Heavenly Father,
we thank you
that you speak to us as a loving Father.
That you do not shy away from
speaking the hard truth to us
because you love us
you seek our good.
And Lord, this passage is a sobering passage.
Even a frightful passage.
But Lord, we pray
that as we cherish the word
you have given us,
that you would ignite
or even reignite
our zeal,
our passion
for your glory.
And that that would make us faithful
in our relationships.
That they would keep us
and guard us from
lust and adultery.
And that we would be freshly reminded
of
the great price that you paid
to reclaim
your adulterous bride,
us, your church.
So now lead us and speak to us.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
We're in Proverbs
chapter 6, verse 20
to chapter 7, verse 27.
I'll read out loud for us.
My son,
keep your father's commandment
and forsake not
your mother's teaching.
Bind them on your heart
always.
Tie them around your neck.
When you walk,
they will lead you.
When you lie down,
they will watch over you.
And when you awake,
they will talk with you.
For the commandment is a lamp
and the teaching a light.
And the reproofs of discipline
are the way of life.
To preserve you from the evil woman,
from the smooth tongue
of the adulteress.
Do not desire her beauty
in your heart.
And do not let her capture you
with her eyelashes.
For the price of a prostitute
is only a loaf of bread.
But a married woman
hunts down a precious life.
Can a man carry fire
next to his chest
and his clothes not be burned?
Or can one walk on hot coals
and his feet not be scorched?
So is he who goes
into his neighbor's wife.
None who touches her
will go unpunished.
People do not despise a thief
if he steals
to satisfy his appetite
when he is hungry.
But if he is caught,
he will pay sevenfold.
He will give all the goods
of his house.
He who commits adultery
lacks sense.
He who does it
destroys himself.
He will get wounds
and dishonor
and his disgrace
will not be wiped away.
For jealousy
makes the man furious
and he will not spare
when he takes revenge.
He will accept
no compensation.
He will refuse
though you multiply gifts.
My son,
keep my words
and treasure up
my commandments with you.
Keep my commandments
and live.
Keep my teaching
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 in sight
your intimate friend
to keep you
from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress
with her smooth words.
For at the window
of my house
I have looked out
through my lattice
and I have seen
among the simple
I have perceived
among the youths
a young man
lacking sense
passing along the street
near her corner
taking the road
to her house
in the twilight
in the evening
at the time
of night
and darkness.
And behold,
the woman meets him
dressed as a prostitute
wily of heart.
She is loud
and wayward.
Her feet
do not stay at home.
Now in the street
now in the market
and at every corner
she lies in wait.
She seizes him
and kisses him
and with bold face
she says to him,
I have to offer sacrifices
and today
I paid my vows.
So now
I have come out
to meet you
to seek you eagerly
and I have found you.
I have spread my couch
with coverings,
colored linens
from Egyptian linen.
I perfumed my bed
with myrrh,
aloes,
and cinnamon.
Come,
let us take
our fill of love
till morning.
Let us delight
ourselves with love.
For my husband
is not at home.
He has gone
on a long journey.
He took a bag
of money with him.
At full moon
he will come home.
With much seductive speech
she persuades him.
With her smooth talk
she compels him.
All at once
he follows her
as an ox
goes to the slaughter.
Whereas a stag
is caught fast
till an arrow
pierces its liver.
As a bird
rushes into a snare
he does not know
that it will cost him
his life.
And now
O sons
listen to me
and be attentive
to the words
of my mouth.
Let not your heart
turn aside
to her ways.
Do not stray
into her paths.
For many a victim
has she laid low
and all her slain
are a mighty throng.
Her house
is the way to shield
going down
to the chambers
of death.
This is God's
holy and authoritative
word.
If someone were
to compile
a list of
men and women
whose lives
and careers
have been ruined
by adultery
that list would be
too long to count.
I still remember
the
Ashley Madison
data leak
from 2015.
Some of you
might remember that.
when the website
that promotes
extramarital affairs
was hacked.
And the hackers
leaked names
of 30 million
people
who had used
the website.
And some of
the leaked data
included other
personally identifying
information like
home addresses
and search
histories,
credit card records.
people
and the leaked
names included
politicians,
priests,
military members,
civil servants,
and celebrities.
Many resignations
and divorces
and in some cases
even suicides
followed.
And one of the
people affected
was a pastor
and a seminary
professor who
couldn't overcome
the deep shame
and fear
that came with
the exposure.
So he left
a heart-wrenching
apology to his
wife and took
his own life.
That's what
Satan thrives on.
