Proverbs 7:1-27
Introduction:
There is a great misunderstanding as to the subject of this chapter, therefore a part of me does not want to teach this chapter, but to run screaming from it, loudly proclaiming that whatever I say will be taken the wrong way. There is another part of me, however, that drives me to loudly proclaim with tears the teachings of this great forsaken chapter. The subject is not the sexual seduction of the ignorant young man described in verses 6-23. The subject is wisdom, which is the subject of the entire book of Proverbs. Sometimes the idea that the subject of chapter 7 is the seduction of the young man is so firmly entrenched in the minds of the listeners, they have much difficulty hearing that the seduction is not the subject, but an example of not possessing Biblical wisdom.
Parents have largely failed to teach the principles of Biblical wisdom, but most parents do not know they have forsaken the principles of holy living. Most Christian parents love their children and try to teach their children Biblical principles, but these principles are often filtered through the wisdom of the world. The end result is a mixture of holy wisdom and worldly wisdom, which is like trying to construct a house foundation on a mixture of concrete and mud. It simply won’t work.
It is not my intention to supersede parental instructions. It is my intention, not only to reinforce parental instructions, but to publicly reinforce those holy teachings. It is my intention to express publicly what the Bible states on this very important subject. There is no need for shame or embarrassment because we teach the holy word of God.
There is a “Catch 22” about these types of subjects. I have noticed is that when these subjects are preached in public, folks often say that is “too plain preaching”, besides that, such instructions must be left up to the home, to the parents, as they can do a much better job of it. Then when children get into trouble, it is the preachers fault because he failed to preach on those subjects.
Often, to speak so plainly on such a subject as is before us is embarrassing, both for the speaker and the listener, and is especially difficult as there are always young children in the congregation. I have no desire to bruise tender ears, but there are some reasons I am compelled to continue teaching wisdom from the book of Proverbs, and going into proper detail in this chapter.
First, Biblical principles of wisdom have largely been forgotten in this “modern” age. Many parents do not understand what Proverbs 7 is teaching. They see the chapter as teaching only about sexual sins, but the chapter teaches far more than that. Our children are not only tempted by wicked people into sexual sins, but there are thousands of other sins they will be tempted into. It is impossible to delve into all the ways sin will tempt, therefore Proverbs 7 gives us one example, (and only one example) which reveals the common principles of temptation, the normal steps of temptation, the inevitability of sin, and the tragic consequences.
A personal example of how Satan uses people to tempt us into sin is how I was introduced to smoking. In college, away from home for the very first time, and making most of my own decisions, I found a pack of four cigarettes under my dorm door. I did not know whose they were, and laid them on my desk. About once each week, I found a pack of four cigarettes under my door. I laid all of them on my desk, figuring the owner would soon come by to claim them. I accumulated three or four of these little four packs when a fellow dorm member told me a salesman had placed a pack of four cigarettes under all the doors. Why did he do that? It was not that he loved to give cigarettes away. He had another purpose in mind. He was trying to sell cigarettes, so he started many people on that long road of cigarette addiction by giving cigarettes away. Many freshmen started smoking because they were away from home for the first time, mom and dad would not find out, and it was “cool” to look grownup. Or at least we thought we looked grownup.
I have heard the same principle is applied to getting people started on alcohol and illicit street drugs. These deceivers do not come to a young person in the presence of their parents and tell them all the bad things about using drugs, how their teeth and hair will fall out, how they will turn against everybody they love, how they will steal to continue their habit, how they will do all sorts of immoral things to get drugs, how they will probably wind up in prison because of drugs, and how they will eventually die a youthful death. No, the person convincing another to use drugs will approach them when their parents are not present, and will tell them all the good things drugs will do, even giving them some drugs to get them started. They will appear to be their friend, when all the time, they are their arch-enemy.
Please understand that the example given in Proverbs 7 is exactly that – an example. The young man could be a young woman. The deceiving woman could be a deceiving man. The product offered does not have to be sex, instead it could be any number of things that will be presented as good, when the end destruction is hidden. Some of the parts of the story are always the same: the person alone, going where he knew he was not supposed to go, and the other person fully prepared, wise in the ways of this world, ready to pounce on them and destroy them. The lesson of the chapter is that the only way to defeat those that would defeat us, is with holy, Godly, Biblical wisdom. We are in a war with wickedness, and we must understand we are in a war and we must understand the wiles of the enemy.
