Proverbs Pt. 19 Sexual Sin: The Quicksand of Immorality Leads to Death!

 

Today we move into Proverbs 5. The chapter begins with King Solomon admonishing his son for the third time to attend to his teaching. I thought it would be beneficial to see all four places where this expression is used in Proverbs.

Attention! Hear & Heed My Words.

Proverbs 4:1  Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

Proverbs 4:20  My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

Proverbs 5:1  My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

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

The word "attend: means to hear carefully with the intent to obey. It is hearing and heeding Godly instruction. The first time Solomon said this was in regards to his son listening carefully to know understanding. Understanding happens when we begin to comprehend how holy God really is from His Word. We gain knowledge of the holy (Proverbs 9:10). 

The second time Solomon said "My son, attend.." was to urge him to bend his ear and listen to words of wisdom from his father. The third time this expression was used by Solomon happened as he exhorted his son to listen to his wisdom and understanding and the last time was to listen to the words coming from the king's mouth.

Essentially, Solomon really drove home the need for his son to listen to his words twice and to his wisdom, understanding and and sayings. 

The wholesome influence of Wisdom upon us.

Proverbs 5:1-2  My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: 2) That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. 

In this text, King Solomon connected the act of his son hearing and heeding his father's wisdom, as having a direct impact upon his son's speech and actions. He would live a more purposeful life and speak with discretion rather than blurting things out without having his brain engaged. 

Beware the "Strange Woman"

Proverbs 5:3-6  For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: 4) But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. 5) Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. 6) Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. 

King Solomon gave a specific example of a "strange" woman and how committing sexual sins have serious consequences. The strange woman is an adulteress who is married but seeking sexual pleasure with another man. Eighty-nine percent of all references to a "strange woman" are found in the book of Proverbs. 

Notice how Solomon warned his son about the strange woman. Her words were smooth as honey, seductive, filled with the promise of forbidden pleasure. However, the consequences of adultery are never as positive as the strange woman sought to portray. 

Wormwood is an extremely bitter herb that had such a horrible taste that made a person ill, the Greeks called it undrinkable. The two edged sword was a devastating instrument of war that cut in both directions.

Thus the seductive words of the strange woman are smooth as oil and alluring to the senses but they will end up leaving a most bitter taste and her words will become razor sharp instead of pleasant. 

Quicksand is something that can be found anywhere under the right conditions. It is essentially sandy soil that becomes saturated with water and the normal friction between grains of sand is overcome. At that point quicksand can no longer support weight and those who are walking on it will begin sinking. 

There are boggy areas in various countries where quicksand patches exist. Usually, local people will mark out a safe path that you can follow to get across safely. It may be fatal if you stray from the path and get stuck in quicksand.

Following a strange woman into sin is like trying to pick a safe path across a bog of quicksand when the markers have been removed. Her ways are moveable meaning she does not live by fixed principles like those found in wisdom from God. Her morals are always shifting and changing with each day as she does what is right in her sight, rather than seeking to please God. 

Solomon pointed out the destiny of the strange woman. She is going forward toward death and hell, moving away from the holiness of God. She acts according to the lust of her flesh and her action is condemned by God's holy standard.

Proverbs 5:7-8  Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. 8) Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: 

Sexual impurity was widespread in part due to the nature of pagan religions that incorporated a ritual of fertility, sometimes called a fertility cult. Many pagan temples had hundreds of male and female prostitutes believing that fornication gained them favor to their "gods" so that they would have bountiful crops or many offspring. 

The law of God contains many provisions that address sexual impurity because the Hebrews were going to enter the land of Canaan where adultery and fornication were part of their culture. 

This is one reason why King Solomon stressed Wisdom from God that teaches us how to live a pure life before God. Therefore, Solomon told his children to never abandon the words of instruction that he gave them. It was for their spiritual wellbeing so that they could avoid much heartache and sorrow. 

King Solomon concluded by urging his sons to never go near where the strange woman lived. Take a different path to avoid her dwelling place and stay away from her. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Marriage is the foundation of society as ordained by God. It brings the joy and responsibility of raising children who will grow up to know the Lord. Sexual sin destroys marriages , ruins families and undermines society. It is no wonder that God speaks forcefully against sexual sin. 

Pornography use is widespread on the internet. It is a sad reality the fact that 90% of boys and 60% of girls in America have been exposed to pornography before age 18.  Worse, 50% of professing Christian men and 20% of Christian women say that they are addicted to pornography. 51% of Pastors in this particular survey confess to being addicted to porn. 

I share these very sad statistics so we can pray for all those who suffer from this addiction. We need to especially pray for God's sheltering protection upon our young children. 

Thus, King Solomon was right in placing such extraordinary emphasis upon the "strange woman", or the strange man, since men also do the same things as the strange woman. How can sexual sins be combatted? By gaining the wisdom from God. 

When Solomon told his sons "hear me, heed my words, pay attention to my instruction" it is like our Father in heaven is calling to us with the same pleading words. 

How would the wisdom of God help us resist the devil's temptation? First, knowing how God views sexual sin will help us see it as it truly is: vile and evil. Second, God gave us practical steps to take in this battle for what we see and do. 

He tells us avoid the place of temptation. For Solomon's sons it meant taking the long way around to avoid the place where the strange woman was active. For people today, it may mean making yourself accountable to a trusted friend so that together you monitor to make sure you do not visit the places where porn is offered.

He tells us to avoid listening to the strange woman.  Solomon's sons were told not to heed the seducing words that the strange woman spoke. For us today, it may mean avoiding conversations when the topic is sexual in nature. 

Psalm 101:3  I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

He tells us to be careful about what we see. In later chapters King Solomon described the deceptive appearance of the strange woman, in order to get his sons to see the danger signs. He did not want his sons to see her and be fooled by external beauty. 

The Psalm cited above was written by King David. No doubt he could recall the memory of watching Bathsheba bathe and then taking her in an act of adultery, and having her husband murdered in battle. He understood the peril of setting something evil in front of his eyes because he lived through it. 

Please pray for Christian men and women everywhere, that we learn what Solomon is communicating to his sons because we need this wisdom to guide and direct us through life. Pray especially for our Pastors because they are being targeted by the devil. Pray that we will all seek this precious wisdom from God.

Bob