He promises
pleasure
without pain.
He promises
sin
without death.
But Proverbs
620-727
that we just read
exposes
his malicious
lies.
Chapter 6
tells us
the price
of the adulteress
and chapter 7
tells us
the lure
of the adulteress.
And the lure
of the adulteress
is such that
a young man
liking sense
falls
headlong
into her trap
hook,
line,
and sinker.
And how can
we be fortified
against this
dangerous temptation?
This passage
teaches us
that we should
treasure up
the commandments
of God
so that they
keep us
from the trap
of the adulteress.
And if you're
single,
don't tune it out
thinking that
this doesn't
apply to you.
Jesus said
in Matthew 5
27-28
you have heard
that it was said
you shall not
commit adultery
but I tell you
that everyone
who looks
at a woman
lustfully
has already
committed adultery
with her
in his heart.
Physical adultery
is often preceded
by heart adultery
and this passage
has helpful insights
to keep us
from both.
And so first
let's look at
the price
of the adulteress
in chapter 6.
It says
in verses 20
and 21
Throughout the
book of Proverbs
the author
frequently assumes
the voice
of the father
and equates
his voice
with the commandments
of God himself
because he is
a spokesperson
for God.
He's relaying
the commandments
of God
to the future
generations.
But instructing
a child
was not
an exclusive
responsibility
of the father.
It's especially
appropriate
to note
today
on Mother's
Day
that the
teaching
of the mother
is mentioned
here also
as it is
in two other
places in Proverbs.
It says
forsake
not your
mother's
teaching.
The saying
that was
popularized
in the 1940s
to recognize
the often
unheralded
contributions
of women
is true.
Behind every
great man
there is
a great woman.
1 Timothy 6
9-10
teaches
that an
elderly woman
who desires
to devote
herself fully
to praying
for the church
and serving
the church
in that way
while receiving
full financial
care and provision
from the church
that they need
to be qualified
and that their
qualification is
that they need
to have a
reputation
for good works.
This is 1 Timothy 6
9-10.
It then lists
several examples
of what having
a good reputation
for good works
looks like.
It lists things
like showing
hospitality
washing the feet
of the saints
and caring
for the afflicted.
But before
all of those
things
what heads
the list
is this
surprising item
that she
has brought
up children.
Being a
mother
bringing up
children
teaching
your children
is a good
commendable
God-honoring
work
worthy of
praise
and recognition.
It is a
difficult work
a sacrificial
work
a worthy
work.
And since
the father
and mother
and you
here
have done
a good
job
of teaching
their
children
the father
tells the
son
to bind
their teaching
on his
heart
always
and to
tie them
around
his neck.
This is
a figurative
expression
for a
constant
devotion.
Some of
you might
remember
from the
90s
it was
really
popular
in the
90s
these
WWJD
bracelets
What Would
Jesus Do
bracelets
I wore
them in
middle
school
proudly
in my
school
and
it's
kind of
like that
but in
a more
figurative
and less
literal
sense
we are
to keep
the
commandments
of God
always
near
our
minds
and
dear
to
our
hearts
we
should
read
God's
word
we
should
meditate
on
God's
word
we
should
memorize
God's
word
I
had a
zoom
call
with
one
of
our
church
members
this
week
who
had
a
wall
of
truth
in
the
room
with
whole
bunch
of
sticky
notes
with
these
truths
from
scripture
and
Bible
verses
to serve
as a
constant
reminder
to
live
with
the
life
giving
truths
of
God
in
mind
let
me
ask
you
what
does
your
mind
wander
to
is
your
mind
full
of
God's
word
or
is
it
full
of
the
world
what
does
your
heart
treasure
is
what
do
you
love
what
stirs
up
your
soul
what
ignites
your
passion
is
it
to
know
and
to
do
the
will
of
God
or
is
it
the
gospel
of
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ
is
it
the
commandments
of
God
our
Father
have
you
bound
those
things
in
your
heart
have
you
tied
it
around
your
neck
and
here's
why
that's
important
it
says
in
verse
22
when you
walk
they will
lead
you
when you
lie
down
they will
watch
over
you
and when
you
awake
they will
talk
with
you
this
verse
personifies
the commandments
of God
these commandments
will
and