At the present time, the USA is in a world war against terrorism, but many citizens of this great nation do not know we are in a war. It is my prediction the USA will lose this war, not because we are weaker than terrorism, but because many do not realize we are in a war, therefore they want to be friends with the enemy. The enemy will use our lack of Biblical wisdom to overtake us and destroy us. It is my opinion that the future of the USA is bleak, unless God grants a reprieve through his excellent mercy and grace. I pray that God will open the eyes of our leaders, and they will lead this great nation back to the God who made this nation great. We need to ask God to forgive the sins of this nation, even though we personally did not commit sins and do not agree with those sins. We live in this nation, and when the judgment of God falls on the nation, we, and our families, will have to live through that judgment. I know God will be with us, but we must endure that which we did not cause. I pray God’s eternal and temporal blessings upon us when he brings judgment on our nation.
Second, many years ago, I was teaching wisdom from the book of Proverbs, going verse by verse, as I am in this series, and this chapter came next. I was teaching how a person falls into sin, especially sexual sin as taught in this chapter. I was making the subject as clear as I could without being gross, but I suppose I was too clear for some. A prominent lady approached me and stated she did not like the teaching, that I was too plain, and that the church did not need that sort of instruction as that did not happen in their church, and that it was the parents responsibility to teach such things. Not wanting to cause problems in the church, I consider her request to refrain from teaching the passage, and stopped. Just a short time later, I was approached by a man in the church who desired I speak to some of his family members in a private meeting he would arrange. At the private meeting, it was discovered that one of his family members was pregnant out of wedlock. The young woman, who was also a church member, confessed to being present during my teaching of Proverbs, and being convicted by the Word of God. She was doing exactly what Proverbs 7 described, and my messages on the subject brought conviction to her. But when I stopped preaching on the subject, she pushed that conviction out of her conscience and proceed with her plans of seduction. Pregnancy, and the resultant public shame was the result. I do not want to repeat that error, if I was erroneous. I am reminded of Matthew 13:58, which states, And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. If a people do not want the truth, we are often not obligated to give the truth to them. God will judge them for their unbelief, and will also judge us for faithfulness or unfaithfulness.
Third, is the matter of time. Time goes by so very quickly. We think we are prepared, that we are ready for the next stage of our life, but by then, we are already more than half way through that stage, and should be looking toward the next stage. Let me illustrate. Does anybody here know how long ago IBC organized the class on “Family Values” that I now teach? If you are a member of that class, you are disqualified from answering because I have already gone over these things in that class. (grin) Does six years seem right? That is right – six years have passed. Yet it doesn’t seem that long at all. I give this illustration to point out that the next six years will pass just as quickly as the past six years have passed. We are all six years older than when that class started. Many things have happened, some good, some bad, and none of those things can be changed. Where will we be in six years? Think of this, in six years many of the young people in this service will have graduated from Foristell Baptist Academy. They will be working at their own jobs, driving their own cars, some might be married. They will be on their own, making their own decisions, doing their own things, their way. How much time do we have to impress upon them the seriousness of obtaining the wisdom of God? How much time do we have to instill in them the proper application of holy wisdom? When these children in our midst grow into adulthood, they will move from our homes into their own homes, and they will make their own decisions, some good, and some bad. Have we properly instructed them? Have we allowed them to see what wickedness is and its repercussions while they are still under the protection of our roof? I fervently desire each of these young people understand the principles of holy wisdom, so they can rightly judge whether a thing is of God or of Satan.
I realize that the greater responsibility of teaching children Biblical wisdom falls on the parents, not on me or this church. But I am very serious about doing my part to instruct every person in this congregation the principles and proper application of Biblical wisdom. It is my earnest prayer that each person, each parent, each member of IBC will fall on their faces before a most holy, merciful God and ask him to be with us, to teach us individually what Biblical wisdom is. We must earnestly ask God to be with our children, to give them a holy desire to be faithful to God’s instructions.
