Proverbs 7:1-27

Adultery is once again the main theme of this Proverb.  Solomon wants to warn his sons of the destructiveness and the dangers as well as the seductiveness of this sin.  He gives a very vivid description of the adulteress.  As we read this description I think it is helpful for us to look at the description as it pertains to the sin of adultery in general and not only describing one particular adulteress.  The temptation of this sin can sound so tantalizing in our minds when we do not listen to the voice of wisdom that has been given to us by God.  There are many lessons to be learned here that will help us stand firm in the face of this temptation.

WHO IS VULNERABLE TO THE ADULTERESS? I think that it is very important for us to realize that every single one of us, no matter what our age, is vulnerable to this temptation.  I have spoken to men of all ages who battle this temptation and we have seen men of all ages fall into this temptation.  However, there are certain factors that place us at even greater risk, so we must learn to eliminate these factors if possible and seek to compensate for them when they cannot be eliminated.  The first factor is being simple or unwise.  The sin of adultery is absolutely foolish in every way.  Those who do not seek for wisdom in Scripture and the lives of godly men will be vulnerable to adultery.  The second factor of vulnerability is youth.  There is nothing we can do to change our age except wait, but we must be aware that our age is a factor and seek to make compensations accordingly.  However, we must never relax on this issue no matter how old we are.  The third factor is location.  There are certain places that we simply must not go.  We must learn to avoid situations where we would be alone with a member of the opposite sex.  The forth factor is time.  Sin always seems to flourish at night.  A wise man will be home at night and go to bed early with his wife.

HOW DOES THE ADULTERESS WORK? An adulteress works in very seductive ways.  The temptation of adultery is not passive; it goes out and seeks for a victim.  Since adultery is not passive we must be proactive in avoiding it.  Adultery almost always starts with some sort of visual stimulation.  Solomon describes her as dressing like a prostitute.  We must learn to protect our eyes from the sight of women that are not properly dressed.  The sin of adultery starts in the eyes so we must guard our eyes from seeing what we ought not see whether that be in person or any sort of pornography on line, TV or any other visual means.  Temptation is bold and it is everywhere we go so we must constantly be on guard.  Adultery then moves from the visual to the physical with kisses and then on to the verbal of inviting her prey to come into her home where she is prepared to provide even greater physical pleasure.  She makes assurances that there are no dangers or risks involved because her husband is gone and will be gone for a long time.  Adultery always counts on the promise of pleasure coupled with secrecy and the illusion that there will be no consequences.  These, of course, are all deceptions the pleasure is passing, there is no secrecy as God always knows and almost always someone else finds out and there are always terrible consequences. 

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF ADULTERY? Unfortunately, the temptation works and the foolish young man is persuaded to follow his lustful heart into greater and greater sin.  Sin always is its own consequence.  Sin brings guilt into our hearts and torments our consciences to the point of misery.  But besides the torment taking place in the heart of the sinner there is judgment that comes from God and a brokenness in the sweet fellowship that we have with our Creator.  Adultery is like a trap that many victims have fallen into and it ends up costing the persons very life.  The person who falls into this temptation becomes just another sad statistic of the numerous foolish men who have fallen in to the same trap time and time again.  We all desire to have good reputations and for our lives to have a lasting impact on the world in which we live.  All of that is ruined by the sin of adultery.  Our reputation is ruined, we lose all respect, we may even lose our lives and most tragically will face eternal judgment.  We must constantly remind ourselves that IT IS NOT WORTH IT!