what a
comforting
thought
whether
you're
active
or
sedentary
whether
you're
outdoors
or
indoors
at
home
whether
you're
sleeping
or
awake
the
word
of
God
is
a
constant
and
faithful
companion
it
can
lead
guard
and
counsel
you
so
who
wouldn't
want
such
a
steady
and
reliable
companion
for
it
continues
in
verse
23
the
commandment
is a
lamp
and
the
teaching
a
light
and
the
reproofs
of
discipline
are
the
way
of
life
here's
why
we
should
treasure
up
the
commandments
of
God
for
they
are
a
lamp
and
a
light
they
are
the
way
of
life
we
will
never
drive
in
unlid
roads
without
our
headlights
on
but
God's
word
is
the
lamp
it
is
the
light
for
the
world
of
life
we
would
never
travel
to
an
unknown
region
without
a
map
well
God's
word
and
its
reproofs
of
discipline
are
the
way
of
life
it
shows
you
the
way
that
leads
to
abundant
life
and
ultimately
eternal
life
right
the
first
thing
that
people
who
wear
glasses
like
I
do
grab
in
the
morning
when
they
wake
up
is
their
glasses
because
they
can't
see
anything
without
them
it's
God's
word
that
helps
us
to
see
so
we
should
treasure
up
the
commandments
of
God
and
there
are
countless
benefits
to
treasuring
God's
word
but
this
passage
has
one
very
specific
purpose
in
mind
it
says
in
verse
24
to
preserve
you
from
the
evil
woman
from
the
smooth
tongue
of
the
adulteress
if
you
are
a
woman
simply
flip
the
gender
of
the
words
around
to
fit
your
vantage
point
the
warning
applies
to
you
as
well
the
ESV
the
English
standard
version
that
we
are
using
translates
it
as
evil
woman
but
the
new
international
version
translates
the
same
word
as
neighbor's
wife
this
variation
in
translation
stems
from
the
fact
that
the
original
Hebrew
manuscripts
of
the
book
of
Proverbs
have
no
spaces
between
consonants
and
they
don't
have
any
vowels
so
you
have
to
rely
entirely
on
context
to
supply
the
vowels
so
the
vowels
depending
on
what
vowels
you
supply
produces
some
minor
discrepancies
that
do
not
substantially
affect
the
meaning
of
the
text
of
scripture
and
in
this
case
depending
on
what
vowels
you
supply
can
mean
evil
woman
or
neighbor's
wife
and
I
think
neighbor's
wife
is
a
better
translation
because
it's
paralleled
by
the
word
adulterous
which
literally
is
foreign
or
strange
woman
in
Hebrew
it
fits
the
running
theme
that
we've
observed
in
chapters
5
6
and
7
of
that
warning
about
meddling
in the
affairs
of
strangers
of
our
neighbors
and
also
because
later
in
verse
29
the
adultery
is
sinful
and
evil
indeed
but
the
main
reason
why
we
need
to
be
preserved
from
the
adulteress
is
not
because
she's
particularly
evil
but
because
she
belongs
to
another
as
we
will
see
in
the
rest
of
chapter
6
and
we
must
be
guarded
from
her
because
she
is
alluring
she
has
a
smooth
tongue
which
is
a
reference
to
her
sly
and
sensuous
speech
and
then
verses
25
to
35
the
father
dives
into
his
dire
warnings
he
says
in
verse
25
do
not
desire
her
beauty
in
your
heart
and
do
not
let
her
capture
you
with
her
eyelashes
proverbs
uses
the
word
beauty
exclusively
to
refer
to
outward
beauty
to
the
physical
appearance
and
this
is
confirmed
by
the
parallel
eyelashes
or
literally
the
eyes
as
the
NIV
translates
it
and
because
in
the
ancient
Near
Eastern
culture
eyes
were
often
the
focal
point
of
feminine
beauty
sparkling
eyes
were
a
prized
attribute
of
beautiful
woman
in
the
ancient
Near
Eastern
world
and
so
in
Genesis
29
17
in
describing
Leah
who
was
ugly
compared
to
her
younger
sister
Rachel
Bible
describes
her
as
having
weak
eyes
right
an
article
entitled
looking
and
loving
published
in the
Journal of
Research
and Personality
made the
observation
that the
simple
prolonged
eye
contact
alone
increases
significantly
the feelings
of passionate
love between
two complete
strangers
this study
merely
confirmed
what Solomon
the principal
author
of Proverbs
already
affirmed
nearly
3,000
years
earlier
the
and the
way
to do
that
is
not
by
avoiding
eye
contact
but
by
guarding
our
hearts
we
are
told
not
to
desire
her
beauty
in
our
heart
this
forms
a
contrast
with
verse
21
which taught us to bind God's commandments on our heart.
If we fortify our hearts with the beauty and the goodness of God's commandments,
we will not be captured by the beauty of a neighbor's wife.
