Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you.
2 Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching 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 call understanding your intimate friend;
The writer of this chapter wants to say something very important, and so once again, he reminds his reader to pay careful attention, and take steps to remind himself of what he is learning here so that he never forgets it.
This is a matter of spiritual life and death – which is why the writer says, "Keep my commandments and live…"
5 That they may keep you from an adulteress, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
Flattery from the opposite sex can make you do things that you would never otherwise do. A wise person recognizes the dangers of flattery, learns how to recognize when he is being flattered, and prepares in advance to handle flattery.
6 For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice,
7 and I saw among the naive, and discerned among the youths a young man lacking sense,
8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he takes the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 and behold, a woman comes to meet him, dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart.
It is rare for a person to realize when he lacks sense. However, here is a test: if you let yourself enter a compromising position because of a woman then, per verse seven, you are lacking sense.
Learn from other people’s mistakes in this area, and make sure that you don’t repeat them.
11 She is boisterous and rebellious; her feet do not remain at home;
12 She is now in the streets, now in the squares, and lurks by every corner.
13 So she seizes him and kisses him and with a brazen face she says to him:
14 "I was due to offer peace offerings; today I have paid my vows.
15 "Therefore I have come out to meet you, to seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you.
16 "I have spread my couch with coverings, with colored linens of Egypt.
17 "I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
18 "Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; let us delight ourselves with caresses.
19 "For my husband is not at home, he has gone on a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money with him, at the full moon he will come home."
21 With her many persuasions she entices him; with her flattering lips she seduces him.
There will always be people of the opposite sex to tempt you and entice you to go astray. They will say whatever you want to hear, and do whatever it takes to entice you.
They will make you feel wanted and desirable, and make the path of folly appear very pleasurable.
They will make the dangers of the path of folly seem miniscule.
It is your responsibility, whether young or old, to figure out how to escape this trap.
22 Suddenly he follows her as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool,
23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, so he does not know that it will cost him his life.
In this day and age, it is not too difficult for a young man (or woman) to find a young or old woman (or man) who will give him (or her) the sexual pleasure that his body craves. It therefore requires severe self-discipline and self-control for one to stay away from sexual sin. This chapter brings this battle to light, and a man and woman who fears God will take the words of this chapter to heart.
Victory in this area is beyond any man (or woman), but comes from the Lord. It is the Lord who protects those who fear Him and those who desire to please Him.
Remember Joseph? He was far away from home, but he was a man of great integrity. He passed the test with flying colors. If you were in his place, would you pass the test?
24 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, and pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, do not stray into her paths.
26 For many are the victims she has cast down, and numerous are all her slain.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.
Ideally, you want to avoid sexual sin from the beginning. If you are a young man or woman, in your early teens, you have the great opportunity to do so – don’t waste it!
If you are someone who has already messed up, you can’t change the past, but you can still change the future. Don’t let Satan make you feel guilty about your past; instead ask God to forgive you, and fight to keep yourself pure from this day onwards.
To be sure, it is a fight, and even if you fall ten times a day, get up, repent, and keep fighting.
Don’t give up in your fight to stay away from fornication, adultery, and every kind of sexual sin mentioned in the Bible. Even though all your friends around you engage in it, you keep your slate clean. God, who notices your behavior, will reward you for your effort. When you are older, you will see the great benefit of listening to the advice in this chapter.
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