A long time ago, I was fretting to my mother in law about our children, and my lack of understanding about raising them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. She told me I did not have the knowledge, wisdom, or anything else to raise these children. I was a little taken aback by her comment, but she continued by stating that no parent has the ability to raise their own children. We can teach them the word of God, but only God can put that word in their heart. I have never forgotten that good advice. I have constantly prayed that God would lead my children, that he would bless them with understanding, an understanding greater than I could ever give them. I might be able to “put the fear of God” in them by disciplining them, but I want my children, and the children of this church to have more than that. I want them to have the fear of God that is the result of a fervent love and respect for God and his holy commandments.
I intend to spend very little time on the example given to us in verse 6-23. This is a single warning of sexual sins, because sexual sins are a type of sin we can all relate to, and it is a type of sin that all of us are apt to fall into, under the right circumstances. Most of the lesson will involve the warning given in the verse 1-5 and the conclusion given in verse 24-27.
There are three divisions to the chapter.
Verse 1-5 – Another admonition to get wisdom.
Verse 6-23 – An example of destruction because of not getting wisdom.
Verse 24-27 – A warning, because of the example, to get wisdom.
Verse 1-5 – My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. {2} Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. {3} Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. {4} Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: {5} That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
This part of the chapter deals with encouraging the son to listen to the wisdom of the father because the father got his wisdom from God.
It is the fathers duty to teach his children to listen to God’s eternal wisdom.
It is the duty of children to absorb and apply God’s eternal wisdom.
This chapter is not about the wicked woman who beguiles an innocent young man.
This chapter is about wisdom, as all the book of Proverbs.
The example given in this chapter is an example that everybody can understand, but this example is not the only lure to wickedness.
All physical wickedness has one goal – to draw the away person away from spiritual truth, spiritual understanding, and spiritual health and prosperity.
Other examples of wickedness:
Cigarette smoking (using tobacco in all its forms – smoking, dipping, chewing, so forth).
Illicit drugs, which are readily available on the street.
Prostitution comes in many forms, all of which are lewd wickedness, and destroy the life and cause the person to face the judgment of God.
The person who entices another to commit wickedness has the same heart, motive and desire as the man who brutally rapes a woman.
It doesn’t make any difference what the wickedness is, the result is the same.
Romans 1:32 reveals that wicked people, who have been turned over to their wickedness by God three times in Romans 1, have great pleasure in luring others into their sinfulness.
Romans 1:32 states, Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Parents often want to build a big hedge around their children to protect them, but that is impossible. See the comic at the end of this file.
It is good for parents to protect their children from evil while the child is in their home, but parents need to give their children proper Biblical tools so the child can deal with evil when they leave the parents home.
Many parents will forbid certain activities from their children instead of teaching the child how to use those activities for the good.
There is sin everywhere, and it cannot be avoided.
The Internet is full of wickedness, but it is also full of good things.
Television is full of wickedness, but it can also be used to present the gospel.
Radio is full of wrong enticements, but the gospel can also be preached over the airwaves.
Most cars can go well over 85 miles per hour, but every parent understands they should teach their children not to drive that fast.
All this wickedness is in the world, and cannot be avoided, yet every person, every parent, and every child, must learn there are activities that must be avoided.
A failure of many parents is “overprotection” of children, and the children do not understand that protection, or the need for that protection.
I am not saying it is wrong to protect or shield our children from evil, or evil people.
I am saying that children should understand the role of parents in protecting them.
It is good when children feel protected and loved, but it is also necessary that children not be stifled with our protection.
We will soon have to let them go, so we need to prepare ourselves and them as that time will come much quicker than we realize.
Children need to learn the principles of proper service to God in our homes.
It is too late to teach them after they leave.
Parents must so teach their children the principles of Biblical wisdom that they are able recognize wickedness, even when it is inside the “protected zone”.
When and where did the young man go wrong?
Verse 13 - When he was caught and kissed by the wicked woman. No, he went wrong before that.
Verse 8 - When he passed by her street? No, he went wrong before that happened.
Verse 7 - When he was declared to be a simple one? No. He was a simple one when he rejected the wisdom of God, deciding to do what he wanted to do.
