Thursday, September 12, 2013

SIH’s Think On These Things: Proverbs 7:13-18


He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)

The Seduction Of Wickedness: It’s Deception: Hollow Promises: Prov 7:13-18
13) So she caught him, and kissed him, [and] with an impudent face said unto him,
14) [I have] peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
15) Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16) I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved [works], with fine linen of Egypt.
17) I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18) Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.


INTRODUCTION:

Temptation makes every sin look so good and pleasing to each one of us.  How does it able to turn that which is so harmful into something that looks so pleasing and delightful?  It is through the use of hollow promises.  It is this subject that Solomon addresses in our next section of Proverbs….


EXPOSITION:

13) So she caught him, and kissed him, [and] with an impudent face said unto him,
After actively pursuing her victim, we are then told that temptation….
1. seizes and binds her victim forcing herself upon him.  Although no Christian desires her presence in their life, she manages to enter each and every life, forcing confrontation after confrontation.
2. she shows hypocritical concern and love for her victim, hoping for him to let down his guard, believing she is working for his benefit.
3. she looks at him authoritatively, reminding him of her strength, control and previous victories in his life.  How often does the Christian shrink at her presence due to past victories she has gained over them?  How often, based on our knowledge of prior defeats, do we believe there is no use in opposing her and her workings?

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”   (1 Corinthians 15:58)


14) [I have] peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
He had nothing to worry about her intentions are good and she is honest…
1.  this is shown by her observance of religious ceremonies
2.  this is shown by her willingness to keep all her promises, including the payment of vows in religious rites.
To summarize these two…. She pretends to have Godly motives and goals in mind…. HYPOCRASY at it’s finest!

“For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”   (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)


15) Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
She speaks truth, but uses it to deceive him…. She did seek him and find him but it is not out of concern and love, it was much like a robber seeking their next victim. 

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:  But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4) And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”   (Genesis 3:1-5)


16) I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved [works], with fine linen of Egypt.
17) I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

She promises that she is willing to give her best for him.  She makes it sound like she has only his pleasure and good in mind.  She has done all she can to make things as enjoyable as possible.  All the items listed are expensive, much desired items that were not the normal possessions of the common man.

“Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”   (John 8:44)

18) Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
She now invites him to enjoy all that she has supposedly prepared for his benefit and pleasure.  She has prepared the “lamb for the slaughter” through her deceit and is now ready to bring death upon the naive, unprepared victim.

“A foolish woman [is] clamorous: [she is] simple, and knoweth nothing.  For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,  To call passengers who go right on their ways:  Whoso [is] simple, let him turn in hither: and [as for] him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,  Stolen waters are sweet, and bread [eaten] in secret is pleasant.  But he knoweth not that the dead [are] there; [and that] her guests [are] in the depths of hell.”   (Proverbs 9:13-18)
 

SUMMARY:
In our devotion for this morning Solomon has given us an example of how temptation “sets up” her victim using many techniques that were empowered through hollow, fraudulent promises.
Her techniques include:
1. vs 13 – tracks down her victim
2. vs 13 – shows hypocritical concern and love for her victim
3. vs 13 – reminder of past victories over him and the futility of refusing her desires
4. vs 14 – deceives to believe she has good intentions and honesty
5. vs 14 -  deceives to believe she will keep her promises and serves God.
6. vs 15 – twists the truth, using it to deceive and manipulate
7. vs 16,17 – claims she will give her best for her victim
8. vs 16,17 – claims she has done all she can to make things as enjoyable and beneficial as possible.

May we all enter our day realizing the deceitful operations of temptation and the need to rely upon our Lord, His Word and His Spirit to gain the victory over the allurements of this world.

By God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value that they deserve.

May the Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org



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