The Price and Lure of the Adulteress

Heavenly Father,

we thank you

that you speak to us as a loving Father.

That you do not shy away from

speaking the hard truth to us

because you love us

you seek our good.

And Lord, this passage is a sobering passage.

Even a frightful passage.

But Lord, we pray

that as we cherish the word

you have given us,

that you would ignite

or even reignite

our zeal,

our passion

for your glory.

And that that would make us faithful

in our relationships.

That they would keep us

and guard us from

lust and adultery.

And that we would be freshly reminded

of

the great price that you paid

to reclaim

your adulterous bride,

us, your church.

So now lead us and speak to us.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

We're in Proverbs

Proverbs 6:20

chapter 6, verse 20

to chapter 7, verse 27.

I'll read out loud for us.

My son,

keep your father's commandment

and forsake not

your mother's teaching.

Bind them on your heart

always.

Tie them around your neck.

When you walk,

they will lead you.

When you lie down,

they will watch over you.

And when you awake,

they will talk with you.

For the commandment is a lamp

and the teaching a light.

And the reproofs of discipline

are the way of life.

To preserve you from the evil woman,

from the smooth tongue

of the adulteress.

Do not desire her beauty

in your heart.

And do not let her capture you

with her eyelashes.

For the price of a prostitute

is only a loaf of bread.

But a married woman

hunts down a precious life.

Can a man carry fire

next to his chest

and his clothes not be burned?

Or can one walk on hot coals

and his feet not be scorched?

So is he who goes

into his neighbor's wife.

None who touches her

will go unpunished.

People do not despise a thief

if he steals

to satisfy his appetite

when he is hungry.

But if he is caught,

he will pay sevenfold.

He will give all the goods

of his house.

He who commits adultery

lacks sense.

He who does it

destroys himself.

He will get wounds

and dishonor

and his disgrace

will not be wiped away.

For jealousy

makes the man furious

and he will not spare

when he takes revenge.

He will accept

no compensation.

He will refuse

though you multiply gifts.

My son,

keep my words

and treasure up

my commandments with you.

Keep my commandments

and live.

Keep my teaching

as the apple of your eye.

Bind them on your fingers.

Write them

on the tablet of your heart.

Say to wisdom,

you are my sister.

And call in sight

your intimate friend

to keep you

from the forbidden woman,

from the adulteress

with her smooth words.

For at the window

of my house

I have looked out

through my lattice

and I have seen

among the simple

I have perceived

among the youths

a young man

lacking sense

passing along the street

near her corner

taking the road

to her house

in the twilight

in the evening

at the time

of night

and darkness.

And behold,

the woman meets him

dressed as a prostitute

wily of heart.

She is loud

and wayward.

Her feet

do not stay at home.

Now in the street

now in the market

and at every corner

she lies in wait.

She seizes him

and kisses him

and with bold face

she says to him,

I have to offer sacrifices

and today

I paid my vows.

So now

I have come out

to meet you

to seek you eagerly

and I have found you.

I have spread my couch

with coverings,

colored linens

from Egyptian linen.

I perfumed my bed

with myrrh,

aloes,

and cinnamon.

Come,

let us take

our fill of love

till morning.

Let us delight

ourselves with love.

For my husband

is not at home.

He has gone

on a long journey.

He took a bag

of money with him.

At full moon

he will come home.

With much seductive speech

she persuades him.

With her smooth talk

she compels him.

All at once

he follows her

as an ox

goes to the slaughter.

Whereas a stag

is caught fast

till an arrow

pierces its liver.

As a bird

rushes into a snare

he does not know

that it will cost him

his life.

And now

O sons

listen to me

and be attentive

to the words

of my mouth.

Let not your heart

turn aside

to her ways.

Do not stray

into her paths.

For many a victim

has she laid low

and all her slain

are a mighty throng.

Her house

is the way to shield

going down

to the chambers

of death.

This is God's

holy and authoritative

word.

If someone were

to compile

a list of

men and women

whose lives

and careers

have been ruined

by adultery

that list would be

too long to count.

