A Father's Warning to Young Men
"For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood." Proverbs
Young men, there are few dangers that can destroy your future faster than sexual temptation.
Solomon, the wisest king who ever lived, did not write Proverbs 7 to shame women. He wrote it to protect young men.
The chapter is a father speaking to his son. He is warning him about a trap that has destroyed countless men before him.
The adulterous woman in Proverbs 7 represents more than a person. She represents temptation itself:
- Sexual immorality
- Pornography
- Seduction
- Emotional manipulation
- Ungodly relationships
- The pursuit of pleasure without commitment
The warning is simple:
Do not trade your future wife for a temporary pleasure.
Lets read Proverbs Chapter 7
Proverbs 7:1-27
My son, keep my words,
And treasure my commands within you.
Keep my commands and live,
And my law as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom, "You are my sister,"
And call understanding your nearest kin,
That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.
For at the window of my house
I looked through my lattice,
And saw among the simple,
I perceived among the youths,
A young man devoid of understanding,
Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house
In the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night.
And there a woman met him,
With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
She was loud and rebellious,
Her feet would not stay at home.
At times she was outside, at times in the open square,
Lurking at every corner.
So she caught him and kissed him;
With an impudent face she said to him:
"I have peace offerings with me;
Today I have paid my vows.
So I came out to meet you,
Diligently to seek your face,
And I have found you.
I have spread my bed with tapestry,
Colored coverings of Egyptian linen.
I have perfumed my bed
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with love.
For my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey;
He has taken a bag of money with him,
And will come home on the appointed day.
"
With her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
With her flattering lips she seduced him.
Immediately he went after her,
As an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
Till an arrow struck his liver.
As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it would cost his life.
Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth:
Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths;
For she has cast down many wounded,
And all who were slain by her were strong men.
Her house is the way to hell,
Descending to the chambers of death.
The First Warning: Temptation Starts Long Before the Sin
"He took the path to her house."
The young man did not accidentally end up in sin.
He walked toward it.
Most men fall long before the actual act.
The fall begins when:
- You entertain the message.
- You continue the conversation.
- You keep viewing the content.
- You keep visiting the profile.
- You keep imagining the possibility.
The wise man avoids the path.
The foolish man tests his strength.
What this means for us
Do not ask:
"How close can I get to temptation?"
Ask:
"How far can I stay from it?"
The Second Warning: Temptation Always Sounds Good
"Her lips flatter."
Notice that she does not threaten him.
She compliments him.
She makes him feel special.
She makes him feel desired.
Temptation rarely arrives looking dangerous.
It arrives looking attractive.
That is why pornography is attractive.
That is why emotional affairs feel exciting.
That is why ungodly relationships seem harmless.
Satan rarely uses chains.
He uses bait.
What this means for us
Not everything that feels good is good.
Not everything attractive is from God.
The Third Warning: Strong Men Also Fall
"Many strong men were slain by her."
This may be the most important verse in the chapter.
Solomon does not say weak men fell.
He says strong men fell.
Throughout Scripture:
- Samson fell.
- David fell.
- Solomon himself fell.
- Strength alone is not enough.
A man does not overcome temptation because he is strong.
A man overcomes temptation because he is submitted to God.
What this means for us
Never say:
"That could never happen to me."
The moment you believe you are above temptation is often the moment you are closest to falling.
The Noble Wife Versus The Strange Woman
Proverbs presents two women.
The strange woman of Proverbs 7.
And the noble wife of Proverbs 31.
The strange woman offers:
- Pleasure without commitment
- Attention without loyalty
- Desire without covenant
The noble wife offers:
- Faithfulness
- Character
- Wisdom
- Partnership
- Fear of the Lord
One steals a man's future.
The other helps him build one.
Proverbs 31:10
"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies."
The goal of a young man is not to chase many women.
The goal is to become the kind of man who can recognise and honour a noble wife when God brings her into his life.
A Message To Young Men (16–24)
Brothers,
The world will tell you:
- Sleep around.
- Follow your desires.
- Watch whatever you want.
- Experiment.
- Have fun while you're young.
But Solomon says something different.
He says:
Guard your heart.
The decisions you make now will shape:
- Your future marriage.
- Your future children.
- Your future testimony.
- Your relationship with God.
The woman you marry one day deserves a man who learned self-control before he met her.
Final Challenge
One day you will stand before two paths.
The path of temporary pleasure.
Or the path of wisdom.
One leads to regret.
The other leads to life.
The adulterous woman promises excitement.
The noble wife builds a kingdom beside you.
Young men,
Do not prepare only to find a noble wife.
Prepare to become a noble husband.
Closing
"Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths; For she has cast down many wounded, And all who were slain by her were strong men." Proverbs 7:25-26