Sex you might die for!

☛ Proverbs 7:21-23 So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery. He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life. ☚

The Scripture has given us a tremendous picture of how sin pursues us and how easily we deceive ourselves into believing that the momentary pleasure will be worth it! The example is a perfect one because nothing has been more perverted by the enemy than God’s creation of sex. We have watched this young man flirt with sin, remaining close to the “bait”.  Now the hook is in his mouth and even though he does not yet realize it, he is caught. He imagined himself as the pursuer, conquering a beautiful woman and fulfilling his lust. However, as the Word shows us she has been the pursuer, enticing her prey ever closer...until she has him in her trap. 

Much like the black widow spider, just as his climax happens she makes a meal of him! Throughout this passage we have considered sin’s approach...tantalizing the senses to blind our spiritual eyes and deafen our ears to God’s voice. There are two items that I would like to emphasize that wisdom communicates to us in this passage. First, notice what she seduced him with...not her body, but by her words. A man visually responds to an attractive body of a woman, but that merely produces the chemicals that cause arousal. Arousal still requires direction. This is why it is so important that we control our thoughts. Things bombard our senses all day long, whether it be sexual images, fame images, richness images or any other thing that tickles our flesh. Still, our mind can either dismiss the arousal or entertain it. This foolish young man chose to entertain her words, which will cost Him. Here is the reason keeping the Word of God in our consciousness is so vital. Scripture has the power to grab our mind and bring us back to “our senses” when we are following our senses! Second, this passage exposes the bias of those that accuse God of being harsh and desiring to catch us in sin. God uses three examples on nature to warn us what we are like when we follow our senses into sin. Why would He do that if He were a mean, vindictive Being? God hates sin and what sin does to us. His Word is filled with many warnings not to threaten us, but to save us! 

Third, we need to be careful how we understand what Scripture means when it states, “little knowing it would cost him his life.” This does not necessarily mean physical death. “Life” carries with it a “quality” that is the essence of what “life” really is. You can be physically alive, but not experience “life”! Sin may not rob you of your heartbeat, but it will cost you the very reason your heart wants to beat!