May 7

May 7 - Today from Proverbs 7 we look at verse 10
"Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent."

Proverbs 7 is a great allegorical teaching on temptation. The subject of the story is a young man who lacks good judgment (vs. 7), who is being candidly observed. He has no idea that he is under observation; therefore he is most likely to act in accordance with his most basic instincts. I think it's safe to say that when we are aware that others are watching, we are prone to 'act' a little. We make an effort to make a good impression. I mean, let's be honest; most people's table manners vary considerably from eating in a fine restaurant than, let's say, from eating alone at home in front of their TV. That's how Solomon lets us view this young man. The young man has no goal for the evening, and he is completely unaware that he is being watched.
Here's our first little lesson in temptation. We are most susceptible to fall into temptation when we are idle and when we feel that we are not being watched. The best way to protect ourselves from such situations is to avoid idle time (moving without purpose), and to practice the presence of God (because He is).
Then we come to our verse for today. Temptation most always appeals to the sensual part of man. The 'villain' of the story is an adulteress. She came out dressed like a prostitute. Prostitutes dress to titillate the senses. It's what makes her 'stand out' from the crowd. It 'catches the eye' (one of the five senses), and provokes the mind. Allegorically speaking, the adulteress could be anything that would cause us to compromise our intimate relationship with God. It appeals to self-gratification. We have never been tempted to give a meal to a homeless person, or to visit a person recovering in a hospital, or to drive to the church facility in mid-week to pray with other believers. These are selfless acts. Temptation is always connected with self-gratification and comes with an alluring cover. And it most often comes when we think no one else is watching (except perhaps for another partner or partners participating in the indulgence). If the young man were with his parents, or his Rabbi, or with some friends who had moral character, he would have had some protection from straying into the path of this adulteress. Or, if he would have been writing the teachings of his parents on his heart (vs.3), he would have been growing in sound judgment and would have avoided this confrontation all together. But, he didn't possess sound judgment; he went off on an aimless walk, and he wasn't aware that he was being observed. What a setup for the adulteress!
Madison Avenue could use this passage as a textbook in marketing. First, set up a sensual draw with the packaging, and then get the individual consumer thinking that they were specifically on the mind of the manufacturer when developing the product. Up until that moment, the consumer wasn't even aware of the product, much less were they aware that they needed it. That's how it is with this young man. The adulteress gets his attention by her packaging, and then she really gets him on the hook by appealing to his ego. In verse 15 she says, "I have come out to meet you. I looked for you and have found you!" The young man may have believed that, but the truth is that she was looking for anyone who would fall for her bait. He just happened to be the first one that evening. But in his mind, this whole act was just for him. He's a pretty special guy! That's another common trait of temptation; the tempter doesn't single one out because they're so special. He sets the trap for anyone who lacks judgment and then makes them feel like they are special. It is a grand part of the seduction of sin.
Solomon does a good job of teaching in this chapter. First he admonishes his son to make work of learning and applying wisdom, and then he gives a clear allegory that explains the ways of temptation, the pitfalls of seduction, and value of wisdom. Wisdom protects. It protects our relationship with God, and it protects our relationships with those who are important in our lives. Wisdom should be very high on our 'values list'. This chapter is a good textbook from which we can teach our own children.