The gaze of the adulteress will be unable to pierce our hearts.
Verse 26 and following supply the reasons why we ought to guard ourselves against the adulteress.
Four, the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life.
This is the price of the adulteress.
The price of a prostitute is a loaf, but the price of an adulteress is a life.
The author is not encouraging us to seek out prostitutes instead of committing adultery.
Sexual immorality of all shapes and form are prohibited throughout scripture,
and hiring a prostitute for sex is explicitly condemned in 1 Corinthians chapter 6.
Solomon wants us to avoid both prostitution and adultery.
He's merely noting that sleeping with a married woman has far worse consequences than sleeping with a prostitute.
In terms of economic cost, the prostitute is actually more expensive.
The adulteress is free.
But in terms of the physical and social cost, the adulteress is far more costly than a prostitute.
Adultery destroys marriages.
It wrecks homes.
It even takes lives.
In verses 27 to 35, the father then explains that this punishment for adultery is both inescapable and interminable.
It has no end.
The devastating consequence of adultery leaves no exits and has no end.
First, it's inescapable.
It says in verses 27 to 29,
The obvious answer to these rhetorical questions is no.
You cannot carry fire or walk on hot coals without being burned.
Likewise, none who touches his neighbor's wife will go unpunished.
In Hebrew, the words for man, wife, and fire all are sibilant.
They all have S sounds.
They're very similar in sounds.
So when you hear that sound association between the man, wife, and fire,
whenever it establishes the association, the connection between the sin and the consequence
and the punishment even more closely and tightly.
So whenever you feel tempted to lust after a neighbor's wife or a husband,
think about fire.
That's the association that the author of Proverbs is trying to make for us.
Whenever you feel a spark or a flame rising up inside you for a neighbor's wife or a husband,
don't think of metaphorical fire.
Think of real fire, fire that burns and consumes and scorches and leaves scars and kills.
And don't for a moment think that you can get away with it.
That no one will find out.
God sees everything and he is the ultimate judge overall.
And his word declares that none who touches his neighbor's wife will go unpunished.
None.
And the adulterer has no excuse.
There is no mitigating circumstance that makes adultery more acceptable.
It says in verses 30 to 32,
If you steal to satisfy your hunger, it's still wrong.
And if you're caught, you will be held accountable.
However, at least people will pity you.
But not so with the adulterer.
He who commits adultery lacks sense.
He who does it destroys himself.
No one will pity you.
Instead, they will say that you destroyed yourself.
The thief might end up losing everything he has, all of his possessions.
But the adulterer will lose his life itself.
Adultery is senseless and its destructive consequences inescapable.
And not only is the ruin inescapable, it's also interminable.
It says in verse 33,
He will get wounds and dishonor and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
In much of the ancient world, adultery was legally punishable,
either by whipping or by the death penalty.
So the adulterer might literally end up with wounds and literally lose his life.
And the word wound is a noun form of the same word touch that was used in verse 29.
So this wordplay reinforces the inevitable consequence of adultery.
Whoever touches a married woman sexually will be touched with violence.
But the physical punishment is not the end of it.
He will also get dishonor.
There is no way to make restitution for adultery.
Because you can't undo it.
You can't repay a wrong spouse.
The wounds and dishonor and disgrace that befall the adulterer are therefore permanent.
They will not be wiped away.
It will be a permanent blotch on your record.
And here's why the punishment is so severe.
It says in verses 34 to 35,
You can put a price tag on all of your property.
Their loss can be compensated.
But your wife, your husband, their loyalty, their affection,
these are priceless things,
and there is no adequate compensation for their loss.
Even if you try to appease the cuckold,
the grieved husband,
with bribes,
his jealous anger will not be pacified,
and he will exact revenge.
We are to consider this high price of the adulteress
and treasure up the commandments of God.
And having spoken of the price,
now the stage turns in chapter 7
to the lure of the adulteress in chapter 7.
The tactics used by the adulteress
to capture foolish men,
to trap them.
But before he does,
he reiterates the importance
of treasuring up the commandments of God again
in verses 1 to 5.
As I read it,
please listen for the repetition of the word keep.
It says,
My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you.
Keep my commandments and live.
Keep my teaching 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 inside your intimate friend
to keep you from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words.
The repetition of the word keep
emphasizes the main point of this passage
that the only way to be kept from the adulteress
is to keep the commandments of God in our hearts.
If you want to be guarded from the adulteress,
you must guard God's word within you.
