Proverbs 7:24-27 Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death. (v. 27) In case you missed the point the first few times, adultery (and sin in general) does not end well.
Author Archives: John S.
May 23 / Proverbs 7:6-23
Proverbs 7:6-23 Today we get a vivid portrayal of the progression of temptation, specifically toward adultery, but metaphorically toward sin in general. We see a young man foolishly passing along the street … at the time of night and darkness. (vv. 8-9) We see that the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of …
May 22 / Proverbs 7:1-5
Proverbs 7:1-5 Today’s reading sounds very much like Pr. 6:20-24, which we read just two days ago. Are we listening yet? Do you keep [these] words? Do you treasure up [these] commandments? Do you bind them on your fingers? Do you write them on the tablet of your heart? Do you say to wisdom, “You …
May 21 / Proverbs 6:27-35
Proverbs 6:27-35 He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. (v. 32) I think that pretty much sums it up. As we have said before, adultery is called out here as particularly dangerous. I suspect that is because Solomon is addressing his son as a young man whose raging hormones could make him more vulnerable to sexual temptation. But that is …
May 20 / Proverbs 6:20-26
Proverbs 6:20-26 Once again we are admonished to heed instruction, and once again the focus of that instruction is to avoid the deadly pitfall of adultery. But I’m not going to talk about adultery today. (We’ll be stuck on that for the next few days!) Instead, I want to look at just the last half …
May 19 / Proverbs 6:12-19
Proverbs 6:12-19 Wormtongue. Now that is a (fictional) person that fits the caricature given in Pr. 6:12-15. In case you don’t know (or by way of reminder) “Wormtongue” is an apt nickname for a character otherwise named Gríma in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. He is an advisor to King Théoden …
May 18 / Proverbs 6:1-11
Proverbs 6:1-11 Today we turn our attention to a couple of practical bits of wisdom. In Pr. 6:1-5 we are warned not to put up security for someone else, particularly a stranger, and in Pr. 6:6-11 we are advised to work hard and not be lazy. Have you ever co-signed a loan for someone, perhaps …
May 17 / Proverbs 5:15-23
Proverbs 5:15-23 Lest there were any doubts about whether this chapter is warning against adultery, the language in Pr. 5:15-20 should clear that up. It doesn’t take much imagination to understand the euphemisms: “springs“, “streams of water“, “fountain“… Then Pr. 5:19 dispenses with euphemism altogether: Let [your wife’s] breasts fill you at all times with …
May 16 / Proverbs 5:7-14
Proverbs 5:7-14 …and you say, “How I hated discipline,and my heart despised reproof!I did not listen to the voice of my teachersor incline my ear to my instructors.I am at the brink of utter ruinin the assembled congregation.” Proverbs 5:12-14 Ah, the voice of regret. Can any of us say that we have not uttered …
May 15 / Proverbs 5:1-6
Proverbs 5:1-6 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,and her speech is smoother than oil,but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,sharp as a two-edged sword. Proverbs 5:3-4 All of Proverbs 5 serves as a warning against the particular sin of adultery, but as Fred pointed out, the specific temptation toward adultery …