September 8th
1 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 call understanding your kinsman; 5 they will keep you from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words. 6 At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice. 7 I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment. 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 loud 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 “I have fellowship offerings at home; today I fulfilled my vows. 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 deep 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. Proverbs 7:6-27 NKJV
This proverb describes the seduction of a young man by an adulteress. There are several points in it that can be applied to other forms of sexual seduction (porn, homosexuality, fornication, etc.). The prelude to the story gives us timely advice about how to avoid becoming a victim of seduction. Solomon encourages his son to embrace his commands and teachings (which were the Lord’s). Specifically:
- Keep the commands
- Guard the teachings and place premium value on them
- Keep them close to you as a reminder
- Write them deep within your heart
- Align yourself with wisdom and understanding
When we have this kind of attitude toward God’s commands and teachings we’ll be best prepared to break the spell of the seductress or seducer when the temptations come. God’s truth will help us pierce the lies involved in the temptations.
The two characters in this story are the young man and the seductress. The young man lacked judgment and wisdom. The New King James translation describes him as “devoid of understanding” (7). The seductress is crafty, sly and cunning of heart (Amplified Bible, 10). She is loud and rebellious. She sets her snares at every corner and in the market places. She is dressed as a prostitute. The seductress catches the young man and kisses him, and then uses words to entice him. She tells him everything he wants to hear, like:
- She’s been looking for him diligently
- She’s prepared a desirable, safe and secret place for them to have sex
- She wants to have sex with him all night long
- No one will know – her husband is gone for several days
Her smooth talk finally persuades the man to go with her. He follows her home like an ox going to the slaughter. As a result, the young man is pierced with a “dart of passion” (Amplified Bible, 23). It inflames his lusts and he doesn’t realize that her snare will cost him his life. She has seduced many other mighty men in a similar fashion. Solomon concludes with the warning, “Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.”
Anything that leads us into sex sin can take the place of the seductress. For example, pornography is playing the seductress role for millions of people everyday. Consider how its seduction is so like the seductress’ methods in this proverb:
- It is dressed (or undressed!) to catch the eye and lure us in
- It usually includes some enticing words to hook us in
- It promises intimacy and excitement
- It whispers, “Nobody will know”
If we’re not careful, we can be going down the road to destruction in a nanosecond. Many have been destroyed in this way, but there is hope for escaping this snare of death. God beckons to those who desire to escape the clutches of seduction. He offers real power to make real changes in our lives. If you’re interested in that, please visit our online study Freedom Journey.
Questions for further thought:
What are the forms of seduction that you have been vulnerable to?
What are some ways you can embrace God’s commands and teachings? (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 119:9-11)
How did the young man’s proximity to temptation contribute to his downfall?
When we succumb to seduction, whose will are we yielding to? Whose will are we rejecting?
Prayer:
“Lord God, thank you for your timely wisdom and for your word which will help me avoid and overcome temptations. Please show me the ways I can improve my grip on your word. Holy Spirit, I yield to your convictions. Please guard my ways and lead me away from those people or things that would try to seduce me to sin. I praise you, Father, now and forever, Amen.”