The commandments of God should be cherished
and guarded like the apple of your eye
that are so delicate and essential,
important that we protect.
It's instinctive, right?
I think that's why it's so hard.
I don't know how people who wear contacts do it.
I can't keep my eyes open even when I try
because it's our instinct to protect it.
Likewise, we're to keep, guard,
God's word in our hearts
as the apple of our eye.
Verses four to five contrast
befriending wisdom
with befriending the adulteress.
It says,
Say to wisdom, you are my sister.
Call inside your intimate friend
or your relative.
And the word forbidden woman
is once again,
literally it means strange woman.
It's a reference to the woman
that does not belong to your family,
the person that is not your wife,
but your neighbor's wife,
a strange woman.
If you want to be protected
from the seduction of the strange woman,
make wisdom your familial
and familiar woman.
If you want to remain estranged
from the adulteress,
make God's wisdom familiar to yourself.
And as a cautionary tale,
the father uses an example
of a foolish man
who succumbs to the lure of the adulteress
in the rest of the chapter.
He says in verses six to eight,
For at the window of my house,
I have looked out through my lattice
and I've seen among the simple,
I perceived among the youths,
a young man lacking sense,
passing along the street near her corner,
taking the road to her house
in the twilight,
in the evening,
at the time of night and darkness.
These verses contrast the father
who is looking out
from the window of my house,
from the senseless young man
who takes the road to her house.
The father is safe
where every faithful, stable man
should be a knight
at his own house.
But the foolish young man
is roaming the streets near her house.
He's at the wrong place.
Earlier in Proverbs chapter five,
verse eight warned us,
Keep your way far from the adulteress
and do not go near the door of her house.
We're supposed to stay far away
from the adulteress.
We are not even to go near the door of her house,
let alone go in.
Ray helpfully used two weeks ago
the illustration of Joseph
in Genesis chapter 39.
He literally fled the advances
of Potiphar's wife
and he refused even to be in her presence
because she was trying to seduce him.
Likewise, we're to flee the temptress.
Maybe you don't outright look at pornography,
but are you going near it?
Are you looking at certain Facebook
or Instagram profiles
where you know you will find pictures
of scantily clad people?
Are you watching suggestive
or sensuous videos on YouTube?
The stage warns us,
Don't even go near her house.
Is there a co-worker
that is throwing inappropriate gazes
in your direction
or making overt advances toward you?
Don't go wandering
near his or her cubicle
to indulge your curiosity.
Stay far away from her.
Transfer to another department.
Get another office.
Maybe get even another job.
Don't even go near her house.
Stay in your house
with your spouse.
Are you traveling?
Don't go to the nude beach.
Don't wander around the swimming pool
trying to check out who is there.
Don't go to the bar alone.
Ask the hotel staff
to disconnect your cable
or remove the TV from your room
beforehand if necessary.
Don't even go near her house.
Not only was this young man
in the wrong place,
he was also there
at the wrong time.
It says in verse 90,
He was taking the road to her house
in the twilight,
in the evening,
at the time of night and darkness.
Notice that repetition of words
that suggest night time
and darkness.
It's the opposite
of following the commandments of God
which was described
in chapter 6, verse 23
as a lamp and a light.
As John chapter 3, verses 19 to 20 put it,
People love the darkness
rather than the light
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things
hates the light
and does not come to the light
lest his works should be exposed.
What does this mean for us?
Secrecy.
Shame.
Hiding from others.
Shirking responsibility.
Fleeing accountability.
Finding cover at night.
This is the environment
that incubates sin.
We are to avoid such darkness.
We are to instead live in the light.
Confess our sins to one another.
Expose our sins to the light of Christ.
Be transparent.
Be vulnerable.
Seek accountability from one another.
In such an environment,
in the light,
sin suffocates.
It withers away.
When you're in the wrong place
at the wrong time,
it's no surprise
that you encounter the adulteress.
Verses 10 to 12
describe her this way.
And behold,
the woman meets him
dressed as a prostitute,
wily of heart.
She is loud and wayward.
Her feet do not stay at home.
Now in the street,
now in the market,
and at every corner,
she lies in wait.
As if she had been waiting
to pounce on him.
It says,
behold,
she's just right there.
All of a sudden,
the woman meets him.
And she's dressed as a prostitute,
probably revealing clothes
intended to seduce.
And it says,
she is wily of heart.
She is not genuine.
She's not authentic.
She hides the true intentions
of her heart.
She is loud and wayward,
both in the sounds she makes
and in the places she goes.
She is out of bounds.
She is disruptive.
Her feet do not stay at home.
