Solomon Says...

Proverbs Chapter 7:

Chapter 7 is a further warning about adultery. It’s interesting because it has a lengthy story from verse 6 to 23. Solomon is peeking through the lattice of his window and watches a young man fall prey to an adulteress woman. He watches the young man as he is lured by the woman to have sex. It’s not just her dress that is seductive but her words. She mentions fellowship offerings in verse 14. Basically, what she is doing is justifying making money for sex so she can use it for worship. Also, she mentions her husband is gone and took the money purse with him. She somehow convinces the young man that he is actually doing a good deed by paying for sex. It seems crazy but that shows how naïve people can be in certain situations. The young man goes to the bedroom with the woman and the picture Solomon paints is not the one the young man has in his mind. Solomon says ‘an ox going to the slaughter’…’a deer stepping into a noose.’ The young man is probably thinking…’I’m the man’…’this is going to be awesome.’ Whenever you’re involved in sin it’s sometimes difficult to see what is really going to happen. As Solomon peeks through the lattice he is watching something he has seen many times and he knows the ending. According to Solomon, it’s a path that leads to the chambers of death. Some people struggle with this passage because it seems to portray the young man as innocent and the woman as the seducer. However, we have to remember that many of these proverbs were written to the young men since they would become leaders of their household and communities. Also, the culture was different then and all of the ‘good girls’ would be at home under the protection of their father. That’s different from today since men and women can hook up almost anywhere at anytime. So, for a book written to young men it makes sense to tell a story from this perspective.