An embrace that has a knife in it’s hand.
☛ Proverbs 7:13-15 She threw her arms around him and
kissed him, and with a brazen look she said, “I’ve just made my peace offerings
and fulfilled my vows. You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find
you, and here you are!
☚
If this were not so tragic, it would be comical!
Wisdom has watched this foolish young man place himself in the path of sin and
now the woman he was hoping to flirt with has found him. Some very interesting
statements are made in this passage. It states that she has a “brazen look” as
she puts her arms around him and kisses him. Consider some of the words that
are synonyms of this word: bold, barefaced, shameless, unashamed, and audacious.
This communicates well what is in the heart of this woman. She's not brazen
because she throws her arms around him and kisses him; no she's brazen because
of what follows. She's clearly planning to have sex with this man, yet in the
same breath she speaks about making peace offerings and fulfilling her vows.
What hypocrisy! What contradiction!
Claiming to spend time getting right with
God through worship and following through on the promises she's made to God,
indicating that she is a religious and devout person. Yet, in the breath right
before this statement is an aggressive sexual come on to this young man. Her
intentions are clear, she's communicating openly so the young man has no
question. Her bed and her body are his, no fear of rejection, no dating or
preliminary niceties required. The statement that follows is actually quite
frightful when we consider how true it reflects the desire of sin to possess
us. Notice – “you're the one I was looking for” - targeted and planned, not
accidental or a coincidence. Let's remember the specific issue in this proverb
is about an immoral woman that is married but has targeted a young man to take her
to bed. At the same time let's not forget the universal principle concerning
how sin approaches us. Sin most times does not approach us as some gross, evil
thing to be feared. Most times sin disguises itself as something good,
pleasurable, harmless and even religious. Why in the world would this woman
claimed to have just been worshiping God unless she desired to give the
perception of someone wholesome with good intentions. The most disturbing truth
concerning this principle is that we, like this young man, many times do not
pay attention to the contradictions right before our eyes. Consider the young
man, he sees the beauty of this woman, and receives the flattering words that
she pours over him and at the same time hears her claiming that she was just
worshiping God before she came to him. We say, “how can he be so blind!” We
believe that we would see it. Yet, we miss the contradictions that we allow to
exist in our life; we are faithful to our spouses, yet we have a lifestyle of
pornography and believe it does us no harm; we think what is the harm in
getting a little high every once in a while, yet we ignore the destruction that
the drug does to us and our family; or one of the most famous ones – we become
romantically involved with an unbeliever. “He's a nice guy and he goes with me
to church”, yet it's clear he does not have an interest in a relationship with
Christ and his priorities are completely different than a believer’s. Still we
convince ourselves that “perhaps he will come to know the Lord after marriage”.
I have spent too many hours in my office counseling such a person who is now
blaming God for allowing them to marry this unbeliever. Most times the
unbeliever does not come toward God and in fact pull the believer away from
their relationship with their Savior.
Be sure, I am not talking about
befriending unbelievers, we are called to be friends with all and whenever we
encounter an unbeliever in our life it is a great opportunity to share how much
God loves that person. I am talking about dating someone that you know does not
have a relationship with Christ. Emotions are very dangerous and once the strong
emotion of infatuation takes hold in the heart, we cease to look through the
eyes of the Holy Spirit at this relationship. We ignore the obvious
contradictions that are there. We have one God, this person has another God. The spiritual union that should take place
in relationship that moves from friendship to romance, and then onto marriage
will never be what God intended it to be if there is not a complete unity of
who God is in that couple's life.
Like the young man, we all must be careful of
how we handle sin when it approaches us. We must ask the tough questions so
that we can see any contradictions concerning what really is being offered.
Remember, it is true that sin is pleasurable, but only for a moment. Whereas
the consequences can last much, much longer. Ask the Holy Spirit of God to give
you the discernment to see each opportunity through His eyes; whether it be the
relationships you have, how you spend your leisure time, your work life or even
the ministry opportunities that you will have.
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