WARNINGS AGAINST THE ADULTERESS PROVERBS 7:1-27

1 WARNINGS AGAINST THE ADULTERESS PROVERBS 7:1-27

2 WARNINGS AGAINST THE ADULTERESS Text: Proverbs 7:1-27, 1. My 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. 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. 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: 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!

3 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. 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. 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. (NIV) Introduction: I. Also traveling the path of wickedness and destruction is the figure of the strange woman (NIV adulteress), who epitomizes the folly of adultery, Hamilton wrote. A. Proverbs 2:16-22, Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life. Thus you will walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it. (NIV)

4 B. Proverbs 5:1-23, My son, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it. Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house, lest you lose your honor to others and your dignity to one who is cruel, lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich the house of another. At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent. You will say, How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! I would not obey my teachers or turn my ear to my instructors. And I was soon in serious trouble in the assembly of God s people. Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman? For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths. The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly. (NIV)

5 C. Proverbs 6:20-35, My son, keep your father s command and do not forsake your mother s teaching. Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life, keeping you from your neighbor s wife, from the smooth talk of a wayward woman. Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes. For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread, but another man s wife preys on your very life. Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? So is he who sleeps with another man s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away. For jealousy arouses a husband s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse a bribe, however great it is. (NIV) D. Proverbs 7:1-27 (See text above.) E. Proverbs 9:13-18, Folly is an unruly woman; she is simple and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way, Let all who are simple come to

6 my house! To those who have no sense she says, Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious! But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead. (NIV) II. Opposite lifestyles are presented here and in following chapters with very different results. A. The way of immorality (chapter 7) is contrasted with the way of wisdom (chapter 8). (See Coffman.) III. Through chapter 9:18, the first main section of the book of Proverbs, there are fifteen (15) admonitory, hortatory discourses. (See Coffman and The Pulpit Commentary.) A. Discourse 1: Proverbs 1:8-19 B. Discourse 2: Proverbs 1:20-33 C. Discourse 3: Proverbs 2:1-22 D. Discourse 4: Proverbs 3:1-18 E. Discourse 5: Proverbs 3:19-26 F. Discourse 6: Proverbs 4:1-9 G. Discourse 7: Proverbs 4:10-19 H. Discourse 8: Proverbs 4:20-2?? I. Discourse 9: Proverbs 6:1-5 J. Discourse 10: Proverbs 6:6-11

7 K. Discourse 11: Proverbs 6:12-19 L. Discourse 12: Proverbs 6:20-35 M. Discourse 13: Proverbs 7:1-27 N. Discourse 14: Proverbs 8:1-36 O. Discourse 15: Proverbs 9:1-18 Commentary: Proverbs 7:1, My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. (NIV) I. My son, A. My student or my son should most certainly heed the instructions of his parents, instructor. B. Here the tutor continues to instruct his disciple, pupil, student, Clarke wrote. 1. Proverbs 2:1, My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, (NIV) II. keep my words and A. Primary reference here, Coffman stated, is to the Torah. III. store up my commands within you.

8 A. The commands of wisdom are to be internalized and made the guiding principle of our lives, Smith stated. 1. Proverbs 3:3, Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. (NIV) 2. Proverbs 6:21, Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck. (NIV) 3. Proverbs 7:1-3, My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. B. These words are to be stored in the heart of the son as the great treasure they are. Proverbs 7:2, Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. (NIV) I. Keep my commands and you will live; A. Keep God s commands and live. Disobey God s commands and die. B. The teacher, parent advised the son, student to keep God s commands. 1. Proverbs 4:4, Then he taught me, and he said to me, Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live. (NIV)

9 II. guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. A. The parental instruction, God s word, is to be the apple of your eye, a precious thing central in your life. (See Coffman.) B. The proverbial expression, the apple of your eye, refers to anything particularly precious which is to be guarded against all harm. (The Pulpit Commentary) 1. Psalm 17:8, Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings (NIV) 2. Zechariah 2:8-9, For this is what the LORD Almighty says: After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me. (NIV) Proverbs 7:3, Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. (NIV) I. Bind them on your fingers; A. Keep these commands ever in view, close at hand, wear them as rings on your fingers so that they will go with you wherever you take your hand. (The Pulpit Commentary) B. Some believe the author had in mind phylacteries when using these figures. 1. Phylacteries were worn on the hand and the forehead and consisted of a leather box containing strips of parchment, on

