Read Proverbs 7
Warning Against the Adulterous Woman
7 My son, keep my words
and store up my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and you will live;
guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and to insight, “You are my relative.”
5 They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
from the wayward woman with her seductive words.
6 At the window of my house
I looked down through the lattice.
7 I saw among the simple,
I noticed among the young men,
a youth who had no sense.
8 He was going down the street near her corner,
walking along in the direction of her house
9 at twilight, as the day was fading,
as the dark of night set in.
10 Then out came a woman to meet him,
dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
11 (She is unruly and defiant,
her feet never stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the squares,
at every corner she lurks.)
13 She took hold of him and kissed him
and with a brazen face she said:
14 “Today I fulfilled my vows,
and I have food from my fellowship offering at home.
15 So I came out to meet you;
I looked for you and have found you!
16 I have covered my bed
with colored linens from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
let’s enjoy ourselves with love!
19 My husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey.
20 He took his purse filled with money
and will not be home till full moon.”
21 With persuasive words she led him astray;
she seduced him with her smooth talk.
22 All at once he followed her
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer stepping into a noose
23 till an arrow pierces his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
little knowing it will cost him his life.
24 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
pay attention to what I say.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways
or stray into her paths.
26 Many are the victims she has brought down;
her slain are a mighty throng.
27 Her house is a highway to the grave,
leading down to the chambers of death.
Go Deeper
What a picture Proverbs 7 is of the deceitfulness of sexual sin (and sin in general). Throughout this chapter we watch the simple man become ensnared by the adulterous woman in the same way a fly is caught in a spider web. If we are not careful and vigilant, this will be our story. There is much for us to learn from this text but there are two immediate warnings we should learn from this chapter: we should be careful about where we walk and we should never try to walk through temptation by ourselves.
As the simple man walked down the street, the young man was undoubtedly fantasizing about what his night would hold. He was so consumed by his lust that he didn’t realize that every step he took moved him closer to the destruction and pain that would come for him in the morning. It is so easy to become distracted by the false promises of sin. Think about the false ways sin promises to fulfill us:
- “This is where life is found.”
- “You will feel better if you just…”
- “No one will ever know.”
The reality is that sin will always lead to death, and it will rot you from the inside out if it goes unconfessed. The key to defending ourselves is in the first four verses of this proverb. We should memorize and live according to God’s Word. Ephesians 6 refers to God’s Word as the Sword of the Spirit, and we see Jesus defending against the Devil’s attacks with this sword in Matthew 4. We need to heed the warnings of these scriptures, or we will be defenseless when the time comes for us to decide which path we are going to take.
If there is somewhere in our lives that matches the description of “the street near her corner,” let us be weary of it. Do not wait another minute to loop in someone in your Life Group. Give them the tools to help you take another path. Make sure certain apps or websites are blocked on your phone, take a different route to the water cooler, or switch the time you go to the gym. There is no sacrifice that is too great if it will save you from something that “will cost (you your) life.
Questions
- What area in your life can be described as “the street near her corner?” How can you eliminate it from your path?
- Do you trust the scripture written on your heart right now to help you fight temptation as it comes?
- Is there anything in your life that is currently unconfessed that needs to be confessed to someone in your Life Group?
By the Way
Psalm 51 is a helpful look at the heart of a believer (David) who has made a similar mistake to the man in Proverbs 7. Let us learn from the mistakes of others and cling to God and his word when temptation comes.
