From the beginning God has intended for the relationship between a man and a woman to be sacred. But because of the fall of man that relationship has been perverted. And the further man walks away from God the more perverted it gets. Romans 1 tells us exactly what happens when it gets to the point where God hands us over to our own lust.

Romans 1 (NKJV)

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. ²⁴ Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. ²⁸ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving unmerciful; ³² who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

And in Judges 16 we see just how Samson was brought to his death by his lust for Delilah.

Judges 16 (NKJV)

16 Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her. ² When the Gazites were told, “Samson has come here!” they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, “In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him.” ³ And Samson lay low till midnight; then he arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron. ⁴ Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. ⁵ And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver. ”⁶ So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you.” ⁷ And Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

⁸ So the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, and she bound him with them. ⁹ Now men were lying in wait, staying with her in the room. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he broke the bowstrings as a strand of yarn breaks when it touches fire. So the secret of his strength was not known. ¹⁰ Then Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you have mocked me and told me lies. Now, please tell me what you may be bound with.” ¹¹ So he said to her, “If they bind me securely with new ropes that have never been used, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

¹² Therefore Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And men were lying in wait, staying in the room. But he broke them off his arms like a thread. ¹³ Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me what you may be bound with.” And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom”— ¹⁴ So she wove it tightly with the batten of the loom, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep, and pulled out the batten and the web from the loom. ¹⁵ Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies.” ¹⁶ And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, ¹⁷ that he told her all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

¹⁸ When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart.” So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. ¹⁹ Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him,^[a] and his strength left him. ²⁰ And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. ²¹ Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison. ²² However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven.

²³ Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands
Samson our enemy!” ²⁴ When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said:

“Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, The destroyer of our land,
And the one who multiplied our dead.”

²⁵ So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And they stationed him between the pillars. ²⁶ Then Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars which support the temple, so that I can lean on them.” ²⁷ Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there—about three thousand men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed. ²⁸ Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” ²⁹ And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. ³⁰ Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life. ³¹ And his brothers and all his father’s household came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel twenty years.

 

Sexual sins are one of the most used weapons that Satan comes at us with. We are told that we are to present our bodies to God as a living and holy sacrifice. But instead of keeping our eyes on God we start looking at the world instead.

Romans 12 (NKJV)

12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

That last statement bears repeating! Instead of keeping our eyes on God we start looking at the world instead. And instead of running from the temptations that Satan is tempting us with, we take hold of them. Satan can never force us to do so. But that is part of his lies. God has given us the weapons to be able to deal with sin. One of those weapons is his word.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (NKJV)

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age^] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

It is through the learning and use of his word that we gain the strength to be able to resist the temptations that Satan keeps throwing at us. Unfortunately there are so many people that continue to allow themselves to be placed into bondage. We become snared by these temptations because we do not spend the time needed to prepare for the battles that we face in our walk with God. We need to understand that the time needed to prepare for these battles is before the battle. Not during the battle. God has come to the rescue several times but we will never be able to accomplish what God wants for us if we never prepare ourselves for what he has planned for us. Satan knows this. He knows the weaknesses that can be exploited. And there are many. There are reasons that he is able to exploit and use the sin of harlotry to destroy peoples live. He has taken most sacred thing that God has given us and twisted it into something perverted.

It is through that relationship between a man and woman that God chose to populate the world. It is through that relationship that God chose to expand his kingdom and bring them into a relationship with him. But because Satan was able to tempt Eve into taking her eyes off of God and put them on her own selfish desires, he has a tool the he can use to exploit with. Many have fallen because of this. Including many who were otherwise godly men. But these godly men failed to hold on to the tools that God had given them to fight those battles that Satan came at them with. Without taking hold of God’s word and learning how to use it to fight those battles with many men and women have fallen and been taken captive. We are warned many times of the reward of sin. Especially in proverbs!

Proverbs 7 (NKJV)

²¹ With her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
With her flattering lips she seduced him.
²² Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
²³ Till an arrow struck his liver.
As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it would cost his life.

²⁴ Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
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 she has cast down many wounded,
And all who were slain by her were strong men.
²⁷ Her house is the way to hell,
Descending to the chambers of death.

 Throughout the last few chapters of Proverbs God has brought to the forefront just how important the relationship between a husband and wife are. The world has distorted this relationship but nothing has changed with God. There will be a day of reckoning coming for those that have distorted what God has created. Many choose not to believe what he has to say about such relationships but that is a choice that they have made. Any arguments that they may have will be futile because just like it says in Proverbs 1:24-33 wisdom has called out to them and they refuse to heed its call.

²⁴ Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
²⁵ Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
²⁶ I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
²⁷ When your terror comes like a storm,

 

Proverbs Chapter 7 Explained

 Proverbs 7 NKJV – My son, keep my words, And treasure my – Bible Gateway

Proverbs 7:1 “My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.”