10 which were written four (4) texts, viz., (The Pulpit Commentary) a. Exodus 13:1-10, The LORD said to Moses, Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal. Then Moses said to the people, Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast. Today, in the month of Aviv, you are leaving. When the LORD brings you into the land of the Anaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey you are to observe this ceremony in this month: For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the LORD. Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. On that day tell your son, I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt. This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year. (NIV)

11 b. Exodus 13:11-16, After the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your ancestors, you are to give over to the LORD the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD. Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons. In days to come, when your son asks you, What does this mean? say to him, With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons. And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand. (NIV) c. Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (NIV) d. Deuteronomy 11:13-21, So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your

12 heart and with all your soul then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the LORD s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. (NIV) 2. The box was attached to a leather strap wound seven (7) times around the arm, three (3) times around the middle finger, and the remainder passed around the hand. (The Pulpit Commentary) III. write them on the tablet of your heart. A. Always keep these commands as the center of your emotions, affections.

13 1. Proverbs 3:3, Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. (NIV) 2. Proverbs 6:21-22, Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. (NIV) Note: Bland reminds us that the decision is the choice between lady wisdom and the woman adulteress. A lifelong intimate relationship is to be cultivated with lady wisdom while the adulteress is to be totally avoided. Proverbs 7:4, Say to wisdom, You are my sister, and to insight, You are my relative. (NIV) I. Say to wisdom, You are my sister, A. The son should regard, treat prudence, wisdom, sound judgment as a close friend, a beloved sister. (Smith) 1. The twin sisters of wisdom and understanding will keep the naïve youth from being deceived by the alien or strange woman; i.e., the harlot, Smith wrote. a. I Corinthians 1:30, It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (NIV) b. Matthew 12:50, For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. (NIV)

14 2. Smith concluded, When the heart is filled with the love of something good, it is armed against the seductress who would lead one astray from the Lord. 3. Wisdom is here personified. (The Pulpit Commentary) a. Matthew 12:50, For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. (NIV) II. and call understanding your kinsman. A. Regard respect and honor, wisdom and understanding as beloved relatives. B. Let understanding be as dear to you as a kinsman, kinswoman, close friend. (The Pulpit Commentary) Proverbs 7:5, They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words. (NIV) I. They (wisdom and instruction) will keep you from the adulteress, A. Wisdom, understanding and obedience to God s commands keep a person far away from adultery and all other sins. 1. Proverbs 2:16, Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, (NIV) 2. Proverbs 6:23-24, For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the

15 way to life, keeping you from your neighbor s wife, from the smooth talk of a wayward woman. (NIV) B. When the heart is filled with the love of what is good, it is armed against the seductions of evil pleasure and whatever may entice the soul from God and duty, The Pulpit Commentary states. II. from the wayward wife with her seductive words. A. The focus in this passage is the avoidance of the wayward wife with her seductive words. Note: The instructor now turns from general statements of truth to a concrete example by which the son is to be duly warned. Proverbs 7:6, At the window of my house I looked down through the lattice. (NIV) I. At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice (casement), A. The teacher looked out of his window and observed what was happening in the streets. 1. The latticed window, Smith noted, enabled the teacher to see what was outside without being observed himself by those outside. a. Song of Solomon 2:9, My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. (NIV)

16 2. The latticed window reminded Coffman of our venetian blinds. a. Clarke defined casement as a small aperture in a large window or a window opening on hinges. b. Latticed windows allowed for privacy, ability to see out and provided for ventilation. (Clarke) Proverbs 7:7, I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who had no sense. (NIV) I. I saw among the simple, A. The simple references those who are foolish, thoughtless, inconsiderate, easily led astray. (See Smith.) B. Coffman quotes the New Layman s Bible Commentary as saying, Here we see how helpless the young simpleton is under the skillful temptation that confronted him. C. The simple are the inexperienced, empty-headed, who foolishly went where danger threatened, a place a wise person would have avoided, (See Coffman) from which place they could easily be led astray. II. I noticed among the young men, A. The young man is presented as passive and silent. (Bland) B. Attention is now focused on one vulnerable young man in particular. III. a youth who lacked judgment, who was devoid of understanding.