Now in the street,
now in the market,
and every corner,
she lies in wait.
Unlike the father who was home,
this woman is never home.
She's not an industrious woman
who works busily at home.
She is rather a busy body,
scurrying about to meddle
in the affairs of others.
Instead of the wife who is praised
in 1 Peter 3, verse 4,
for possessing the imperishable beauty,
imperishable beauty of a gentle
and quiet spirit,
the adulteress is loud and wayward.
Unlike godly young women
who are commanded in Titus 2,
verses 3-5,
and 1 Timothy 5,
verses 11-14,
to love their husbands and children
and to manage their households,
the adulteress' feet
do not stay at home.
She does not love her husband
and children.
She's not dedicated
to her household.
And the adulteress' actions
and speech in verses 13-21,
provide uncanny insight
into how the temptations
of lust and adultery function.
If I could summarize the insights,
I can summarize it into four things.
First, the adulteress creates a pretext.
Second, the adulteress appeals to pride.
Third, the adulteress entices with pleasure.
And fourth,
she promises impunity.
This is her tactic.
First, it says in verses 13-15,
that the adulteress seizes him
and kisses him,
and with bold face she says to him,
I had to offer sacrifices,
and today I paid my vows.
So now I have come out to meet you.
She's first creating a pretext.
She claims to be a religious person
and claims that she has made a vow
to offer a sacrifice to her deity
and that today she has finally fulfilled her vow.
Now what does that have to do
with anything here?
The Canaanite fertility cult
required fellowship sacrifices
where the worshiper sacrifices an animal
and shares a meal with his or her deity.
Now a female who offers such sacrifice
as a part of that communal meal
were required to have sexual intercourse
with the male partner.
This is the Canaanite fertility cult.
So she claims that she needs this young man.
However, since the adulteress
has been described already in verse 5
as having smooth words
and in verse 10
as being wily of heart,
I'm inclined to think
that this is merely a pretext
and not a genuine religious concern.
The seductress creates a pretext for intimacy.
Think about how people might do that.
Hey, I've been really depressed
and lonely lately.
My husband has been traveling
too much for work.
He doesn't care about me at all.
Hey, do you want to come over to my house
and keep me company
and have a drink?
I could really use some
company, friendship.
Or someone else might say,
well, we've been so overworked
by our boss, haven't we?
Do you want to go to a spa together
this weekend to relax,
let off steam?
The adulteress first creates
a pretext.
Second, she appeals to pride.
Look at how the adulteress
butters up the young man
before eating him alive.
She says,
I have come to meet you,
to seek you eagerly,
and I have found you.
She's saying,
I need a male partner
to complete my sacrifice,
and you,
you handsome hunk of a man.
You are just the right person.
I've been eagerly looking for you.
And finally,
I have found you.
Can you imagine how special
this young man felt?
She's appealing to his vanity.
You are special.
What woman can refuse you?
Why be tied down by someone
who doesn't appreciate you?
Oh, but I appreciate you.
I know your true value.
This is far from the truth,
of course.
There is, in fact,
nothing especially impressive
about this young man
except he is dim-witted.
And his adulteress
is anything but discriminating.
We were told in verse 12,
now in the street,
now in the market,
in every corner
she lies in wait.
Later it says in verse 26,
many a victim
has she laid low,
and all her slain
are a mighty throng.
This adulteress
is not discriminating.
She's not picky.
She is everywhere,
and she solicits everyone
who is foolish enough
to come near her.
We should be wary
of flatterers in general,
but let us beware,
lest we duped
by the adulteress.
So she appeals to pride,
and her third tactic
is that she entices
with pleasure.
She knows that
human beings
are creatures of desire,
of the senses.
So she says in verses 16-18,
I have spread my couch
with coverings,
colored linens
from Egyptian linen.
I have perfumed my bed
with myrrh,
aloes,
and cinnamon.
Come,
let us take our fill
of love till morning.
Let us delight ourselves
with love.
The adulteress
arouses the man's senses
in order to take advantage
of him.
She has already seized him
and kissed him
in verse 13.
Now she entices him
with even more pleasure.
The couch is parallel to bed.
It refers not to where you sit,
but to where you sleep,
where you recline.
And she has covered her bed
with soft, luxurious,
imported linen
from Egypt
for tactile pleasure.
Soft.
She has perfumed her bed
with myrrh,
aloes,
and cinnamon
for olfactory pressure
for her to delight
the smell.
These are spices
that are mentioned
in Song of Songs
chapter 4,
verse 14
as arousing romantic love.