Again, we see here the father’s love for the son in teaching him the ways of righteousness. It is just as important to remember them as it is to learn them. Learning what we never use is of no use to us. Learning of commandments that keep us out of trouble will also save our life.

Proverbs 7:2 “Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.”

This expression refers to the pupil of the eye which, because it is the source of sight, is carefully protected. The son is to guard and protect his father’s teachings because they give him spiritual and moral sight.

Proverbs 7:3 “Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.”

This is a call to give the truth of divine wisdom a permanent place in the mind and in conduct.

In Israel, it is not uncommon to write the Ten Commandments on tablets and wear them like rings on their fingers. The tables of our heart are the very place for all of God’s laws to be. The world might do away with our Bibles, but they could not do away with the things we have hidden in our heart.

Proverbs 7:4 “Say unto wisdom, Thou [art] my sister; and call understanding [thy] kinswoman:”

Wisdom should become part of our very being. We have said before that wisdom is a gift of God to us and is in our inner most being. Understanding and wisdom go hand in hand.  If we are wise, we have understanding.

Proverbs 7:5 “That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger [which] flattereth with her words.”

This is a repeat of what we have been reading about the whorish woman. Perhaps the reason this is mentioned so many times is so that the young men will clearly remember these instructions.

Proverbs 7:6 “For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,”

The drama of seduction by the adulteress, introduced in v.5 and unfolding to v.23, is described from the viewpoint on one who is watching from his window.

Proverbs 7:7 “And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,”

As we read in chapter 1 verse 4 “To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion”. The purpose is to impart discernment to the naïve and the ignorant. The root of “simple” is a word meaning “an open door,” an apt description of the undiscerning, who do not know what to keep in or out of their minds. This describes this young man void of understanding.

Proverbs 7:8 “Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,” Proverbs 7:9 “In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:”

We see a picture here of someone observing from their window a young man who is not filled with the wisdom that we have been reading about, but a man who has no wisdom and understanding. He is a foolish man, spoken of as a simple man here (perhaps unlearned). He has not heeded the warnings about the harlot woman and he goes into her house.

Against the advice of 4:14-15, he put himself right in the harlot’s place. “Fleeing immorality” (1Cor. 6;18) starts by not being in the harlot’s neighborhood at night.

Notice he believes that he is hidden by the darkness of the night. Many sins are committed in the dark and regretted in the light.

Proverbs 7:10 “And, behold, there met him a woman [with] the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.”

This is an unfair contest between the simple young man, who lacks wisdom and is void of the truth, and the evil woman, who knows her goal, but hides her true intentions.

You ladies take note. There is a way to dress that would appear to be the dress of a harlot. This Scripture does not describe it for us, but most of us know what it looks like. It is way too short, and very tight so that her form would show. The neck would be cut low as to show her bosom. Very little would be left to the imagination. She would be wearing way too much makeup and have flashy jewelry hanging all over her. A pretty good description, wouldn’t you say? 

Now let us stop looking at her attire and look at her.

Proverbs 7:11 “(She [is] loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:” Proverbs 7:12 “Now [is she] without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)”

She makes much noise to be seen and heard. She may be married but “her feet” does not abide in her own house.

In other words she is a pick-up off the street.

These verses break the narrative to describe the woman’s modes of operation leading to her successful seduction of the simple man.

Proverbs 7:13 “So she caught him, and kissed him, [and] with an impudent face said unto him,”

We see here a very forward woman. This open display of her lust for him in kissing him in public is revolting.

Proverbs 7:14 “[I have] peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.” 

These peace offerings should not be involved in this type of rendezvous. Peace offerings were offered in the temple and a portion brought home to eat in a ceremonial supper, but not used as a bribe to get a man.

According to the law of peace offerings, the meat left over after the sacrifice was to be eaten before the end of the day. She appears very religious in making the invitation that the man join her because she had made her offering and is bringing home the meat that must be eaten.

Proverbs 7:15 “Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.”

It is already night and the meal must be consumed. It cannot be left for morning. Such hypocrisy is concerned about the ceremonial law while aggressively seducing someone to violate God’s moral law.

Proverbs 7:16 “I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved [works], with fine linen of Egypt.”  Proverbs 7:17 “I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.”

Fine linen was a sign of wealth. Here the solicitation is direct, as she describes the comfort of her bed with its aromatic spices.

Proverbs 7:18 “Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.”

We see here a woman who planned ahead to sin. She had already prepared her bed before she ever saw this young foolish man. This is a way of life with her. Her sleeping arrangements would have cost her a lot of money to prepare. This linen of Egypt symbolizes righteousness of the world which is filthy rags. Linen = righteousness. Egypt = world. This myrrh was expensive perfume which was ordinarily for the wedding bed.

