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Proverbs Chapter Seven
January 7, 2017

Last week we continued a study on the Book of Proverbs and read in chapter six about sins that God hates and about one particular sin that is an abomination to God. Chapter seven is an example of why we should not only know the commandments of God, but why we should also keep the commandments.

Proverbs 7:1-3
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.

Beyond faith is wisdom. It is very possible to have wisdom without faith and to have faith without wisdom. It is best when faith and wisdom are both part of your life. Faith gives you the basis to believe and do when there may not be any evidence to support your belief and wisdom allows you to carefully apply belief in your life, especially when your life intersects with the lives of others. Wisdom should be your best friend because it will keep you from being conned by people who want to use you. The younger you are the more likely you are to be misled, and you are more likely to be misled because you have fewer life experiences to consider. Wisdom can help you think through new situations and certain values, like those found in the commandments are timeless. The more you understand the commandments the more values you can draw from; the more wisdom you will have. Avoid those who rationalize improper behaviors. In chapter seven, a lusty woman is used to typify a person who rationalizes improper behavior. It makes no difference if it is a lusty woman or a person trying to rationalize any type of improper behavior. The only rationale decision to be made is to do what is right and to always do what is right.

Proverbs 7:4-15
Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner. So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

As the story of chapter seven continues one rationalized behavior leads to another more significant rationalized behavior as the story moves from the unexpected kiss from a lady in the streets to agreeing to go to her house when her husband is away. Agreeing to do something small that is wrong will always lead to doing something larger that is wrong. Behaviors are like interest; with time they compound. Good behaviors will lead to other good behaviors and bad behaviors will lead to more bad behaviors. Once you agree that it is okay to to something wrong that is a small act, it becomes easier to do bigger things that are wrong. Eventually choosing to do the wrong thing will lead to death.

Proverbs 7:16-27
I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

Avoid people who rationalize improper behavior. If you spend time with them, you too will begin to rationalize your own improper behavior.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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