17 A. This young man did not have the wisdom to discern the evil intended nor the courage to resist the seducer. (Clarke) B. There was a way of escape, but he didn t take it. 1. I Corinthians 10:13, No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (NIV) Proverbs 7:8, He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house (NIV) I. He was going down the street near her corner, A. This foolish young man inadvertently had placed himself in the way of temptation. B. He was in danger, faced temptation, and did not know how to cope with the situation. (See Smith.) II. walking along in the direction of her house A. The immoral woman evidently had a very nice house on a corner lot, all made possible by the husband for which she cared nothing, who was away on business earning money with which to support his wife and himself. B. The young man sauntered slowly along. (The Pulpit Commentary)

18 Proverbs 7:9, at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in. (NIV) I. at twilight, as the day was fading, A. At twilight, when the sun was setting and the moon appeared at dusk, the young man should have headed home! 1. Job 24:15, The eye of the adulterer watches for dusk; he thinks, No eye will see me, and he keeps his face concealed. (NIV) II. as the dark of night set in A. As the shadows deepen, night is also falling over the young man s life. (Coffman quoting Albert Barnes.) Proverbs 7:10, Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. (NIV) I. Then out came a woman to meet him, A. At the opportune moment, the seductive woman made her appearance. B. Her presence in the streets at night immediately identified this person as an immoral woman because, The Pulpit Commentary states, in the East of that time respectable women were kept secluded and would never appear unattended outside after dark. II. dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. A. The intentions of the prostitute were perfectly clear as was her identity as an immoral woman.

19 B. Bland describes the adulteress as active, busy, restless, and above all aggressive who uses every means at her disposal to seduce the lad. C. Coffman wrote, This woman was not a professional harlot; she was merely taking advantage of her husband s absence to gratify her lust. D. The woman was extremely proficient in seducing the young man which seems to indicate she had done this previously. E. Prostitutes evidently wore identifiable clothing. 1. Genesis 38:13-19, When Tamar was told, Your fatherin-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep, she took off her widow s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, Come now, let me sleep with you. And what will you give me to sleep with you? she asked. I ll send you a young goat from my flock, he said. Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it? she asked. He said, What pledge should I give you? Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand, he answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow s clothes again. (NIV)

20 2. Revelation 17:4, The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. (NIV) Proverbs 7:11, (She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home; (NIV) I. (She is loud and defiant (stubborn), A. The prostitute lacked the refinement and dignity of a respectable woman. (Smith) B. Clarke stated she was never at rest, always agitated, busily engaged in achieving her purposes, getting what she wanted. C. The Pulpit Commentary states this is a description of this woman s general behavior, not necessarily her demeanor only during this seduction process. II. her feet never stay at home A. Women of purity would not venture into the streets unattended at night. B. Smith wrote, The woman is represented, not as a common prostitute, but as a licentious wife, who in her unbridled lust acts the part of the harlot. C. This woman is the opposite of the discreet, modest housewife. (The Pulpit Commentary)

21 1. Titus 2:5, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. (NIV) Proverbs 7:12, now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.) (NIV) I. now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.) A. She went everywhere looking for a lover. 1. Immoral women (and men) can be found on every corner; that is, they are plentiful and to be found everywhere. 2. Yes, most definitely at church also. B. The woman is no ordinary street walker, but a licentious married wife whose conduct is no different than the prostitute. (Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament via Coffman.) C. Her actions show the character of this immoral woman. Proverbs 7:13, She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said: (NIV) I. She (caught) took hold of him and kissed him and A. She employed bold actions, Smith wrote, like Potiphar s wife. 1. Genesis 39:12, She caught him by his cloak and said, Come to bed with me! But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. (NIV)

22 2. She was totally without shame B. Clarke wrote that she kissed him, to show that she was affectionately attached to him. II. with a brazen (impudent) face she said: A. Her body language was in keeping with her proposal. B. The immoral woman was unashamed of her actions and intentions. Proverbs 7:14, Today I fulfilled my vows, and I have food from my fellowship offering at home. (NIV) I. I have fellowship (peace) offerings at home; A. She then invited the young man to her house. B. Leviticus 3:1-11, If your offering is a fellowship offering, and you offer an animal from the herd, whether male or female, you are to present before the LORD an animal without defect. You are to lay your hand on the head of your offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aaron s sons the priests shall splash the blood against the sides of the altar. From the fellowship offering you are to bring a food offering to the LORD: the internal organs and all the fat that is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which you will remove with the kidneys. Then Aaron s sons are to burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering that is lying on the burning wood; it is a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the

