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.