The young man’s actions in going wrong by not reading and applying Biblical principles to his life is revealed in the darkness of the night.
He was a simple person among other simple people.
It may look like this one person just got caught, and everybody else got away with their wickedness.
This is not so, because eventually, all wickedness and the wicked are caught.
Verse 6-23 – The example, for our warning, of destruction because of not getting wisdom.
A very important point is that verse 6-23 is an example, not the ultimate or only destruction our children might face.
Parents must be diligent to teach their children principles they can use so they can personally discern wickedness.
Parents cannot always be with their children, nor can they always protect them from evil.
Those parents who believe they can protect their children from all evil are wrong, because the children will soon leave the protective nest.
If children do not have Biblical principles of wisdom, they will be as the young man in the example in Proverbs 7.
If our children fall prey to wickedness, it would be a great sorrow to us as parents.
Verse 6-23 – the example.
Verse 6,7 – For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, {7} And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
The young man is alone.
It is important that parents understand their children will one day be alone, in the dark, and they need Biblical principles of wisdom to guide them through those times, even if the young person get themselves into trouble.
Parents cannot always be with their children, but the principles parents teach can always be with them.
A personal example of me taking the car for the first time, and dad warning me not to go over 40 mph (and saying “I will probably never know, but God will know and you are more accountable to him than me), and me thinking spinning the tires, but keeping the speedometer under 40 was obedience.
The young man is simple and void of understanding because he has a lack of Bible training, or has rejected the Bible training his parents gave him.
It is not just young people that are void of understanding.
Many older people also lack understanding, some because they have never studied the Word of God, others because they have studied many years ago, but now have forgotten the valuable truths taught in God’s holy Word.
Many people believe a study of the Bible is not profitable to practical everyday living, but this example reveals that a proper Bible study will keep us from falling into sin, which will ruin our lives.
It is interesting that the night is black and dark, yet the simple youth was observed by a person looking out their window.
There are always those that see, not because they are being nosy, but because they see.
Seldom is anything done in private, but all things are open to most people.
Verse 8,9 – Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, {9} In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
There might not have been anything wrong with the young man going down that particular street, but there is definitely something wrong with him listening to the words of the harlot.
The young man is definitely “playing with fire” and he is going to “get burned”.
Verse 8 indicates the youth was going toward her house, knowing she was there and would be available to him, but there is also evidence, he did not understand the end result of his sin.
Verse 10 – And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart.
The young man did not have to find the woman, she found him, just as we do not have to seek out sin and wickedness, it readily and quickly finds us.
Our children need to understand there are all sorts of wicked people in this world who find great pleasure in introducing wickedness to them.
These people have no regard to the consequences of wickedness in the lives of others, but take pleasure when others commit the same kind of wickedness they commit – Romans 1:32.
Verse 11 – (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: {12} Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
Sin and wickedness are everywhere.
Our children need to be able to recognize wickedness and wicked people, whether that wicked person is within the “boundaries of safety”, or “outside the boundaries of safety” established by parents.
Verse 13 - So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
She kissed him before she said anything to him.
The kiss would give indication as to her ultimate goal, and her words would confirm and entice the ignorant.
Satan always promises good and gives enticement before he pounces with the evil results of sin.
Genesis 3:5 – Satan told the woman in the Garden of Eden she would be as …gods, knowing good and evil, but did not reveal the consequences of disobeying God.
Alcohol, tobacco and gambling advertisements always portray the “good times”, but never show the alcoholic in the gutter, the tobacco user with cancer, or the gambler who has lost his life savings.
Verse 14 – I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
She promises peace, but the end of her ways is death.
She promises peace but she gives destruction.
Verse 15 – Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
Although she declares she came forth to meet this particular person, she was waiting on every street corner for whoever might come along.
Many men ogle loose women, forgetting loose women reveal their nakedness to all men.
A holy woman will reveal herself only to her lawful husband.
Verse 16,17 – I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. {17} I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
She declares they will have special times together, and paints a good visual image.
She understands that men are attracted to images, so she uses words to paint an enticing visual image.
Verse 18 – Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
She promises enjoyment and sin is an enjoyment for a season, but the end result of sin is terrible, more terrible than words can ever describe.
