Today is April 7, 2011. Today's proverbs come from chapter 7.
This one, much like chapter 5, is a narrative. It was obviously written all at once. It is not broken up into little two-liners like many of the proverbs.
It starts with, like the beginning of chapter 5, the teacher imploring his sons to listen to him, to keep his words with them at all times. He commands them to memorize his teachings and have them physically around at all times, as well as in their hearts. He leaves no way out here. You have no excuse for folly or foolishness if you do these things. You will be constantly reminded of what is wise, what is right.
His story starts in earnest in verse 4. I really encourage you to read this one on your own. It's beautiful in style, in narrative, and in truth. I want to emphasize as well that the Bible uses the words adulteress, harlot, prostitute, etc. almost interchangeably. Also, it can have a much deeper symbolic meaning than just a woman who sleeps around. I'll do a post on that concept one day and link it here. The nation of Israel is referred to as a harlot tons of times in the Old Testament (and then possibly again in Revelation, if that's not speaking of the church itself). The Bible uses the prostitute idiom with Israel to make the connection between unfaithfulness in marriage and unfaithfulness to God, i.e. straying from the path, following "false gods" (not necessarily little wooden statues). Israel did these things, and was called a harlot several times by God through the prophets. In Exodus 34:10-27, which historically takes place right after Israel is freed from Egypt and has assembled in the desert at Mount Sinai, is one of the binding covenants that God makes with the nation Israel. In Ex 34:14-15 He clearly warns Israel not to follow other gods, and calls that act "playing the harlot". In short, don't take this chapter in Proverbs only to be about an adulterous woman. It is also about straying from wisdom to folly.
That said, the story begins with a man looking out his window over the city in the evening and spies a young man walking by the corner to an adulteress's house. The description of her in Prov. 7:10-12 is that she is dressed as a harlot, cunning (mischievous and street-smart) of heart, boisterous (a loud mouth), rebellious, and then it says, "her feet do not remain at home." This is not meant to say that women can never leave the house. Read Proverbs 31 to dispel that. It means she gets around. Vs. 12 says she "lurks at every corner". All this the man saw from his window. Then he saw her approach the young man, grab him and kiss him passionately and he overheard her say to him: Proverbs 7:14-20. She basically says, I'm ceremonially clean, I searched you out and found you, I have covered my bed in perfume, my husband is away for a month, come and let's have sex all night.
Proverbs 7:21
"With her many persuasions she entices him, with her flattering lips she seduces him."
It describes the young man following her to her house "as an ox goes to the slaughter", and other colorful idioms.
The story ends (the moral) with a stern warning to the teacher's sons not to let their hearts turn aside to her ways. This is another indication that what we're talking about here is not just a one-night stand with a prostitute. People did that kind of thing all over the Old Testament (not to minimize it at all, fornication and adultery are serious sins and were capital crimes in the laws of Israel). What he's teaching them through this parable is to not wander after worldly things that entice you into sin. More distressing than the prospect of STDs and baby-mama-drama and judgment by the elders at the gates is the prospect of these young men's hearts turning away from wisdom. The teacher is more concerned about their hearts going astray than he is about them sinning. There is a huge difference between sinning and falling into sin. One is an occurrence, the other a lifestyle. When your heart turns aside to sin, and you "stray into her paths", the result is Proverbs 7:26-27.
26-27
"For many are the victims she has cast down, and numerous are her slain. Her house is the way to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death."
Be encouraged though. Although Romans 3:23 says that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (specifically meaning that they fall short of the standards necessary to enter God's glory, which is heaven), John 3:16 states that if you believe in God's only Son, Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of the Jews and the Gentiles, you "shall not perish, but have everlasting life." God made it possible for us to escape the consequences of our sin, if we will acknowledge that Jesus is the Lord of our lives, and turn away from the adulterous woman and walk straight on the path once again. The gospel is that simple.
Solomon in this proverb encourages his sons to not turn aside to wickedness. Unfortunately it is the human condition that all of us do turn aside to the enticing woman, sin. God provided a way out for us, so that no matter what we have done, we can walk away from it (repent) and enter into his glory all the same, through Jesus Christ.