I still remember

the

Ashley Madison

data leak

from 2015.

Some of you

might remember that.

when the website

that promotes

extramarital affairs

was hacked.

And the hackers

leaked names

of 30 million

people

who had used

the website.

And some of

the leaked data

included other

personally identifying

information like

home addresses

and search

histories,

credit card records.

people

and the leaked

names included

politicians,

priests,

military members,

civil servants,

and celebrities.

Many resignations

and divorces

and in some cases

even suicides

followed.

And one of the

people affected

was a pastor

and a seminary

professor who

couldn't overcome

the deep shame

and fear

that came with

the exposure.

So he left

a heart-wrenching

apology to his

wife and took

his own life.

That's what

Satan thrives on.

He promises

pleasure

without pain.

He promises

sin

without death.

But Proverbs

620-727

that we just read

exposes

his malicious

lies.

Chapter 6

tells us

the price

of the adulteress

and chapter 7

tells us

the lure

of the adulteress.

And the lure

of the adulteress

is such that

a young man

liking sense

falls

headlong

into her trap

hook,

line,

and sinker.

And how can

we be fortified

against this

dangerous temptation?

This passage

teaches us

that we should

treasure up

the commandments

of God

so that they

keep us

from the trap

of the adulteress.

And if you're

single,

don't tune it out

thinking that

this doesn't

apply to you.

Jesus said

in Matthew 5

27-28

you have heard

that it was said

you shall not

commit adultery

but I tell you

that everyone

who looks

at a woman

lustfully

has already

committed adultery

with her

in his heart.

Physical adultery

is often preceded

by heart adultery

and this passage

has helpful insights

to keep us

from both.

And so first

let's look at

the price

of the adulteress

in chapter 6.

It says

in verses 20

and 21

Throughout the

book of Proverbs

the author

frequently assumes

the voice

of the father

and equates

his voice

with the commandments

of God himself

because he is

a spokesperson

for God.

He's relaying

the commandments

of God

to the future

generations.

But instructing

a child

was not

an exclusive

responsibility

of the father.

It's especially

appropriate

to note

today

on Mother's

Day

that the

teaching

of the mother

is mentioned

here also

as it is

in two other

places in Proverbs.

It says

forsake

not your

mother's

teaching.

The saying

that was

popularized

in the 1940s

to recognize

the often

unheralded

contributions

of women

is true.

Behind every

great man

there is

a great woman.

1 Timothy 6

9-10

teaches

that an

elderly woman

who desires

to devote

herself fully

to praying

for the church

and serving

the church

in that way

while receiving

full financial

care and provision

from the church

that they need

to be qualified

and that their

qualification is

that they need

to have a

reputation

for good works.

This is 1 Timothy 6

9-10.

It then lists

several examples

of what having

a good reputation

for good works

looks like.

It lists things

like showing

hospitality

washing the feet

of the saints

and caring

for the afflicted.

But before

all of those

things

what heads

the list

is this

surprising item

that she

has brought

up children.

Being a

mother

bringing up

children

teaching

your children

is a good

commendable

God-honoring

work

worthy of

praise

and recognition.

It is a

difficult work

a sacrificial

work

a worthy

work.

And since

the father

and mother

and you

here

have done

a good

job

of teaching

their

children

the father

tells the

son

to bind

their teaching

on his

heart

always

and to

tie them

around

his neck.

This is

a figurative

expression

for a

constant

devotion.