She continues,
let us take our fill.
Literally,
that means drink our fill
of love till morning.
Let us delight ourselves
with love.
She's now even offering
gustatory pleasure,
taste,
even if it's only euphemism
for sexual intercourse.
In short,
the adulteress arouses
all of the man's
sensual desires.
We need to learn
to control,
to have self-control,
to control these desires
if we are not
to be overcome
by the tactics
of the adulteress.
And fourth,
finally,
the adulteress
promises impunity.
She says in verses
9 to 20,
for my husband
is not at home.
He has gone
on a long journey.
He took a bag of money
with him
at full moon
and he will come home.
In other words,
she's saying,
you have nothing
to worry about
because my husband's
not home
and he won't be home
for a long time.
I saw him
take a full bag
of money,
which means
he took a lot
of provisions,
which suggests
a long journey.
He won't be back
till full moon,
which is probably
referring to 14 days
if she made her
sacrifices
in new moon.
But this too
is a lie
since the father
already told us
in verse 29
that none
who touches her
will go unpunished.
And verse 34
warned us
that the jealousy
in chapter 6,
verse 34,
jealousy makes
a man furious
and he will not
spare when he
takes revenge.
But that's the devil's
deceptive tactic,
isn't it?
He always makes us
think that we can
get away with it.
No one will see.
No one will know.
In the secret
of her apartment,
in the secret
of your private browser,
no one will know.
But all these things
have a way
of being revealed.
It's just a matter
of time
because the all-seeing
and all-knowing God
will hold you
to account.
And notice how
blunt and shameless
this adulteress is.
She plainly says
that her husband
is coming back.
She's implying
that, hey,
by the time she comes
back, you better
be out of here.
She's not offering
this young man
love and commitment.
She's blatantly
soliciting casual
sex without commitment.
But that, too,
appeals to the folly
of the young man.
Not only is this
adulteress promising
impunity,
she also guarantees
immunity from any
sort of responsibility.
You mean I can have you
without giving you
anything?
You mean I can use you
for pleasure
without taking any
responsibility
to take care of you?
In this way,
with much seductive speech,
she persuades him.
With her smooth talk,
she compels him.
It says in verse 21,
The young man is by this
point completely taken.
It says in verses 22-23,
All at once he follows
her, as an ox goes
to the slaughter,
whereas a stag is caught
fast till an arrow
pierces its liver.
As a bird rushes
into a snare,
he does not know
that it will cost him
his life.
Already in chapter 6,
verses 25-26,
the sage used words
like hunt and capture
to refer to what
the adulteress does.
And here he is
expanding that image.
The adulteress is a predator
and the foolish man
who engages her
is a prey.
Men who commit adultery
sometimes describe
the thrill of the hunt.
They say that there is
something exciting
about pursuing
a forbidden woman,
of stealing
a woman from a neighbor.
But the wise man
knows that the feeling
of hunting
is an illusion.
You are actually
the prey being hunted.
Your supposed
supposed conquest
is actually
your fatal defeat.
Like an ox
going to the slaughter.
Like a stag
caught
and pierced
by an arrow.
Bird rushing
into a snare.
The adulteress
has set a death trap.
And the father
closes his lesson
on the price
and lure
of the adulteress
the same way
he opened his teaching
by exhorting them,
his sons,
to heed his words.
He says in verses
24-27,
And now,
O sons,
listen to me
and be attentive
to the words
of my mouth.
Let not your heart
turn aside
to her ways.
Do not stray
into her paths.
For many a victim
has she laid low
and all her slain
are a mighty throng.
Her house
is the way to shield
going down
to the chambers
of death.
The adulteress's
bedchamber
of pleasure
is in reality
a foyer
that leads
to the chamber
of death.
Far from being
her only
extramarital lover,
she has laid low
and slain
a mighty throng
of virile men.
And throughout
chapter 7,
the father has
emphasized
the importance
of words,
hasn't he?
He said in verse 1,
My son,
keep my words.
And in verse 2,
keep my teaching.
He says again
in verse 24,
Listen to me,
be attentive
to my words.
And this father's
teaching
on the one hand
is contrasted
with the seductive
speech,
literally seductive
teaching
and smooth
talk of the
adulteress
in verse 21.
So we are
faced with the
choice of
listening to
the father,
his teaching,
or the adulterer's
teaching.
These competing
words are always
circulating around us.
They're really
actually competing
worldviews.
And we have to
choose to believe
the commandments
of God.
Because the reality
is underneath
every sin,
there is
unbelief.
