1-2 Dear friend, pay close attention to this, my wisdom; listen very closely to the way I see it. Then you’ll acquire a taste for good sense; what I tell you will keep you out of trouble.
3-6 The lips of a seductive woman are oh so sweet, her soft words are oh so smooth. But it won’t be long before she’s gravel in your mouth, a pain in your gut, a wound in your heart. She’s dancing down the primrose path to Death; she’s headed straight for Hell and taking you with her. She hasn’t a clue about Real Life, about who she is or where she’s going.
7-14 So, my friend, listen closely; don’t treat my words casually. Keep your distance from such a woman; absolutely stay out of her neighborhood. You don’t want to squander your wonderful life, to waste your precious life among the hardhearted. Why should you allow strangers to take advantage of you? Why be exploited by those who care nothing for you? You don’t want to end your life full of regrets, nothing but sin and bones, Saying, “Oh, why didn’t I do what they told me? Why did I reject a disciplined life? Why didn’t I listen to my mentors, or take my teachers seriously? My life is ruined! I haven’t one blessed thing to show for my life!”
Proverbs 5:1-14
The thing I remember about working through this Proverb is that seduction occurs in every worldly arena. She promises us saturated satisfaction and delivers us wastelands of drought, dependence and bondage. So how do we see the seductions of sin and not even enter onto her path? For me, the answers were in living out this Holy obedience to the ordinary, knowing that every thought is a battleground for Holiness. Every thought, every step is fraught with temptations and seduction. I need a map, a guide, to help me navigate. Here's the absolute wonder: we have a living book that speaks to our herts, convicts while it teaches, and sets a path through every human condition we will ever experience!! What a gift!!!