Some of

you might

remember

from the

90s

it was

really

popular

in the

90s

these

WWJD

bracelets

What Would

Jesus Do

bracelets

I wore

them in

middle

school

proudly

in my

school

and

it's

kind of

like that

but in

a more

figurative

and less

literal

sense

we are

to keep

the

commandments

of God

always

near

our

minds

and

dear

to

our

hearts

we

should

read

God's

word

we

should

meditate

on

God's

word

we

should

memorize

God's

word

I

had a

zoom

call

with

one

of

our

church

members

this

week

who

had

a

wall

of

truth

in

the

room

with

whole

bunch

of

sticky

notes

with

these

truths

from

scripture

and

Bible

verses

to serve

as a

constant

reminder

to

live

with

the

life

giving

truths

of

God

in

mind

let

me

ask

you

what

does

your

mind

wander

to

is

your

mind

full

of

God's

word

or

is

it

full

of

the

world

what

does

your

heart

treasure

is

what

do

you

love

what

stirs

up

your

soul

what

ignites

your

passion

is

it

to

know

and

to

do

the

will

of

God

or

is

it

the

gospel

of

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

is

it

the

commandments

of

God

our

Father

have

you

bound

those

things

in

your

heart

have

you

tied

it

around

your

neck

and

here's

why

that's

important

it

says

in

verse

22

when you

walk

they will

lead

you

when you

lie

down

they will

watch

over

you

and when

you

awake

they will

talk

with

you

this

verse

personifies

the commandments

of God

these commandments

will

and

what a

comforting

thought

whether

you're

active

or

sedentary

whether

you're

outdoors

or

indoors

at

home

whether

you're

sleeping

or

awake

the

word

of

God

is

a

constant

and

faithful

companion

it

can

lead

guard

and

counsel

you

so

who

wouldn't

want

such

a

steady

and

reliable

companion

for

it

continues

in

verse

23

the

commandment

is a

lamp

and

the

teaching

a

light

and

the

reproofs

of

discipline

are

the

way

of

life

here's

why

we

should

treasure

up

the

commandments

of

God

for

they

are

a

lamp

and

a

light

they

are

the

way

of

life

we

will

never

drive

in

unlid

roads

without

our

headlights

on

but

God's

word

is

the

lamp

it

is

the

light

for

the

world

of

life

we

would

never

travel

to

an

unknown

region

without

a

map

well

God's

word

and

its

reproofs

of

discipline

are

the

way

of

life

it

shows

you

the

way

that

leads

to

abundant

life

and

ultimately

eternal

life

right

the

first

thing

that

people

who

wear

glasses

like

I

do

grab

in

the

morning

when

they

wake

up

is

their

glasses

because

they

can't

see

anything

without

them

it's

God's

word

that

helps

us

to

see

so

we

should

treasure

up

the

commandments

of

God

and

there

are

countless

benefits

to

treasuring

God's

word

but

this

passage

has

one

very

specific

purpose

in

mind

it

says

in

verse

24

to

preserve

you

from

the

evil

woman

from

the

smooth

tongue

of

the

adulteress

if

you

are

a

woman

simply

flip

the

gender

of

the

words

around

to

fit

your

vantage

point

the

warning

applies

to

you

as

well

the

ESV

the

English

standard

version

that

we

are

using

translates

it

as

evil

woman

but

the

new

international

version

translates

the

same

word

as

neighbor's

wife

wife

this

variation

in

translation

stems

from

the

fact

that

the

original

Hebrew

manuscripts

of

the

book

of

Proverbs

have

no

spaces

between

consonants

and

they

don't

have

any

vowels

so

you

have

to

rely

entirely

on

context

to

supply

the

vowels

so

the

vowels

depending

on

what

vowels

you

supply

produces

some

minor

discrepancies

that

do

not

substantially

affect

the

meaning

of

the

text

of

scripture

and

in

this

case

depending

on

what

vowels

you

supply

can

mean

evil

woman

or

neighbor's

wife

and

I

think

neighbor's

wife

is

a

better

translation

because

it's

paralleled

by

the

word

adulterous

which

literally

is

foreign

or

strange

woman

in

Hebrew

it

fits

the

running

theme

that

we've

observed

in

chapters

5

6

and

7

of

that

warning

about

meddling

in the

affairs

of

strangers

of

our

neighbors

and

also

because

later

in

verse

29

the

adultery

is

sinful

and

evil

indeed

but