Behind every
sin,
behind every
adultery,
there is the
lie of the
enemy that we
have believed
instead of the
word of God.
The lie that
God is withholding
something desirable
and good from us
that you should
take into your
own hands.
the lie that
we can enjoy
sin and escape
its inevitable
consequences of
death.
We must expose
these lies with
the truths of
God.
We must treasure
up the commandments
of God so that
they keep us
from the trap
of the adulteress.
But what are
we to do
since we have
already fallen
for the trap
of the adulteress?
What are we to
do when we are
already in the
foyer that leads
to the chamber
of death?
Throughout the
book of Hosea,
God compares
himself to an
aggrieved husband
and his people
to an adulterous
wife.
He contends
with his people
in the book of
Hosea that in
spite of having
made a covenant
with him,
that they have
whored after
other gods.
That's what we
have done to
God.
all of humanity
belongs to what
Jesus described
in Mark 8, 38
as an adulterous
generation.
We are all
guilty,
deserving of
death and
condemnation.
And as
Proverbs 6,
verse 35
said,
the husband
who was cheated
on will
accept no
compensation.
The word that
is translated
compensation is
the same Hebrew
word that is
translated in
multiple places
throughout the
Old Testament
as ransom.
Ransom is
the price of
redemption.
It is the
payment for
wrongdoing to
settle grievances
of the
injured
party.
But there
is no
adequate
ransom
for
adultery.
And the
same is
true for
spiritual
adultery.
Only
punishment
that
suffices
is death.
How do
you put a
price tag on
the loyalty
of your
spouse,
on the
love of
your spouse?
How do
you put a
price tag
on
faithfulness?
And we
have been
unfaithful
to God.
There is
no ransom
that can
pay for
that sin.
But in
that same
book of
Hosea,
when God
is indicting
His people
of adultery,
in chapter
11 verses
8 to 9,
God also
says this.
This was
our assurance
of pardon
this morning.
God says,
How can I
give you
up, O
Ephraim?
How can I
hand you
over, O
Israel?
How can I
make you
like Adma?
How can I
treat you
like Zeboim?
My heart
recoils
within me.
My compassion
grows warm
and tender.
I will not
execute my
burning anger.
I will not
again destroy
Ephraim,
for I am
God and
not a man,
the Holy
One in
your midst.
And I
will not
come in
wrath.
Even as
our Holy
God is
repulsed
by our
adultery,
His very
heart
recoils
within Him.
It draws
back
from severe
judgment.
Even as
our Holy
God,
our just
God,
is burning
with righteous
anger and
wrath against
sinners,
His compassion
at the same
time grows
warm and
tender.
And God
says that
He does
this,
for I am
God and
not a man,
the Holy
One in your
midst,
and I will
not come
in wrath.
God,
we don't
deserve this.
It is like
a man to
be vengeful
and wrathful
and to be
severe in
judgment,
but it is
like God
to be
merciful,
slow to
anger,
forgiving,
wickedness,
and rebellion.
And yes,
God is
holy.
Yes,
God is
just,
and His
judgment day
will come,
but His
heart of hearts,
in His heart of
hearts,
He recoils,
He melts
with compassion
for undeserving
sinners like us,
and so the
Lord God
Himself makes
a way for
our redemption,
and He
sends
His only
Son,
the Son of
God,
to take on
human flesh,
to become
the Son of
Man.
And it
says in
Matthew 20,
28,
that even
the Son of
Man came
not to be
served,
but to
serve,
and to
give His
life as
a ransom
for many.
Jesus,
our
bridegroom,
the one
we were
betrothed
to,
the husband
we cheated
on,
takes
upon
Himself
the penalty
of death
that we
deserve for
our infidelity.
and He
dies on
the cross
for our
sins.
And that's
why He
says in
Ephesians 5,
25 to
27,
husband,
love your
wives as
Christ loved
the church
and gave
Himself up
for her,
that He
might sanctify
her,
having
cleansed her
by the
washing of
water with
the word,
so that He
might present
the church
to Himself
in splendor
without spot
or wrinkle
or any such
thing,
that she
might be
holy and
without
blemish.
our
Heavenly
Father
paid the
bright price
of our
redemption
and our
eternal
bridegroom
Jesus Christ
was the
ransom price
He paid.
And it is
through this
wonderful news
that we call
the gospel
that we
are sanctified
as God's
people,
the church,
that we
are prepared
for our
heavenly
glorious
wedding day
when we
as God's
people will
be presented
to Jesus
in splendor
without spot
or wrinkle
or any
such thing.