Descent into Death

Solomon is quite vivid as he warns his son about the adulterous woman in Proverbs 7. 

He also refers to her as a 'foreign' woman and as a 'strange' woman. She is called a foreign woman, not because she is from a different country, but because she does not belong in the life of the young man. We use similar terminology to describe a substance that does not belong. Poison in a drink is a foreign substance; an infection is caused by a foreign matter.

The adulterous woman is already married. So to the young man, she is foreign; she does not belong with him. If the young man is to keep himself pure before God, the foreign woman must be avoided.

She is called a 'strange' woman in Proverbs 2:16. The same Hebrew word described the 'non-Levite' or layman (non-priest) in Leviticus 22:10, 12, 13). The layman is not odd, but strange with respect to the duties and privileges of the priests. God assigned the priesthood to the Levites. So, all others were strangers and forbidden.

The adulterous woman is a stranger with respect to the young man. She does not belong in his life. He is forbidden from having her.

Proverbs chapter seven paints a terrible picture of the young man who is captivated by the beauty and flattery of the married woman. We would prefer not to read the final verse. We want the young man to come to his senses like the Prodigal Son in Jesus’ parable (Luke 15). We want wisdom to triumph in the life of the young fool who has gone one step too far. We want to see insight; we expect redemption.

Reality is cruel and sobering!

That is not to say that there is no hope. Rather, Solomon takes our minds to the natural end of the foolish man who has no discretion. He wants us to see the terrible conclusion of someone who turns from God and scoffs at His wisdom. He wants us to come to terms with the reality of foolish sexual desires. The final verse:

Her house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death.
--Proverbs 7:27

Have you ever seen a woman who is physically attractive, yet something about her is distasteful? She really is beautiful, but something about her makes her seem ugly to you. For me it is the beautiful young lady dressed in inviting clothing...with a beer in one hand and the other hand holding a cigarette to her lips. Ugly! Perhaps for you it is excessive makeup; a certain kind of clothing; the way she carries herself when she walks; an odor that repulses you; use of profanity.

Any time an adulterous woman enters into your life superimpose your 'ugly' image onto her. She is foreign to you, strange; she is forbidden.

Whether she appears on the Internet, or catches your eye while on a business trip, alone at the park, on vacation, at the store, or at your work place, mark her with your repulsive image. The image YOU conceive in your mind is a more accurate picture of her than the seduction and flattery that you see on the outside.

Don't deceive yourself saying, “I can resist temptation.” "It's OK, no one will know." "I'm not developing a relationship, I'm only looking." You are only teasing yourself, drawing yourself into your own deception. Envision the strange woman as she really is.

Do not start down the path to death.

Don't be a fool.

Mark Stinnett

Can You Resist the Little Words?

   For the man is not at home,
   He has gone on a long journey.
   --Proverbs 7:19

Removed from its context, this verse seems rather unimpressive. However, it was a statement made by a married woman who intended to seduce a young man.

Solomon had described the adulteress and the many preparations she had made for an unsuspecting young man with whom she could find pleasure. The statement above was her way of luring him in.

Let’s take a close look at her statement and learn something about manipulative behavior.

‘For’ - The word ‘for’ introduces an explanation. In other words, the woman is attempting to explain why it is safe for the young man to accompany her. It is called rationalization, that is, an explanation given to make things seem rational or sensible.

Her rationale (thinking) could be summed up: “No one will know.” However, her rationalization is merely a clever way of hiding the reality that her actions are sinful. (If her actions were not sinful, then why would she need to make them seem rational?)

‘The man’ - The woman refers to ‘the man.’ In the ancient Hebrew language there was not a specific word for 'husband,' so a husband was referred to as a woman’s man or her man. So, the woman in this text would have normally referred to her husband as ‘my man.’ However, by saying ‘the man’ she softened the reality that 'the man' was actually her husband. In our day it might sound like: ‘the man of the house’ instead of ‘my husband.’ (And her wedding picture is placed face-down on the dresser.) The impersonal nature of ‘the man’ detaches the woman and her young man from reality: She IS married.

Rationalization through word play is a key ingredient to manipulation.

When you are faced with a morally questionable situation, if a friend or acquaintance or boss or coworker begins to explain why you should go along with the questionable idea, listen carefully to the explanation. Is it clear and simple honesty? Or do you hear words that soften reality, blur lines of clarity, excuse right behavior, and/or rationalize wrong behavior?

Recognize that whether it is sexual sin (as in Proverbs 7, above) or any other kind of sin, there are many people who will rationalize and manipulate you into doing what is wrong. 

‘The man’ may not be at home, but wrong is still wrong; sin is still sin.

Avoid being manipulated.
Listen for the little words.
Be wise.

Flatter . . . Splatter!

Flattery gets you everywhere!

We have been taught to believe it, and it is basically true. Flattery offers loads of benefits. However, in back of flattery, you will often find lies.

Solomon warned his son about the immoral woman. She was a flatterer and she was bold.

   So she seizes him and kisses him, 
      And with a brazen face she says to him:
   “I was due to offer peace offerings; 
      Today I have paid my vows.
   Therefore I have come out to meet you, 
      To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you.”
   --Proverbs 7:13-15

The ‘brazen face’ is a serious face, seemingly truthful. It is with this brazen face that she sells her empty flattery.

The peace offering was an animal sacrifice that was divided between God, the priest, and the worshipper. The portion received by the worshipper was to be eaten on the day that the offering was made. So, the woman declared that ‘on that day’ she had paid (fulfilled) her vow of an offering that had to eaten that same day.