This one, much like chapter 5, is a narrative. It was obviously written all at once. It is not broken up into little two-liners like many of the proverbs.
It starts with, like the beginning of chapter 5, the teacher imploring his sons to listen to him, to keep his words with them at all times. He commands them to memorize his teachings and have them physically around at all times, as well as in their hearts. He leaves no way out here. You have no excuse for folly or foolishness if you do these things. You will be constantly reminded of what is wise, what is right.
His story starts in earnest in verse 4. I really encourage you to read this one on your own. It's beautiful in style, in narrative, and in truth. I want to emphasize as well that the Bible uses the words adulteress, harlot, prostitute, etc. almost interchangeably. Also, it can have a much deeper symbolic meaning than just a woman who sleeps around. I'll do a post on that concept one day and link it here. The nation of Israel is referred to as a harlot tons of times in the Old Testament (and then possibly again in Revelation, if that's not speaking of the church itself). The Bible uses the prostitute idiom with Israel to make the connection between unfaithfulness in marriage and unfaithfulness to God, i.e. straying from the path, following "false gods" (not necessarily little wooden statues). Israel did these things, and was called a harlot several times by God through the prophets. In Exodus 34:10-27, which historically takes place right after Israel is freed from Egypt and has assembled in the desert at Mount Sinai, is one of the binding covenants that God makes with the nation Israel. In Ex 34:14-15 He clearly warns Israel not to follow other gods, and calls that act "playing the harlot". In short, don't take this chapter in Proverbs only to be about an adulterous woman. It is also about straying from wisdom to folly.
That said, the story begins with a man looking out his window over the city in the evening and spies a young man walking by the corner to an adulteress's house. The description of her in Prov. 7:10-12 is that she is dressed as a harlot, cunning (mischievous and street-smart) of heart, boisterous (a loud mouth), rebellious, and then it says, "her feet do not remain at home." This is not meant to say that women can never leave the house. Read Proverbs 31 to dispel that. It means she gets around. Vs. 12 says she "lurks at every corner". All this the man saw from his window. Then he saw her approach the young man, grab him and kiss him passionately and he overheard her say to him: Proverbs 7:14-20. She basically says, I'm ceremonially clean, I searched you out and found you, I have covered my bed in perfume, my husband is away for a month, come and let's have sex all night.
Proverbs 7:21
"With her many persuasions she entices him, with her flattering lips she seduces him."
It describes the young man following her to her house "as an ox goes to the slaughter", and other colorful idioms.
The story ends (the moral) with a stern warning to the teacher's sons not to let their hearts turn aside to her ways. This is another indication that what we're talking about here is not just a one-night stand with a prostitute. People did that kind of thing all over the Old Testament (not to minimize it at all, fornication and adultery are serious sins and were capital crimes in the laws of Israel). What he's teaching them through this parable is to not wander after worldly things that entice you into sin. More distressing than the prospect of STDs and baby-mama-drama and judgment by the elders at the gates is the prospect of these young men's hearts turning away from wisdom. The teacher is more concerned about their hearts going astray than he is about them sinning. There is a huge difference between sinning and falling into sin. One is an occurrence, the other a lifestyle. When your heart turns aside to sin, and you "stray into her paths", the result is Proverbs 7:26-27.
26-27
"For many are the victims she has cast down, and numerous are her slain. Her house is the way to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death."
Be encouraged though. Although Romans 3:23 says that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (specifically meaning that they fall short of the standards necessary to enter God's glory, which is heaven), John 3:16 states that if you believe in God's only Son, Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of the Jews and the Gentiles, you "shall not perish, but have everlasting life." God made it possible for us to escape the consequences of our sin, if we will acknowledge that Jesus is the Lord of our lives, and turn away from the adulterous woman and walk straight on the path once again. The gospel is that simple.
Solomon in this proverb encourages his sons to not turn aside to wickedness. Unfortunately it is the human condition that all of us do turn aside to the enticing woman, sin. God provided a way out for us, so that no matter what we have done, we can walk away from it (repent) and enter into his glory all the same, through Jesus Christ.
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