Last night, my husband and I enjoyed a lovely evening as our children paid us a visit. You cannot imagine the happiness I felt. Simply gazing at my children fills me with immense joy. Our youngest son, who still lives with us, is already spreading his wings, following the path of his older siblings, hastening our transition into empty nesters.
Where has the time gone? I’m not sure! It feels as if it were only yesterday that I rose early in the morning to prepare my children’s favorite breakfast for our delightful family Bible study. Indeed, time flies, doesn’t it?
If you’re a mother of young children reading this, I sincerely want to encourage you so that you don’t become weary in dedicating your time, energy, and everything to your little ones. Soon, very soon, you will discover that all the effort, tears, prayers, and countless sacrifices you’ve made for the sake of your children are not in vain at all.
(By the way, I am continuing the teaching we began a few weeks ago, which revolves around mentoring a young man from his early years so that he may lead a peaceful and fulfilling life in his adult and later years. My focus remains on Proverbs chapters 1 through 9.)
In our previous post, we concluded by posing one question:
“What other distinguishing characteristics does this strange woman possess that the young man should be aware of?”
What often occurs here, for some or perhaps all of us, is to readily list the external attributes of a young woman that we deem unfavorable and we might caution the young man, saying, “Avoid her if she’s loud, wears jeans to church, or wears makeup.” But do these outward characteristics truly define who this young woman is? Can they indicate whether she is an adulterous woman or not? The resounding answer is no. It’s quite simple for us humans to judge based on outward appearances, but God never does.
Listen:
“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b ESV
Well, in a sense, none of us can see into another person’s heart or read their mind. Only God has that ability, as the Bible states, “no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13 ESV).
The Word of God imparts wisdom to the young man regarding an adulterous, strange, or evil woman, emphasizing the importance of focusing on her inner qualities rather than her outward appearance. However, wisdom initially cautions the young man to carefully heed the Word of God, as only the word of God can give him with the discernment necessary to identify her without the need to read her mind or see into her heart.
Listen:
“My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
incline your ear to my understanding,
that you may keep discretion,
and your lips may guard knowledge.” Proverbs 5:1-2 ESV
The Word of God that the young man reads, studies, and meditates on daily grants him discretion, which entails the freedom or wisdom to discern what should be done in specific situations, as well as the knowledge of when to speak and when to remain silent.
These are the two crucial traits that a young man requires to protect himself from an adulterous woman who approaches him in the guise of innocence, like a harmless lamb.
Wisdom further explains to the young man the reasons why he needs to possess discretion and knowledge:
“For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil,” Proverbs 5:3 ESV
A young man may question wisdom, asking, “What’s the harm in that? I enjoy honey and the benefits of oil on my body.” In response, wisdom says,
“but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
her steps follow the path to Sheol;” Proverbs 5:4-5 ESV
It’s not about how she makes you feel at the outset, but rather where you find yourself once you pursue her. Her ultimate destination is nothing but death. In the Book of Proverbs, when it speaks of “death,” it usually encompasses everything that fails to provide life or bring contentment, joy, and rest.
The young man might again inquire wisdom, “If that’s the outcome of her path, why doesn’t she realize it and flee from it?”
Wisdom replies,
“she does not ponder the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.” Proverbs 5:6 ESV
Wow! Have you heard that?
The reality concerning this woman is that she herself has no clue where her life is headed. She fails to “ponder” in life; “ponder” meaning “thinking about life carefully, especially before making a decision.”
This is somewhat unsettling, isn’t it? Wisdom, in a sense, is conveying to the young man that the woman doesn’t even comprehend what is happening in her own life.
Thus, wisdom starts her earnest appeal to the young man by saying,
“And now, O sons, listen to me,
and do not depart from the words of my mouth.” Proverbs 5:7 ESV
This is crucial! Clinging to the word of God is similar to grasping a hinge that only opens to life, for it is solely the word of God that fills the young man’s heart and flows from his lips, and capable of rescuing him. When a young man holds onto the word of God tightly, he receives grace, which provides him with the ability and strength to accomplish the following:
“Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house,” Proverbs 5:8 ESV
The temptations confronting young men today on social media are difficult to withstand. However, the young man who adheres to the word of God discovers the grace to refuse his sinful desires and impulses, such as the temptation to engage in conversation with a strange woman on social media. The word of God says,
“For the grace of God has appeared – – – It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,” Titus 2:11-12 NIV
The young man might persist in asking wisdom, “What if I engage in conversation with this woman? What harm could come from that?” Wisdom responds,
“lest you give your honor to others
and your years to the merciless,
lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
and at the end of your life you groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
and you say, “How I hated discipline,
and my heart despised reproof!
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my instructors.
I am at the brink of utter ruin
in the assembled congregation.”” Proverbs 5:9-14 ESV
Wow! What a profound and sobering warning!
Some men, disregarding and disdainful of all counsel and wisdom, eventually find their lives teetering on the brink of complete ruin as they reach the end of their days, sadly unable to rectify their situation. However, wisdom admonishes the young man to take heed while he is still youthful and vigorous, before guilt and regret consume his heart. It advises him to first internalize the word of God by regularly nourishing himself with it, then seek discretion from the word of God to discern the adulterous woman, and finally gather the strength and resolve to keep a significant distance from her . . . Contd. ///