humbling ourselves to tell God that we are sorry for hasty and ugly things we've said and done in our lives. When it comes to repenting of sin and the debt we are in towards God the words of vs 5 apply to all: “Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.” We need to turn to Jesus Christ and put our trust in Him – and so receive God's forgiveness.