the

main

reason

why

we

need

to

be

preserved

from

the

adulteress

is

not

because

she's

particularly

evil

but

because

she

belongs

to

another

as

we

will

see

in

the

rest

of

chapter

6

and

we

must

be

guarded

from

her

because

she

is

alluring

she

has

a

smooth

tongue

which

is

a

reference

to

her

sly

and

sensuous

speech

and

then

verses

25

to

35

the

father

dives

into

his

dire

warnings

he

says

in

verse

25

do

not

desire

her

beauty

in

your

heart

and

do

not

let

her

capture

you

with

her

eyelashes

proverbs

uses

the

word

beauty

exclusively

to

refer

to

outward

beauty

to

the

physical

appearance

and

this

is

confirmed

by

the

parallel

eyelashes

or

literally

the

eyes

as

the

NIV

translates

it

and

because

in

the

ancient

Near

Eastern

culture

eyes

were

often

the

focal

point

of

feminine

beauty

sparkling

eyes

were

a

prized

attribute

of

beautiful

woman

in

the

ancient

Near

Eastern

world

and

so

in

Genesis

29

17

in

describing

Leah

who

was

ugly

compared

to

her

younger

sister

Rachel

Bible

describes

her

as

having

weak

eyes

right

an

article

entitled

looking

and

loving

published

in the

Journal of

Research

and Personality

made the

observation

that the

simple

prolonged

eye

contact

alone

increases

significantly

the feelings

of passionate

love between

two complete

strangers

this study

merely

confirmed

what Solomon

the principal

author

of Proverbs

already

affirmed

nearly

3,000

years

earlier

the

and the

way

to do

that

is

not

by

avoiding

eye

contact

but

by

guarding

our

hearts

we

are

told

not

to

desire

her

beauty

in

our

heart

this

forms

a

contrast

with

verse

21

which taught us to bind God's commandments on our heart.

If we fortify our hearts with the beauty and the goodness of God's commandments,

we will not be captured by the beauty of a neighbor's wife.

The gaze of the adulteress will be unable to pierce our hearts.

Verse 26 and following supply the reasons why we ought to guard ourselves against the adulteress.

Four, the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life.

This is the price of the adulteress.

The price of a prostitute is a loaf, but the price of an adulteress is a life.

The author is not encouraging us to seek out prostitutes instead of committing adultery.

Sexual immorality of all shapes and form are prohibited throughout scripture,

and hiring a prostitute for sex is explicitly condemned in 1 Corinthians chapter 6.

1 Corinthians 6 · chapter mention

Solomon wants us to avoid both prostitution and adultery.

He's merely noting that sleeping with a married woman has far worse consequences than sleeping with a prostitute.

In terms of economic cost, the prostitute is actually more expensive.

The adulteress is free.

But in terms of the physical and social cost, the adulteress is far more costly than a prostitute.

Adultery destroys marriages.

It wrecks homes.

It even takes lives.

In verses 27 to 35, the father then explains that this punishment for adultery is both inescapable and interminable.

It has no end.

The devastating consequence of adultery leaves no exits and has no end.

First, it's inescapable.

It says in verses 27 to 29,

The obvious answer to these rhetorical questions is no.

You cannot carry fire or walk on hot coals without being burned.

Likewise, none who touches his neighbor's wife will go unpunished.

In Hebrew, the words for man, wife, and fire all are sibilant.

They all have S sounds.

They're very similar in sounds.

So when you hear that sound association between the man, wife, and fire,

whenever it establishes the association, the connection between the sin and the consequence

and the punishment even more closely and tightly.

So whenever you feel tempted to lust after a neighbor's wife or a husband,

think about fire.

That's the association that the author of Proverbs is trying to make for us.

Whenever you feel a spark or a flame rising up inside you for a neighbor's wife or a husband,

don't think of metaphorical fire.

Think of real fire, fire that burns and consumes and scorches and leaves scars and kills.

And don't for a moment think that you can get away with it.

That no one will find out.

God sees everything and he is the ultimate judge overall.

And his word declares that none who touches his neighbor's wife will go unpunished.

None.