Adultery is not true love, but mere physical gratification. Love and lust have been exchanged here. No love exists, this is pure lust. The first thing that is wrong with this is that they are not married to each other.

Proverbs 7:19 “For the goodman [is] not at home, he is gone a long journey:” Proverbs 7:20 “He hath taken a bag of money with him, [and] will come home at the day appointed.” 

Here she gives the simple man the assurance that there is no fear of discovery of their act, since her husband has taken a large sum of cash, needed because he will be away for a long time, returning at a set time and not before.

Proverbs 7:21 “With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.”

In a previous lesson, the young men were warned about not listening to this kind of woman with her flattering lips. Now we see in detail how she flatters and then convinces this foolish young man to come in unto her.  She first says, “I am here by myself; my husband has gone and won’t be back till he spends all of that money he took with him”. He finally gives in to her flattering and goes in unto her.

When the location, time and setting were allowed, the seduction was easy.

Proverbs 7:22 “He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;”

An ox has no idea that he is going to be killed, until it actually happens. This is the way of this foolish man here. He cannot see the destruction that lies ahead.

Ignorant of the real danger and incapable of resistance, he quickly succumbs like a beast to be butchered or a criminal put in stocks.

Proverbs 7:23 “Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it [is] for his life.”

This has been the plot all along, to lure him as a bird is lured into a net and then killed. All the while he has no idea of the plot to kill him.

This refers to a mortal wound, as the liver represents the seat of life and the bird is snared to be eaten.

Proverbs 7:24 “Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.”

Here, again, is a warning not to go in unto a harlot.

The appropriate application of this drama is made in the admonition of these verses to avoid her deadly seduction.

Proverbs 7:25 “Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.”

A wise heart would not fall into this trap. This is just a warning to stay away from this evil woman. You would have to decline to get to her, for her place is in hell.

Proverbs 7:26 “For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong [men] have been slain by her.”

It is not just the weak men who fall, but strong men in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong thoughts for the wrong reasons.

Paid adulteresses have ruined many lives. There are many men whose lives have been totally destroyed by visiting this type woman.

Proverbs 7:27 “Her house [is] the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.”

There is no heavenly home for these women or the men they trick unless they repent and turn from their wicked ways. Death and destruction await her and her victims.

The wicked devise a plot of deception in which the innocent are captured and victimized like the one who is taken by death itself. “Sheol” is the place of death. For the wicked it is a place of no return, darkness, and torment.

Proverbs Chapter 7 Questions

1. In verse 2, what is to be kept as the apple of his eye?
2. How can we see the father’s love for the son?
3. What is this that is to be bound to the fingers?
4. Where is the most important place to put the commandments of God?
5. What are we to call understanding that shows how close it should be to us?
6. What is meant by strange woman?
7. What was seen through the window of his house?
8. This young man was void of what?
9. Why did the young man go, as it was getting dark, to this place?
10. What teaching has this young man forgotten?
11. Who met the young man?
12. How was she dressed?
13. Describe how you feel a harlot would be dressed.
14. Not her dress, but her own character gave a picture of her as well. Describe her.
15. What was the first thing she did when she saw him?
16. Tell what the fine linen and Egypt are symbolic of.
17. How do we know that this woman planned ahead to sin?
18. Where does she say her husband is?
19. How had she forced this young man to go into her home?
20. How is this young man compared to an ox?
21. What has been this evil woman’s plot all along?
22. In verse 24 and 25, what warning is repeated?
23. Who have already been slain by her?
24. What 2 things await this evil woman and her victims?

 

Proverbs 7 (NKJV)

7 My son, keep my words,
And treasure my commands within you.
² Keep my commands and live,
And my law 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 nearest kin,
⁵ That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.

The Crafty Harlot

⁶ For at the window of my house
I looked through my lattice,
⁷ And saw among the simple,
I perceived among the youths,
A young man devoid of understanding,
⁸ Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house
⁹ In the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night.

¹⁰ And there a woman met him,
With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
¹¹ She was loud and rebellious,
Her feet would not stay at home.
¹² At times she was outside, at times in the open square,
Lurking at every corner.
¹³ So she caught him and kissed him;
With an impudent face she said to him:
¹⁴ “I have peace offerings with me;
Today I have paid my vows.
¹⁵ So I came out to meet you,
Diligently to seek your face,
And I have found you.
¹⁶ I have spread my bed with tapestry,
Colored coverings of Egyptian linen.
¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
¹⁸ Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with love.
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,
And will come home on the appointed day.”

²¹ With her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
With her flattering lips she seduced him.
²² Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
²³ Till an arrow struck his liver.
As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it would cost his life.

²⁴ Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
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 she has cast down many wounded,
And all who were slain by her were strong men.
²⁷ Her house is the way to hell,
Descending to the chambers of death.