My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, "I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee,Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed."
With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare,
and knoweth not that it is for his life. Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. (Proverbs 7)
Suddenly, Solomon switches from speaking specifically about a Mother and Father's law to just "My law, and My commandments." This change in reference makes me wonder if the "my law" he is now using implies someone much greater and much wiser then even Solomon - God. We are to that the "remnant people" - God's people - in the last days will faithfully keep His law. "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." (Rev 14:12)
Now, as for the parable. The language we read brings to mind a well-known passage in Revelation 17. Here, John the Revelator is being shown, by and angel, the Woman on the Beast who is full of blasphemy and deadly mischief, making the kings and inhabitants of the earth drunk with the wine of her fornication.
"And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration." (Rev 17:4-6)
Doesn't this sound familiar? These two women are so similar in many ways! The attire of a harlot, garments of purple and scarlet; fine linen, tapestry, carved works, mute and aloes, gold and precious stones; "come let us take our fill of love" and "drunk with the wine of her fornication". Evil women with evil purposes and well-equipped to get what they want.
Yes, the more I look at Proverbs 7, the more deeply I see the parable. Firstly, let's imagine the adulterous woman represents a church. A church that "lieth in wait at every corner." This woman is out to way-lay an innocent traveller (WARNING this could be you or I) on his way home at the end of the day. He is cold and weary and the warmth of her greeting is like a hot drink on a cold morning. She slips her arm around him and as they talk, she promises great things, pleasurable things. With the warmth of her welcome and the sweetness of her words fresh on his mind, he is easily convinced and she draws him away to her house for a season of pleasure. What she didn't tell him is that he has chosen the road of destruction that leads to eternal death.
Rewind. A tired and lost sinner, wandering through life chances to find himself in front of one of the many ornate churches that sprinkle our towns. Immediately loving arms reach out to him. They befriend him. They feed the hungry and clothe the poor. They pay their vows and pray lengthy and pious prayers. They tell our friend that he's ok, Christ has paid the price for him so he need not fear hell so just believe and enjoy life. You only live once. And then heaven! What a glorious place...He is attracted and innocently or not, follows the crowd to a life of pleasure.
It's no wonder there is such an emoji so on keeping the law in our hearts and not forsaking the commandments! With so many "winds of doctrine" blowing the world, a strong hold on truth is the only way we will be able to navigate safely.
The Woman and the power behind her is powerful and practices. God in His mercy warns us of "wolves in sheep's clothing" and of false christs. So much is promised and so much seems to be desirable but only the word of the Lord stands forever.
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Mat 7:13,14)
No comments:
Post a Comment