23 LORD. If you offer an animal from the flock as a fellowship offering to the LORD, you are to offer a male or female without defect. If you offer a lamb, you are to present it before the LORD, lay your hand on its head and slaughter it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron s sons shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar. From the fellowship offering you are to bring a food offering to the LORD: its fat, the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, the internal organs and all the fat that is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which you will remove with the kidneys. The priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering presented to the LORD. (NIV) C. Peace or fellowship offerings were to make peace and restore fellowship between God and man. 1. The offerings were to be divided among Jehovah, the priests and the presenter of the offerings. 2. The immoral woman was inviting the young man to share her part of the offering, which was to be eaten as a rule on the day it was offered. II. today I fulfilled my vows. A. The remnants of the fellowship offering would be their meal. 1. It was to be eaten that very day. a. Leviticus 7:11-18, These are the regulations for the fellowship offering anyone may present to the LORD: If they offer it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering

24 they are to offer thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, thin loaves made without yeast and brushed with oil, and thick loaves of the finest flour well-kneaded and with oil mixed in. Along with their fellowship offering of thanksgiving they are to present an offering with thick loaves of bread made with yeast. They are to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the LORD; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the fellowship offering against the altar. The meat of their fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; they must leave none of it till morning. If, however, their offering is the result of a vow or is a freewill offering, the sacrifice shall be eaten on the day they offer it, but anything left over may be eaten on the next day. Any meat of the sacrifice left over till the third day must be burned up. If any meat of the fellowship offering is eaten on the third day, the one who offered it will not be accepted. It will not be reckoned to their credit, for it has become impure; the person who eats any of it will be held responsible. (NIV) 2. She promised the young man a delicious meal if he would accept her invitation to go home with her. B. The immoral woman was religious even to fulfilling her vows. 1. Religious is not the same thing as pure, holy, righteous, godly.

25 C. Several commentators suggest the immoral woman may have been a heathen idol worshipper whose sacrifice had been to her idols, the worship of which involved sexual rites. (Clarke) Proverbs 7:15, So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! (NIV) I. So I came out to meet you; A. The immoral woman suggests she was looking for someone with whom to eat this special meal. 1. The immoral woman used a religious meal as a pretext to get the young man into her house and bed. 2. This is certainly not the last time religion has been used to achieve selfish and sinful goals. II. I looked for you and have found you! A. You (she claimed) are the special person for whom I was looking. (See Smith.) 1. Deceit, lying, immorality go together. 2. Don t believe, take at face value, everything said to you. Proverbs 7:16, I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. (NIV) I. I have covered my bed with colored linens (tapestry) from Egypt.

26 A. Her bed was adorned with expensive covers (cushions, pillows) imported from Egypt. (Smith) 1. She uses this as a technique to seduce the young man. B. Special linen and spices are associated with lovemaking and were thought to have possessed an aphrodisiac quality. (Bland) 1. Song of Solomon 4:6, Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of incense. (NIV) 2. Psalm 45:8, All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad. (NIV) C. Wonder who paid for these spices and imported linens? Perhaps the husband? Proverbs 7:17, I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. (NIV) I. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. A. The wayward wife had perfumed her bed in anticipation of a romantic evening. (Smith) B. Perfume: 1. Myrrh, an extract from the wood of a certain tree, was used in anointing oil, perfume and purification rites for women. (Youngblood)

27 a. Exodus 30:23, Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus, (NIV) b. Esther 2:12, Before a young woman s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. (NIV) c. John 19:39, He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. (NIV) 2. Aloes were derived from two plants, one a tree and the other a flower of the lily family. The wood of the aloe tree is fragrant and highly valued for perfume and incense. The aloe derived from the leaves of the flower was an expensive product used in embalming. (Youngblood) 3. Cinnamon, a member of the laurel family, produced bark and oil that was used for anointing and perfume. (Youngblood) 4. These substances were dissolved in or mixed with water, and then sprinkled on the couch. (The Pulpit Commentary) a. Isaiah 3:18-24, In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, the earrings and bracelets and veils, the headdresses and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, the signet rings and nose rings, the fine robes and the capes and cloaks,

28 the purses and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls. Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of welldressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding. (NIV) Proverbs 7:18, Come, let s drink deeply of love till morning; let s enjoy ourselves with love! (NIV) I. Come, let s drink deep (take our fill) of love till morning; A. She promised an entire night of love-making, Smith wrote. 1. There would be much love-making. II. let s enjoy ourselves with love! A. This night would be really special, a never to be forgotten experience! (Smith) the immoral woman claimed, boasted, said enticingly. Proverbs 7:19, My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. (NIV) I. My husband (the good man, the man of the house) is not at home; (literally, For the man is not in his house. ) A. There is no need to fear the woman s husband because he is out of town and would not soon return. 1. Proverbs 6:32-35, But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away. For jealousy arouses a husband s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. He will not accept