And the adulterer has no excuse.

There is no mitigating circumstance that makes adultery more acceptable.

It says in verses 30 to 32,

If you steal to satisfy your hunger, it's still wrong.

And if you're caught, you will be held accountable.

However, at least people will pity you.

But not so with the adulterer.

He who commits adultery lacks sense.

He who does it destroys himself.

No one will pity you.

Instead, they will say that you destroyed yourself.

The thief might end up losing everything he has, all of his possessions.

But the adulterer will lose his life itself.

Adultery is senseless and its destructive consequences inescapable.

And not only is the ruin inescapable, it's also interminable.

It says in verse 33,

He will get wounds and dishonor and his disgrace will not be wiped away.

In much of the ancient world, adultery was legally punishable,

either by whipping or by the death penalty.

So the adulterer might literally end up with wounds and literally lose his life.

And the word wound is a noun form of the same word touch that was used in verse 29.

So this wordplay reinforces the inevitable consequence of adultery.

Whoever touches a married woman sexually will be touched with violence.

But the physical punishment is not the end of it.

He will also get dishonor.

There is no way to make restitution for adultery.

Because you can't undo it.

You can't repay a wrong spouse.

The wounds and dishonor and disgrace that befall the adulterer are therefore permanent.

They will not be wiped away.

It will be a permanent blotch on your record.

And here's why the punishment is so severe.

It says in verses 34 to 35,

You can put a price tag on all of your property.

Their loss can be compensated.

But your wife, your husband, their loyalty, their affection,

these are priceless things,

and there is no adequate compensation for their loss.

Even if you try to appease the cuckold,

the grieved husband,

with bribes,

his jealous anger will not be pacified,

and he will exact revenge.

We are to consider this high price of the adulteress

and treasure up the commandments of God.

And having spoken of the price,

now the stage turns in chapter 7

to the lure of the adulteress in chapter 7.

The tactics used by the adulteress

to capture foolish men,

to trap them.

But before he does,

he reiterates the importance

of treasuring up the commandments of God again

in verses 1 to 5.

As I read it,

please listen for the repetition of the word keep.

It says,

My son, keep my words

and treasure up my commandments with you.

Keep my commandments and live.

Keep my teaching as the apple of your eye.

Bind them on your fingers.

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Say to wisdom,

You are my sister

and call inside your intimate friend

to keep you from the forbidden woman,

from the adulteress with her smooth words.

The repetition of the word keep

emphasizes the main point of this passage

that the only way to be kept from the adulteress

is to keep the commandments of God in our hearts.

If you want to be guarded from the adulteress,

you must guard God's word within you.

The commandments of God should be cherished

and guarded like the apple of your eye

that are so delicate and essential,

important that we protect.

It's instinctive, right?

I think that's why it's so hard.

I don't know how people who wear contacts do it.

I can't keep my eyes open even when I try

because it's our instinct to protect it.

Likewise, we're to keep, guard,

God's word in our hearts

as the apple of our eye.

Verses four to five contrast

befriending wisdom

with befriending the adulteress.

It says,

Say to wisdom, you are my sister.

Call inside your intimate friend

or your relative.

And the word forbidden woman

is once again,

literally it means strange woman.

It's a reference to the woman

that does not belong to your family,

the person that is not your wife,

but your neighbor's wife,

a strange woman.

If you want to be protected

from the seduction of the strange woman,

make wisdom your familial

and familiar woman.

If you want to remain estranged

from the adulteress,

make God's wisdom familiar to yourself.

And as a cautionary tale,

the father uses an example

of a foolish man

who succumbs to the lure of the adulteress

in the rest of the chapter.

He says in verses six to eight,

For at the window of my house,

I have looked out through my lattice

and I've seen among the simple,

I perceived among the youths,

a young man lacking sense,

passing along the street near her corner,

taking the road to her house

in the twilight,

in the evening,

at the time of night and darkness.

These verses contrast the father

who is looking out

from the window of my house,

from the senseless young man

who takes the road to her house.

