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

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.

A Spiritual Assassin

As far as I know, I have only seen assassins on TV and in movies. In general, they do not value human life; they have no conscience. (Hold that thought.)

One of the most prominent themes in the first nine chapters of the Book of Proverbs is the father’s admonition for his son to obtain wisdom. One of the primary purposes of wisdom is to keep the son from the strange or foreign woman. She is strange or foreign because she is not the woman he married, or more to the point, she does not belong in his bed. She is an adulteress.

Near the end of the book of Proverbs a simple but riveting statement is made about the adulterous woman:

     This is the way of an adulterous woman: 
     She eats and wipes her mouth, 
     And says, "I have done no wrong."
     --Proverbs 30:20

Men, the adulterous woman is not a myth. She is not an ancient peril limited to the day of Solomon. She is not inconsequential. She is alive and well today and will destroy you.

Our society is becoming less and less sensitive toward sexual sin. Immoral sexual relationships are paraded in the media as normal. The conscience of our nation has been deadened so that there is no real understanding of sexual sin.

The greatest danger of the adulterous woman is the absence of a conscience. Her ability to discern right and wrong does not exist. As a result she behaves more like an animal, doing whatever it is that she instinctively desires.

She will play the role of ‘true love’ only to destroy a man afterward. What a man thinks he is doing in secret, she will expose openly if it suits her. She may or may not benefit; she does not care.

She does not care for any man; she does not care for herself. She has reduced herself to animal behavior, perhaps even, an animal mind.

She commits sin.
She goes to dinner.
She wipes her mouth as if nothing has happened.
Sex without love,
         without affection,
            without feeling,
               without conscience;
       she calmly and coldly says, “I have done nothing wrong.”

Men, open your eyes to this spiritual assassin!
She does not love; she destroys.
She destroys lives!
She destroys souls!
Avoid her at all costs.

“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!

Illusion and Reality

The Proverbs are specifically relevant to young adult men. That does not mean that others cannot benefit from the Proverbs, but simply that Solomon had a target audience, namely, his son. For that reason many of the early chapters were devoted to sexual purity in young men. Solomon warned his son against the adulteress. His son could remain sexually pure only if he was faithful to his wife. Any woman who was not his wife was forbidden.

Illusion:

The father warned his son of the illusion presented by the adulteress:

   For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, 

   And smoother than oil is her speech.

   --Proverbs 5:3

'Honey' was something very desirable in Solomon’s day. Consider the following biblical references to honey:

• The Promised Land flowed with milk and honey; "the glory of all lands" (Exodus 3:8, 17; 13:5; Ezekiel 20:15);
• Honey brightened the eyes of Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:25);
• Honey was presented alongside gold as something desirable (Psalm 19:10);
• Honey satisfied (Psalm 81:16);
• Solomon recommended honey (Prov. 24:13);
• The bride’s lips dripped with honey; milk and honey under her tongue (Song of Solomon 4:11);
• Honey was included as a part of the pleasure of lovers (Song of Solomon 5:1).

Sweet honey describes the 'lips' of the adulteress. She is able to lure the unsuspecting young man with tremendous power. In addition, her 'speech' is smoother than oil, a reference to pleasant words and flattery that also lure. By every external appearance, the forbidden woman is very desirable.

Reality:

   But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, 

   Sharp as a two-edged sword.

   --Proverbs 5:4

'Wormwood' is bitter. In Scripture it is often found in the same text with poisonous water. Wormwood makes a person sick. In the book of Revelation men die from water made bitter from wormwood (8:11). Wormwood stands as a sharp contrast to sweet honey. The adulteress presents the illusion of sweet honey, but in reality she offers bitter wormwood.

A 'sword' is for battle. Swords pierce, cut, kill, destroy. A two-edged sword cuts both ways, possessing even greater destructive power. The speech of the adulteress has the illusion of smooth oil, but in reality is a sharp destructive two-edged sword.

A true man of God walks by faith, not by sight. He will recognize the illusion for what it is. He will listen to the warning, understanding by wisdom that reality exists behind the illusion. He will resist chasing the illusion.

Men...the illusions are strong! Yet, by faith in God's wisdom and the help of the Holy Spirit you can tear the illusions from your eyes and see past to the ugly reality of her lies. She will destroy you!

Be wise to illusion and reality!

The Stupid Woman

Hold on ladies!
Don’t get the wrong idea. This is not about women in general, just a certain kind of woman. Most likely, if you are reading this, you are not that kind of woman.

A father warns his son to avoid the ‘stupid’ woman. Who is she?
One verse says it all.

   The woman of folly is boisterous, 
   She is naïve, and knows nothing.
   --Proverbs 9:13

The term ‘folly’ in this verse literally means, stupid. Whatever she may seem to be she is, in reality, a woman of stupidity. Now, what fellow wants to pursue a relationship with a stupid woman!?

The ‘stupid’ woman is boisterous. She is described in detail in Proverbs 7 as someone who is rebellious. She is restless and does not stay at home. Instead, she lurks about in the streets looking for her next victim. Her husband is away. So she lures another man with seductive and deceptive words. She lures him to her house, to her bed that she has already prepared. A trap!

The “stupid” woman is naïve. The Hebrew term for naïve literally means “open-minded,” yet in a bad sense. The naïve person is gullible and lacks sense. You might enjoy this person at a party (as the butt of a joke), but you would never trust her as a companion.

The “stupid” woman knows nothing. She is thoughtless, breaking her commitment to God (2:7). She meanders through life without thinking, without planning, without discernment (5:6). She lives for the moment. After all, you only live once!

The last few verses in Proverbs 9 tell the end of her story, an end that she herself does not know! . . . she is a ‘stupid’ woman. 

Her end and the end of all who embrace her?
Death!

Are they not all stupid who do not follow the Lord!?

What Are You Chasing?

“The proverbs,” those wise, clever, pithy (and often unrelated) sayings really begin in chapter ten with an announcement:

          The proverbs of Solomon.

          A wise son makes a father glad,

          But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

                                                                  --Proverbs 10:1

I won’t press the matter, but it is probably correct to think of the first nine chapters as a lengthy introduction. It is as if Solomon was careful to prepare the mind of his son so that he could listen to wisdom. How did he prepare him?

If I had to reduce the first nine chapters into  one statement...

Chase after the knowledge and discernment of the Lord; do not chase after women.

In chapters eight and nine wisdom is personified as a woman who is desirable, offering wisdom, discretion, and life. In stark contrast is the ‘strange’ woman (adulteress) who is ultimately portrayed as naive. She doesn’t even realize that she seduces men to their deaths.

How many young men have fallen prey to the lure of a girlfriend, the power of pornography, the seduction of another man’s wife? For a moment of pleasure a life is changed!

Changed forever!!!

How many young men have set their eyes on a good and lofty goal in life; high thoughts of service, generosity, and devotion to God, perhaps even entering into the ministry? But things changed. It was not the demands of career or changed interests; rather it was the momentary distraction of the sexual lure of a woman.

Foolish!

Even if he is careful/clever enough to escape public notice, the guilt in the heart changes him. The lofty goals smashed. Changed forever!

It is not that God’s forgiveness cannot heal. But the power of sin and its psychological entanglement are great and all too often defeating.

Watch his parents...

Filled with high hopes his father’s heart is deeply saddened; his mother weeps.

There are many ways to act foolishly, but sexual sin is among the most devastating.

Young men! Sexual purity is of greatest importance. Purity of he spirit is the pursuit of God's wisdom and knowledge and discernment. You will NEVER regret the sin you did not commit!

The 'first' proverb...

          A wise son makes a father glad,

          But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

Chase wisely.