29 any compensation; he will refuse a bribe, however great it is. (NIV) B. She told the young man, No one will ever know of our activities; (no one, that is, except God!) C. The Hebrew simply reads the man, which is a contemptuous way for the woman to speak of her husband. (The Pulpit Commentary) II. he has gone on a long journey. A. This immoral woman was not at all concerned for her husband. 1. She had no respect for him! B. Obviously, she really didn t care for the young man s welfare either. Proverbs 7:20, He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon. (NIV) I. He took his purse filled with money and A. The husband was evidently a wealthy business man who frequently made business trips. 1. Clarke suggested he might have been an itinerant merchandiser. B. The fact that the husband took a substantial amount of money with him was further evidence that he was not expected to return home any time soon. II. will not be home till full moon.

30 A. for a long time, until the appointed time, until the time of the approaching festival. B. The night was presently dark meaning there would be no soon return of the husband, nothing to worry about, the immoral woman assured the young man. Proverbs 7:21, With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. (NIV) I. With persuasive words she led him astray; A. The young man was unprepared to resist the immoral woman s allurements, persuasive words. 1. Proverbs 2:16, Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, (NIV) 2. Proverbs 5:3, For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; (NIV) 3. Proverbs 6:24, keeping you from your neighbor s wife, from the smooth talk of a wayward woman. (NIV) B. She led him astray! but he gladly followed her lead. C. Clarke wrote, with her lascivious talk, she overcame all his scruples, and constrained him to yield. II. she seduced him with her smooth talk. A. Hamilton wrote, Though lovely to the ear, smooth speech entraps, ruins and deceives.

31 1. Proverbs 29:5, Those who flatter their neighbors are spreading nets for their feet. (NIV) 2. Proverbs 26:28, A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin. (NIV) 3. Psalm 55:21, His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords. (NIV) 4. Proverbs 28:23, Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor rather than one who has a flattering tongue. (NIV) 5. Isaiah 30:10, They say to the seers, See no more visions! and to the prophets, Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. (NIV) 6. Ezekiel 12:24, For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel. (NIV) B. First, with her flattering speech she won the young man s mind. 1. The young man s body followed his mind. Proverbs 7:22, All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose (NIV) I. All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, A. The young man didn t realize what he was getting himself into. 1. His was a fatal attraction.

32 2. He was following the adulteress as a dumb ox led to slaughter. (See Bland.) B. The ox, deer and bird all serve to mark the stupidity and folly of the man who is led away by an enticing woman or who lives a life of intemperance, Clarke wrote. 1. Once persuaded the young man went headlong after the bait being unmindful of the big hook concealed in the bait. II. like a deer stepping into a noose A. The deer is totally unaware of what his next step will do to him. B. The young man is unaware of the price he will pay for going through the immoral woman s door. Proverbs 7:23, till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life. (NIV) I. till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, A. Suddenly and unexpectedly disaster strikes! B. The Pulpit Commentary reads, The youth follows the harlot till his liver, the seat of his passions (it was thought) is thoroughly inflamed, or till fatal consequences ensue. II. little knowing it will cost him his life. A. The price of fornication and adultery is death (moral and physical) in this world and in eternity everlasting doom.

33 B. the infatuated youth does not consider that his life is at stake, that he is bringing upon himself, by his vicious rashness, temporal and spiritual ruin, The Pulpit Commentary reads. Note: The narrative/story ends here. What follows is a practical exhortation to hear the lessons derived from it. (See the Pulpit Commentary) Proverbs 7:24, Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. (NIV) I. Now then, my sons, listen to me; A. Verse 1 begins by focusing on one son, but now sons are mentioned; that is, young men generally. (Smith) 1. All young men need this advice and some older ones as well! B. Coffman quoted the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries as saying the young man s defense was to be threefold; viz., 1. Guard your mind. 2. Keep away from, avoid all contact, with the immoral woman. 3. Look past the time of fleeting pleasure to the pain and death sin it produces. II. pay attention to what I say. A. Listen to parental advice, not to the immoral woman.