The father is safe

where every faithful, stable man

should be a knight

at his own house.

But the foolish young man

is roaming the streets near her house.

He's at the wrong place.

Earlier in Proverbs chapter five,

verse eight warned us,

Keep your way far from the adulteress

and do not go near the door of her house.

We're supposed to stay far away

from the adulteress.

We are not even to go near the door of her house,

let alone go in.

Ray helpfully used two weeks ago

the illustration of Joseph

in Genesis chapter 39.

Genesis 39 · chapter mention

He literally fled the advances

of Potiphar's wife

and he refused even to be in her presence

because she was trying to seduce him.

Likewise, we're to flee the temptress.

Maybe you don't outright look at pornography,

but are you going near it?

Are you looking at certain Facebook

or Instagram profiles

where you know you will find pictures

of scantily clad people?

Are you watching suggestive

or sensuous videos on YouTube?

The stage warns us,

Don't even go near her house.

Is there a co-worker

that is throwing inappropriate gazes

in your direction

or making overt advances toward you?

Don't go wandering

near his or her cubicle

to indulge your curiosity.

Stay far away from her.

Transfer to another department.

Get another office.

Maybe get even another job.

Don't even go near her house.

Stay in your house

with your spouse.

Are you traveling?

Don't go to the nude beach.

Don't wander around the swimming pool

trying to check out who is there.

Don't go to the bar alone.

Ask the hotel staff

to disconnect your cable

or remove the TV from your room

beforehand if necessary.

Don't even go near her house.

Not only was this young man

in the wrong place,

he was also there

at the wrong time.

It says in verse 90,

He was taking the road to her house

in the twilight,

in the evening,

at the time of night and darkness.

Notice that repetition of words

that suggest night time

and darkness.

It's the opposite

of following the commandments of God

which was described

in chapter 6, verse 23

as a lamp and a light.

As John chapter 3, verses 19 to 20 put it,

John 3:19–20

People love the darkness

rather than the light

because their works were evil.

For everyone who does wicked things

hates the light

and does not come to the light

lest his works should be exposed.

What does this mean for us?

Secrecy.

Shame.

Hiding from others.

Shirking responsibility.

Fleeing accountability.

Finding cover at night.

This is the environment

that incubates sin.

We are to avoid such darkness.

We are to instead live in the light.

Confess our sins to one another.

Expose our sins to the light of Christ.

Be transparent.

Be vulnerable.

Seek accountability from one another.

In such an environment,

in the light,

sin suffocates.

It withers away.

When you're in the wrong place

at the wrong time,

it's no surprise

that you encounter the adulteress.

Verses 10 to 12

describe her this way.

And behold,

the woman meets him

dressed as a prostitute,

wily of heart.

She is loud and wayward.

Her feet do not stay at home.

Now in the street,

now in the market,

and at every corner,

she lies in wait.

As if she had been waiting

to pounce on him.

It says,

behold,

she's just right there.

All of a sudden,

the woman meets him.

And she's dressed as a prostitute,

probably revealing clothes

intended to seduce.

And it says,

she is wily of heart.

She is not genuine.

She's not authentic.

She hides the true intentions

of her heart.

She is loud and wayward,

both in the sounds she makes

and in the places she goes.

She is out of bounds.

She is disruptive.

Her feet do not stay at home.

Now in the street,

now in the market,

and every corner,

she lies in wait.

Unlike the father who was home,

this woman is never home.

She's not an industrious woman

who works busily at home.

She is rather a busy body,

scurrying about to meddle

in the affairs of others.

Instead of the wife who is praised

in 1 Peter 3, verse 4,

1 Peter 3:4

for possessing the imperishable beauty,

imperishable beauty of a gentle

and quiet spirit,

the adulteress is loud and wayward.

Unlike godly young women

who are commanded in Titus 2,

Titus 2:3–5

verses 3-5,

and 1 Timothy 5,

1 Timothy 5:11–14

verses 11-14,

to love their husbands and children

and to manage their households,

the adulteress' feet

do not stay at home.

