Proverbs 7:7-23
7 I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, 8 passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house 9 in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. 10 And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. 11 She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; 12 now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait. 13 She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, 14 "I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; 15 so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. 16 I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. 19 For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; 20 he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home." 21 With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. 22 All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast 23 till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.
In this passage the writer paints a picture of the process of adultery. Sometimes when we sin we claim to be surprised at how it "just happened" so unexpectedly. But the truth is that there is usually a period of planning and cultivating the relationship before the actual fall. Events are set up to enable time for the relationship (verses 14-20), and there is much flirting and "seductive speech" (verse 21). We may have never consciously planned to go far in the relationship, but subconsciously we are grooming the relationship and stroking our egos with the excitement of the romance. Then, "all at once" (verse 22) we fall, like "an ox goes to the slaughter" (verse 22), and we realize the enormity of what we have done.
Lord, help me to avoid the pitfalls of sin before I am trapped.
7 I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, 8 passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house 9 in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. 10 And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. 11 She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; 12 now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait. 13 She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, 14 "I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; 15 so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. 16 I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. 19 For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; 20 he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home." 21 With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. 22 All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast 23 till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.
In this passage the writer paints a picture of the process of adultery. Sometimes when we sin we claim to be surprised at how it "just happened" so unexpectedly. But the truth is that there is usually a period of planning and cultivating the relationship before the actual fall. Events are set up to enable time for the relationship (verses 14-20), and there is much flirting and "seductive speech" (verse 21). We may have never consciously planned to go far in the relationship, but subconsciously we are grooming the relationship and stroking our egos with the excitement of the romance. Then, "all at once" (verse 22) we fall, like "an ox goes to the slaughter" (verse 22), and we realize the enormity of what we have done.
Lord, help me to avoid the pitfalls of sin before I am trapped.