A lot of what is in these verses is about avoiding adultery. I think there are two very purposeful themes. One, is the theme of avoiding real adultery. Adultery really does destroy the man. There are so many verses in here about what really happens when a man sleeps with a wife other than his own. I think the other way to draw from this section is to see adultery as unfaithfulness to God as well. Since the writer discusses wisdom and folly it seems like the adultery can be real or spiritual in nature. Just a thought.
5:21 - For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths.
5:23 - For lack of discipline they will die, lead astray by their own great folly.
6:5 - Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of a fowler.
6:6-8 - The lessons learned from the ant are to work hard and store up wisely. On of the greatest errors of my life has been to work hard and then to store up nothing. I bought into the lie of debt like many other people and that has turned out to be one of the most miserable parts of my life. Had I stored up wisely I would be free to follow Jesus wherever and whenever He calls, give generously whenever there is an opportunity and to live with greater peace. Instead, I bought things I didn't currently have the money for and just figured I'd pay it in the future. The wisdom of Proverbs is proven true, because the ant doesn't worry. The thing now is to figure out how to start living like ant.
6:26 - Adultery costs you everything.
7:8-9 - He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in. The problem was he wasn't paying attention. He went near at a time when he was most at risk. Don't even go near the corner of sin. Don't even walk in the general direction of it. And especially stay away when the time is ripe for sin. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to sin when you just get close to where sin is? You just peak at a photo or you just turn on the TV when no one is home or you just happen to go over to your neighbor's house when everyone is gone? Stay away from anywhere that you have found sin in the past. And especially stay away when the sun is fading and most people are not around.
In 7:16-18 the adulteress (and sin) make an erotic appeal. Everything she says is intended to stimulate a physical response. In 7:19-21 she is ready with an answer. Notice she doesn't say it is right, but that you won't get caught. Sin avoids talking about whether it is right or not and wants to focus on whether you can get away with it or not as if that is all that matters. Adultresses and sin know that if you think about the rightness of something you would never sin. We sin when we find a way to do it without getting caught and it seems like both are more than willing to protect you from getting caught the first time or to. Just enough to get you addicted and then they pull their protection and let you suffer the full wrath of being found out. Save yourself trouble by asking if it is right and not if you can get away with it. If you are thinking about loopholes you are at the door of sin.
Love, Michael
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