1My 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 to insight, “You are my relative.”
5 They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
from the wayward woman with her seductive words.
Right from the start, Solomon encourages us to value God’s word, to keep it as the apple of our eye. We are to guard it, allowing nothing to steal it away from our minds, our focus, our hearts! Just like people tie a string to their finger to remind them of something important, we are to go out of our way to remember His words, to write them on our hearts! The words in the Bible should become as familiar to us as is our own family. As we spend time with it and cherish it, we’ll find it has the strength to keep us from falling into sin.
6 At the window of my house
I looked down through the lattice.
7 I saw among the simple,
I noticed among the young men,
a youth who had no sense.
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.
There’s no indication that this young man was looking for a woman, perhaps he left the house with that intention, but in either case, he was walking in the direction of her house. Most of us don’t get up in the morning, intending to fall into sin during the day. The problem comes when we walk in the wrong places. If we aren’t careful about the places we go and the people we surround ourselves with, darkness can very quickly set in.
10 Then out came a woman to meet him,
dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
11 (She is unruly 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:
Satan will use anyone and anything to trip us up and drag us into darkness. Don’t think this proverb just warns against sexual sin, its truth applies to any sin. Satan sends temptation to meet us at every corner, in hopes it will take hold of us and lead us in the wrong direction, pulling us away from God, taking our focus off of His word.
14 “Today I fulfilled my vows,
and I have food from my fellowship offering at home.
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 deeply of love till morning;
let’s enjoy ourselves with love!
Notice the positive tone of her words; when temptation comes, it always sounds appealing! Satan has a way of blinding us to the negative that will follow our fall so that all we see is the “good” that lies before us. Always remember, the fruit in Eve’s hand was “pleasing to the eye!”
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.
She convinces him to relax, that there’s no danger in proceeding, after all, her husband won’t be back for a month. Temptation is always accompanied by a voice telling us it’s safe, that there’s no chance of getting caught, no real danger of repercussion.
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.
We usually can’t see it up front, but there’s always a price to pay for sin! The young man in this proverb is described as simple, naive. But we are not to be naive. God has given us far too many warnings. Instead we should be alert, knowing we have an enemy looking to devour us!
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.
Even the slightest turn of our heart, in the wrong direction, will make us vulnerable. We need to walk intentionally, being careful not to “stray,” down the wrong path, a road that will quickly make us a victim of the enemy that prowls around like a roaring lion.
Proverbs 7 NIV
God’s truth needs little comment from us; merely a simple pointing of the way so that we may recognize its applicability to our lives. Very timely and important reminder of the currency and immediacy of the Word. Still true in our times and for our lives.
May we “Turn our eyes upon Jesus” in every situation. He knows the enemy and all his ways.
PTL!