Sin promises fulfillment, happiness and enjoyment, but when the temporary pleasure is over, there remains guilt, and the everlasting consequences that must be paid.
Verse 19-21 – For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: {20} He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. {21} With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
Safety is promised, but not delivered.
She promises they will not be caught, that there will be no evil consequences, only enjoyment.
This is the same thing Satan promised the woman in the Garden of Eden.
Prosperity is revealed.
The bag of money reveals prosperity in sin.
The victim will have to provide nothing, all is free.
Sin will cost you more than you want to pay, and keep you longer than you want to stay.
This is rape!
This is not rape in the sense of a brutal physical assault – typical when a man rapes a woman.
The Hebrew word is translated by the English words “drive”, “drive out”, “drive away”, “outcasts”, “cast out”, “banished”, “go astray”, “compelled”, and “expelled”.
The thought here is that wickedness will cause the victim to leave the place of God’s blessings, because they have not used the wisdom God provided for them.
There is a difference between a man raping a woman, and a woman raping a man.
When a man rapes a woman, she is completely unwilling and if physically forced.
When a woman rapes a man, she entices the willing victim.
I think there is also a difference in the consequences.
The brutal physical raping of a woman leaves her scared, hating, and emotionally wounded, scarred for life.
The emotional raping of a man leaves him confused, and emotionally scarred for life.
Proper (scriptural) society treats the two rapes differently.
The man is blamed (according to scripture) and judgment is righteously proclaimed and carried out on him.
Our society generally does not recognize that a man can be raped.
I am well aware that most people believe that only men rape women, but the Bible declares that women are able to rape men.
I am also aware that our society approves the illicit sexual activities of men, but disapproves women who commit the same illicit sexual activity.
Before God, all who commit illicit sexual activity are guilty and face equal consequences.
Verse 22-23 – He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; {23} Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
The person without Biblical wisdom lunges ignorantly ahead toward destroying wickedness until his entire life is gone.
Biblical wisdom reveals the end of wickedness, but those that reject holy wisdom fall a prey to their wickedness.
Verse 24-27 – Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. {25} Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. {26} For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. {27} Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
Solomon again encourages his children (not just sons) to listen.
Many times the Bible states that sons are to listen, but it should always be understood that girls are also included.
It hurts parents just as much when daughters go astray as when sons go astray.
Reasons to listen.
Look at the example that is given, and understand you are apt to fall if you are not able to discern evil and the end of evil.
Look at the many who have been destroyed by sin, and be warned.
Look at the men who have been wounded, their lives stained with sin and wickedness, from which they can never recover.
Look at the families who have been destroyed by sin.
Look at the many innocent people whose loved ones fell into sin, and that innocent one must pay the consequences of their sin.
Look at the many strong men (those we never expected to fall) and be warned.
Verse 25 gives emphasis to the heart.
Again, do not let your heart guide you, but guide your heart to righteousness.
If your heart goes the way of the wicked, it will not be long before you are there in person.
Verse 27 is not saying that evil works causes a person to go to hell.
The verse states that refusing Godly, Biblical wisdom is a step that will cause a person to enter into further deception in the house of the wicked.
Salvation is by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and holy works follow those that believe.
Those that are not believers will naturally enter in the ways of the wicked, because they have rejected the wisdom of God.
There is a very interesting point that Solomon is here speaking to his sons and daughters (see verse 24) about sexual wickedness and the resultant downfall. Solomon understands who and what the strange woman is and what she wants, and the end result of following her. Yet Solomon, who is the wisest man who ever lived, was not able, by his wisdom, to escape her grasp. If Solomon had become as a little child, as he was in the beginning of his kingdom, he would have submitted himself to God, refused to be wed to all those women, refused to take all those concubines and spared himself much difficulty. There is no doubt the record of the nation would have been different. The lesson for us is that we may know the truth, and know that the truth will set us free, but if we do not apply Biblical wisdom in youth, middle age, and old age, we are apt to fall into sin and disrepute. If such an end happened to Solomon, who is to say it will not happen to us? We should all be aware of our inclination to failure, and our absolute dependence on Almighty God for every day necessities.