Proverbs 7 THE DOWNFALL Solomon gave a number of positive exhortations to his son in the beginning verses of this chapter, and later in the chapter he speaks to all his children. Then following the passionate urging to his son to be wise and make wisdom his guide as well as his teacher, a sad illustration is given of the dynamics of compromise and how it loses badly to temptation and a fatal fall. The learner hears an incident in which plain expressions are used to describe what happened to a young man who yielded to temptation and pressure to conform to the ways of the ungodly.
Parental advice was given right at the beginning with urgency because experience taught the father that young people often discount the warnings of a parent and unnecessary meddling in their life. The father speaks of his commandments as a treasure to be guarded, “keep,” and not to let go of them. The “apple” of an eye is the pupil, which is the entrance into the brain of all the images of life around us, including light and dark, good and bad. The eye is especially sensitive because of its extreme value to the whole body. A godly course in life when you can see the pitfalls before you and avoid them, is the way to lead to a godly life. Tying something on your finger is a reminder of something important that needs to be tended to. When it is written on the heart, wisdom will instruct our intelligence, control our emotions, and our will which will control our actions. Writing on a tablet makes it a personal act and an impression that the information is permanent. It does not change an issue because people say it does. Think ahead and prepare in advance for the dangers that await you.
An understanding of what can or will happen if you do not follow the guidance of wisdom, will prepare to resist this greatest of personal dangers you will face. So, the father tells what he saw looking through his window. There was a group of young people just “hanging out” on the street, doing whatever young people do, and talking about what young people talk about who have had no guidance like you have. Careless talk and suggestive stories lead to foolish laughter making jokes about something that is serious. Walk away when sexual stories and experiences are being recounted or are treated as fun. Some foolish young people talk about their “conquests” over the opposite sex as if is normal because “everyone is doing it.” They may even try to outdo each other with the stories they have to tell and they think you are a “prude” if you don’t go along with what the majority does. Such gatherings are no laughing matter because they lead to a downfall.
Those young people knew where the prostitute lived. So did the father watching through the window who saw a young man go toward her house rather than run the other way. Approaching darkness, the twilight leads to real darkness in which people who plan for sin prefer. Approaching darkness is playing with sin thinking that you can control what is happening. The moral darkness of this world is increasing all the time so that many people don’t know what is right or wrong any more. The closer we get to evil, and the more we associate with people that love darkness, the more likely we are to fall into the pit of actual sin. It ceases to be potential evil when you walk toward it because it is then you compromise with what you know is right. That compromise flourishes and then occurs. When you choose to compromise, you enter into the compromise which ensnares, happens and finally costs you dearly.
In the illustration the father gives to his son, a woman who was dressed provocatively met this young man, indicating she was inwardly planning to seduce a man for her own purposes. Her outward clothing drew attention to her looks. The subtly of her inward person was to take advantage of a man for her own purposes. She was obviously not looking or acting like God intends. His desire is for a woman to be strong of character, and can be quietly trusted to guide a young man in a right path to a righteous life. This woman of the street laughed and talked loudly. She was an “in your face” person and unrestrained in the ways she speaks and what she says. She has no embarrassment when she reveals as much of herself as she can to attract attention to her body. She doesn’t want to be at home. She wants to be out on the street where the action is so she can get what she wants one way or another.
This woman makes it openly known the she is available by publicly displaying herself so that she will be noticed by as many people as possible. By embracing the young man who was a stranger and taking the initiative by her aggressive and open shamelessness, she takes control of the simple young man’s common sense. She indicated she has fulfilled some religious practice, so that now she is free to do what she wants. She came out to look for him especially which appeals to his male ego, and he falls for it hook, line and sinker because it relates to his own opinion of himself.
She makes her intention known that she has more on her mind than to have a meal with the young man. She wants him, and described what she had prepared for his pleasure. The bed is the focus because she knows that is what is on his mind. The preparations she made implies she is going to go to great lengths to fulfill his fantasies. She promises him experiences he never had before and calls it “love,” as if he is the main thing to her. She also assures him that her husband will not be coming to catch him in the bed with her, so he doesn’t have to worry. Sadly, even some professing Christians have done these things thinking no one will ever know about it. Remember, “the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” One’s conscience will keep you from having peace and rest of soul because of sin committed that is not known by other people – but God knows.
This beautiful dangerous woman overcomes his father’s instructions with flattery and false promises. The action of yielding to this woman indicates he fell for her enticements, makes his choice, and follows her with his head down like an ox in a yoke or a prisoner about to be beaten. He knew better, had been warned, but through foolishness succumbed to what he knew was wrong. A dart to the liver is a fatal shot, but a slow painful death. He will have lots of time to painfully regret his choice to ignore wisdom and take an unsatisfactory fleeting moment of pleasure instead. A bird in a trap flaps it wings for a short time, and then resigns itself to a slow death.
The father who had been telling this to his son, now turns to all his children and tells them to takes seriously what he had taught them. Stay away from those who tempt you to sin. “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” The best way to avoid sin and the practices of an evil world, is to stay as far away as you possibly can from compromise and temptation. Don’t think you can handle temptation on your own. A sexually appealing woman can take down a strong man without any weapon but herself. She appeals to the moral weakness of sinful flesh. The devil is an obvious enemy; the world is an attractive enemy; the flesh is an insidious enemy. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life all join to bring a young man down, and they will succeed if you neglect or despised wisdom.
What began with food, beauty and an attack on the senses – touch, taste, sight, smell and hearing – ends in a person going to hell after a long process of dying slowly. Sexual sin is a killer that can ruin a Christian’s testimony for life, even though they may be restored to the Lord personally. Guard your mind. Avoid books, pictures, TV programs and websites that promote fantasies and tempt you to think they could be real. Think ahead. What you do today has the potential of ruining all of your “tomorrows.”