I have come out to meet you.
(YOU are the object of my desire.)

To seek your presence earnestly.
(I have made a strong effort to find you.)

I have found you.
(My quest is over, my dream fulfilled...in you.)

The young man was seduced by her flattery. Yet, the only reason her flattery worked was because of his inflated ego, inexperience in life, and his own desires. Through flattery she offered him what he wanted.
But could she deliver on her promises?

It was true, she had sacrificed that day, but it was a setup. Her sacrifice provided her the opportunity to satisfy her selfish desire. She wasn’t looking specifically for ‘him.’ She was looking for any two-legged ‘him.’ She was looking for the first ‘him’ that she could draw into her clutches. She would be satisfied with the first naïve fool who passed by.

Her flattery painted a picture of lies, making it seem as if ‘he’ was the very one she desired.

She flattered . . . and he fell greatly, splattering himself spiritually into ‘the chambers of death.’ (v. 27)

Still today, men (especially young men and men in mid-life crisis) are drawn in by the illusion created by flattery. Yet, through humility and knowledge of God's word, a young man can avoid the sexually immoral woman, and therefore avoid spiritual death. Verse 26 reveals the outcome...

   For many are the victims she has cast down,
   And numerous are all her slain.

Men, beware; be wise; be pure.

“It’ll Be Alright...”

Solomon told a story that unfolded before him as he watched from the window of his house. He described a young man who was naïve and who lacked sense. (Read the entire chapter of Proverbs 7 for a complete picture.)

Of course, Solomon did not know the young man’s character by merely looking at him. He watched. He observed. The actions of the young man told his own story so that when Solomon wrote, he described the young fool accurately:

   And I saw among the naïve, 
   I discerned among the youths, 
   A young man lacking sense.
   --Proverbs 7:7

What was it about the young man that identified him?

Solomon was writing to his own son to warn him to stay away from the adulteress. She seduces with flattery, food, fun, and frivolity.

It is clear that the young man did not turn down the street of the adulteress to go directly to her house; she had to woo him, seduce him... and she did just that.

'Adulteress' is more of a technical term; seductress is more descriptive.

The story climaxes in verse 22: “Suddenly he followers her...” and he was destroyed.

How did he end up in such catastrophic circumstances so that his strength of will was ‘suddenly’ broken and he gave in to the adulteress?

You can imagine his cries ‘after’ the fact, after he had been seduced and his life ruined:
   "I never intended to..."
   "I didn’t know..."
   "She..."

However, Solomon warned his son, “Do not stray into her paths.” (v. 25) The simple truth is that he should have known; he did not have to stray.

We understand that...

• No one strays into financial success;
• No one strays into a successful career;
• No one strays into physical fitness.

Success and excellence require thinking, intention, watchfulness, and planning. We should not think that spiritual maturity is any different.

The young man that Solomon observed was described as naïve and lacking sense because he was spiritually thoughtless.

When we hear our kids (or kids, when you hear yourself) shrug off parental warnings with:
   "I don’t see anything wrong with it."
   "Oh mom, you worry too much."
   "You just don’t understand."
   "Oh dad, it'll be alright."

When we hear these kinds of unthinking responses in the context of questionable entertainment choices, questionable friends, or questionable activities, we should recognize spiritual immaturity. Yet, we must see it for what it really is: Moral thoughtlessness (i.e. naïve and lacking sense).

Along life's journey a person often encounters a 'Y' in the road. It is a time to pause...and think..."What will be the likely outcome?" Some paths are to be avoided.

As for the young man that Solomon observed, nothing really happened suddenly, except perhaps, that he came to his senses! But it was far too late for thinking at that point. The young man lacked sense when he first turned the corner without giving it even one moment’s thought . . . and he was not alright!

The Apple of Your Eye

Think about your eyes.
Think about the importance of your eyes.

What will you do to protect your eyes?

The wind kicks up a little dust; you turn your head. Out of your peripheral vision you see something moving toward your eyes; you react. People are sometimes comical when a gnat zeroes in on one of their eyeballs. They swat, clap, dip, dodge, and sway to avoid the tiny insect...that no one else sees.

Eyes are important. We cherish our eyes. We protect our eyes.

The “apple of your eye” is an old phrase that is generally used for something or someone that is deeply cherished. But don’t think about sweet apples that the eye sees and desires. Rather, the 'apple' of the eye is the 'pupil.'

The English phrase, "the apple of the eye" come from a Hebrew phrase that is literally: "the little man of the eye." Language scholars accept this to be the pupil of the eye where a person might see their own reflection in another person's eye, therefore, the 'little man.' So, the phrase is not about something precious that the eye sees, but something of greatest importance, the pupil, or the eye itself!

Not only do we blink, swat, and dodge physical things that endanger our eyes, we protect our eyes from intense light that might cause blindness. The ‘apple of your eye’ is something that we all cherish, but also something that we will do almost anything to protect.

  Solomon wrote:
    Keep my commandments and live, 
    And my teaching as the apple of your eye.
                                                   --Proverbs 7:2

God’s word is to be cherished and protected. The idea is not that God’s word is so delicate that it needs protection. Rather, God’s word is of such great importance that we should do anything to make sure we hold to it and follow it.

Can you think of anything in life that is so important that you would give your eyes?

Is God’s instruction as important to you as the ‘apple of your eye’?