34 Proverbs 7:25, Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. (NIV) I. Do not let your heart turn to her ways A. Avoid temptation! B. Be constantly vigilant to sins, allurements and effects. (See Bland.) C. Matthew 7:13-14, Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (NIV) II. or stay into her paths. A. Think of prominent (mighty) people of accomplishment, even presidential candidates, whose careers have been totally destroyed by immoral women. 1. Don t overlook the ordinary people who have been destroyed by immorality. 2. Don t let anyone s heart incline into sinful ways! 3. Among these mighty men are Samson, David, Solomon Proverbs 7:26, Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. (NIV) I. Many are the victims she has brought down;

35 A. The immoral woman leaves behind her many, so many spiritual and moral corpses of her victims! 1. Promiscuity leads to an early grave. (See Bland.) 2. Ruined souls are left strewn behind the immoral woman. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) II. her slain are a mighty throng. A. The slain are so many they totally astound and bewilder us all! Proverbs 7:27, Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death. (NIV) I. Her house is a highway to the grave (Sheol, hell), A. The house of the evil woman is here compared to a field of battle strewn with the corpses of the many slain. Coffman wrote quoting Albert Barnes. 1. Proverbs 2:18, Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. (NIV) 2. Proverbs 3:3-5, Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; (NIV) II. leading down to the chambers of death. A. Promises of pleasure turn out to be lies, the end of which is death and the grave.

36 B. Her house is the way to hell! Conclusion: I. the strange woman serves to warn how lust and adultery can turn a person away from the path of wisdom, Hamilton wrote, and into the way of foolishness and ruin. A. Many voices call for us to follow: 1. Our destinies here and hereafter hinge on which voices we follow. B. How do you decide which voice you will follow? Questions

37 Proverbs 7:1-27 (Questions based on NIV text) 1. On a continual basis we are called upon to make decisions. The way of leads to while the way of leads to. 2. The first main section of the book of Proverbs covers chapters through. 3. In these chapters fifteen (15) discourses are presented, found in the following references: 1. Discourse 1: 2. Discourse 2: 3. Discourse 3: 4. Discourse 4: 5. Discourse 5: 6. Discourse 6: 7. Discourse 7: 8. Discourse 8: 9. Discourse 9: 10. Discourse 10:

38 11. Discourse 11: 12. Discourse 12: 13. Discourse 13: 14. Discourse 14: 15. Discourse 15: 4. Identify the speaker and the one addressed in Proverbs 7. 5. What, in two or three sentences, is the speaker saying? 6. How were the commands to be guarded? How and where were they to be bound and written?

39 7. Define phylacteries. 8. How can we make wisdom, understanding our sister, kinsman? What does it mean to make wisdom, understanding our sister, kinsman? 9. What will wisdom and instruction do for the person who possesses them?

40 10. Define lattice. What purposes did a lattice serve? 11. When the speaker looked through the window, what did he see? 12. Define simple as used in verse 7.

41 13. What was the simple young man doing? (See verse 8). Why was he there? 14. Who came out to meet the young man? At what time of day was this? What was the significance of the meeting time? 15. How was the woman dressed?

42 16. The woman was, and, never stayed at but was found in the, then in the, at every. 17. This is no, but a whose is no different than a. 18. Give all the information you can about this woman s husband. 19. How did the woman feel about her husband?

43 20. List the steps in the young man s seduction. What did the woman do to get the young man into her bed? 21. How did the woman mix religion and sin? 22. Give examples of the mixing of religion and sin in today s church.

44 23. List all the sins of this woman. 24. List all the sins of the young man. 25. Where was the woman s husband? Why was he not expected home any time soon?

45 26. The was to the s,. She led him, but he her. She him with her. 27. The young man followed the immoral woman like an going to the, like a into a, like a bird into a all of whom were unaware of the disaster that would befall them. 28. What is the point of mentioning the lives in verse 23? 29. How should the young man and we defend ourselves against the wiles of the devil? (See verses 24-25.)

46 30. Name prominent people, biblical and non-biblical, who were irreparably injured by immoral women. 31. The house of the immoral woman is a to the, leading down to the of. 32. How do you make decisions? When have you chosen righteously? When have you chosen sinfully? 33. How does immorality destroy?

47 34. Fill your heart with and there will be no room for. 35. Why does Proverbs 7 center attention on the wicked woman as an instigator when there are certainly as many wicked adulterous men as there are wicked adulterous women?