She does not love her husband

and children.

She's not dedicated

to her household.

And the adulteress' actions

and speech in verses 13-21,

provide uncanny insight

into how the temptations

of lust and adultery function.

If I could summarize the insights,

I can summarize it into four things.

First, the adulteress creates a pretext.

Second, the adulteress appeals to pride.

Third, the adulteress entices with pleasure.

And fourth,

she promises impunity.

This is her tactic.

First, it says in verses 13-15,

that the adulteress seizes him

and kisses him,

and with bold face she says to him,

I had to offer sacrifices,

and today I paid my vows.

So now I have come out to meet you.

She's first creating a pretext.

She claims to be a religious person

and claims that she has made a vow

to offer a sacrifice to her deity

and that today she has finally fulfilled her vow.

Now what does that have to do

with anything here?

The Canaanite fertility cult

required fellowship sacrifices

where the worshiper sacrifices an animal

and shares a meal with his or her deity.

Now a female who offers such sacrifice

as a part of that communal meal

were required to have sexual intercourse

with the male partner.

This is the Canaanite fertility cult.

So she claims that she needs this young man.

However, since the adulteress

has been described already in verse 5

as having smooth words

and in verse 10

as being wily of heart,

I'm inclined to think

that this is merely a pretext

and not a genuine religious concern.

The seductress creates a pretext for intimacy.

Think about how people might do that.

Hey, I've been really depressed

and lonely lately.

My husband has been traveling

too much for work.

He doesn't care about me at all.

Hey, do you want to come over to my house

and keep me company

and have a drink?

I could really use some

company, friendship.

Or someone else might say,

well, we've been so overworked

by our boss, haven't we?

Do you want to go to a spa together

this weekend to relax,

let off steam?

The adulteress first creates

a pretext.

Second, she appeals to pride.

Look at how the adulteress

butters up the young man

before eating him alive.

She says,

I have come to meet you,

to seek you eagerly,

and I have found you.

She's saying,

I need a male partner

to complete my sacrifice,

and you,

you handsome hunk of a man.

You are just the right person.

I've been eagerly looking for you.

And finally,

I have found you.

Can you imagine how special

this young man felt?

She's appealing to his vanity.

You are special.

What woman can refuse you?

Why be tied down by someone

who doesn't appreciate you?

Oh, but I appreciate you.

I know your true value.

This is far from the truth,

of course.

There is, in fact,

nothing especially impressive

about this young man

except he is dim-witted.

And his adulteress

is anything but discriminating.

We were told in verse 12,

now in the street,

now in the market,

in every corner

she lies in wait.

Later it says in verse 26,

many a victim

has she laid low,

and all her slain

are a mighty throng.

This adulteress

is not discriminating.

She's not picky.

She is everywhere,

and she solicits everyone

who is foolish enough

to come near her.

We should be wary

of flatterers in general,

but let us beware,

lest we duped

by the adulteress.

So she appeals to pride,

and her third tactic

is that she entices

with pleasure.

She knows that

human beings

are creatures of desire,

of the senses.

So she says in verses 16-18,

I have spread my couch

with coverings,

colored linens

from Egyptian linen.

I have perfumed my bed

with myrrh,

aloes,

and cinnamon.

Come,

let us take our fill

of love till morning.

Let us delight ourselves

with love.

The adulteress

arouses the man's senses

in order to take advantage

of him.

She has already seized him

and kissed him

in verse 13.

Now she entices him

with even more pleasure.

The couch is parallel to bed.

It refers not to where you sit,

but to where you sleep,

where you recline.

And she has covered her bed

with soft, luxurious,

imported linen

from Egypt

for tactile pleasure.

Soft.

She has perfumed her bed

with myrrh,

aloes,

and cinnamon

for olfactory pressure

for her to delight

the smell.

These are spices

that are mentioned

in Song of Songs

Song of Solomon 4:14

chapter 4,

verse 14

as arousing romantic love.

She continues,

let us take our fill.