Image: "Proverbs 7 Woman," 2020, Severna Park, Md
Proverbs 7:7 And saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, A young man devoid of understanding,
Proverbs 7:22–23 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, 23 Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life.
__________________________________________________________________________________
It doesn't require much study to find that women were generally regarded with suspicion throughout ancient history. Perhaps some women would say that not much has changed. On the whole, as in Proverbs 31, women, as women, were held in higher esteem in the Judeo-Christian tradition than in other cultures. But still, virtuous women were valued highly but, let's face it, as "weaker vessels." On the other extreme when evil was present in a woman it was seen as even more scary. Remember Jezebel... her husband was no prize but she comes across in the story as the more vile of the two. Other examples are available.
So, as here in Proverbs 7, the adulterous woman is depicted as the very gateway to Hell itself. The youth who is captured by her "charms" is portrayed as a fool... a simpleton... a young man without sense. She is a willful deceiver.
She presents herself as having just come from the temple after paying her vows (vs. 14). Here is "works righteousness" depicted par excellence. It's like a Roman Catholic going to confession and believing that he now has a clean slate and he can sin some more. She sells herself as something other than vile, perhaps even virtuous. She appeals to his ego telling him she came just to find him. (vs. 15 -Yeah, right!) And she assures him of safety since her husband is off on a business trip.
The writer graphically likens the young man to a poor, dumb ox, not knowing what's happening to him as he is led to the slaughtering pen. "He did not know it would cost his life." (vs. 23) She lead him to her houses which was "the way to hell, descending to the chambers of death." (vs. 27)
Ok... straight-forward application - stay away from prostitutes because if you give yourself over to wanton pleasure you will pay for it big time. That's the simple, off the top, message - but like the commercial says: "Wait, there's more."
This proverbial story, or parable, points to a deeper issue, not with the woman but with the young man. He was a "simpleton", a man "devoid of understanding." In this case he was a man who did not know his own weaknesses and was not morally prepared to deal with temptations aimed at those weaknesses. What we should see here is Satan as an expert archer, aiming his arrows at exactly the most vulnerable parts of our spiritual armor.
This woman was Satan's arrow. It's not about her... it's about what is happening through her. The same point could be used, and has been used, when Satan uses men as his instruments - the NT warns against this often.
What this young man needed... and what we need... is to recognize that each one of us walk around with weak spots in our character and flesh. Never doubt that Satan knows those weaknesses even better than we do. He does not tempt us where we are strong. I used to comment that "Satan never tempts me with Brussel Sprouts." Brussel Sprouts are OK... I will eat them... I don't care for them much. That's not where Satan is going to drag me down. He's got plenty more vulnerable targets on which to take aim.
We would not be very wise, perhaps even "devoid of understanding" ourselves, if we just read this parable as an admonishment to guard against sexual temptation. That is indeed an often used arrow in Satan's quiver but not everyone is equally vulnerable to it. We should be aware that the same subtle enticements that we see expressed by this woman will surround temptations in other directions. Satan will make it see easy... he will assure us that it is safe... we will have a great time... pleasure or fame or excitement is there for the taking... it would be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity.
We may not know exactly how it will come but we need to know our weaknesses and we might as well be prepared because temptation will certainly whisper to us out of the shadows appealing to those very vulnerabilities.
One of the benefits of meditation and prayer with our Holy God is the opportunity to ask Him to show us our inner faults. A wise person will seek out this knowledge because that person will know that it is absolutely required for his spiritual strength.
Thank God that He has made a way such that sin will not have dominion over us... the enticements of the lurking harlot in the shadows can be resisted and.... they must.
Comments