Plan For A Problem: Walking Through Proverbs 7

If you ever go on a trip with me, even just a day trip, you’ll either love having me around or feel a growing sense of annoyance. As a chronic overthinker (and overpacker), I have thought through dozens of unlikely scenarios which all require another tube of sunblock, a fourth pair of shoes, a millennial-coded printout of every map and reservation we have saved on our phones, multiple backup chargers, yet another lip balm, etc. It might be a little much, but I am rarely ever caught up in a situation for which I am not at least somewhat prepared. Instead of waiting for things to happen and reacting, I plan for a problem. Sure, this might be a result of my Type A personality, but did you know it’s also biblical to plan for trouble that may lie ahead?

What’s The Point?

Proverbs 7 begins just as the previous six do. There is a plea to a son to heed his father’s words. He has instructions that can mean the difference between spiritual life and death. Verse two tells us that the son should “keep my teaching as the apple of your eye.” The apple of one’s eye is deeply cherished and takes priority over others. The serious nature of the father’s words are crystal clear here.

All right, but let’s get real for a moment. Christians understand that we should obey God’s instructions and learn His Word because the Bible literally says so. Hopefully, believers obey God because they love Him and are being sanctified throughout their lives. However, I’m going to take a step away from the overtly spiritual reasons we obey God and ask a question every Christian has had at one time or another. What’s the point?

Like it or not, most people want to know the practical benefits of spiritual things, and it isn’t inherently sinful to ask questions like this. God loves us more than anyone else and does things for His glory and our good, so what is He accomplishing with the instructions we read in Proverbs 7? He’s equipping us to resist temptation.

Plan For A Problem With Preparation

Proverbs 7 warns us to be prepared and plan for a problem. In this case, God teaches us to plan for inevitable temptations. Specifically, we are looking, yet again, at adultery.

“Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’ and call insight your intimate friend, to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words.”

Proverbs 7:4-5

Did you catch the “why” here? Hold close to wisdom “to keep you from the forbidden woman.” The implication is obvious. If we don’t obey God’s Word, learn His commandments, and follow His wisdom for our lives, then we are more likely to fall into temptation’s snare. When we know the truth, temptation’s lies and false promises are more obvious to us.

Plan For A Problem By Steering Clear, Man!

The proverb moves on to describe a man who is “lacking sense,” and it’s a frustrating read if you have any sense yourself.

“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.”

Proverbs 7:7b-9

Our senseless young man doesn’t go directly to the forbidden woman’s home, but he does something arguably more relatable to most people. He puts himself within striking distance of temptation. In order to avoid any particular temptation, it makes the most sense to completely avoid the possibility. For instance, I avoided bars when I stopped drinking. I was a new Christian and was quickly convicted that consuming alcohol is a terrible testimony of being a new creation in Christ, but I was also very concerned that I would give in to the pressure and allure of drinking if I went to places designed to sell you alcohol and the false promises it makes.

The senseless man in Proverbs 7 chooses to place himself near temptation. Does he know how dangerous it is? Is he aware of how unprepared he is to fight off temptation? What is he doing?! If he would just plan for a problem, then he could see the best way to avoid falling in with this forbidden woman would be to steer clear of her. Isn’t this the same mistake that so many of us make, though?

Christians spend entirely too much time making excuses for their love of the world. They flirt with it and play in gray areas, hoping to get close to the flame but not burned. Before my salvation, one of my Christian friends appeared to live vicariously through my sin-ridden life. She wanted to know the stories, encouraged the behaviors, and often spent time in the same places I did while trying to simultaneously be separate from it. How many of us do you think get close enough to touch the temptation without ever getting pulled in? Zero. Proverbs 7 is obviously teaching us about these dangers regarding sexual sin, but look inward and you’ll find that we can be just as reckless concerning any temptation.

Temptation Looks Like A Good Idea

I love villains. The villain in any movie will make or break the film for me. A hero isn’t an interesting character with a truly meaningful journey unless he is confronted with a worthy adversary. I don’t want the bad guy to win, but I want him to play his role well. One of the most disappointing things I see in movies is a villain who is obviously the bad guy. He may as well be twisting his long mustache and driving an unmarked white van with “Free Candy” scrawled on its side.

The best films depict a reasonable villain. He makes sense and offers a worthwhile argument to our heroes, even if he is wrong. Thanos in Infinity War is a good example of this type of villain. Yes, he’s an obvious villain, but he makes sense. Some people walked out of the theater on his side…a little bit. Why? Because the temptation to sin is always packaged in such a way that it actually looks like a good idea. If it didn’t, we wouldn’t be tempted! Here is how the forbidden woman tempts the senseless man.

“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 had to offer sacrifices, and today I have 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 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. 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.’”

Proverbs 7:10-20

The forbidden woman uses a multi-pronged approach. She visually appeals to him with her seductive clothing. In addition, she doesn’t wait around for her target to happen upon her. She isn’t home (where she ought to be). Instead, she is where he might be, lying in wait. In other words, she hunts him.

But I’m Good With God…

The most wicked tactic, in my opinion, is her false spirituality. She tells the senseless man that she has completed her spiritual duties (i.e., sacrifices and vows), and now they can move forward with the sexual sin for which she has sought him. Many church members do the same thing. “I tithed to the church, so I can have this one thing.” “After praying about it, and I have peace with my decision.” “I read my Bible and pray every day. My relationship with God is strong.” We justify sin, sexual and otherwise, by doing the religious things we’ve been told we should do. Somehow, that makes it all right.

I know of a man who was a deacon in his church and left his wife and kids for an affair partner. He later married her and claimed God wants him to be happy. I’ve seen him thank God for blessing him with this adulterous relationship again and again on social media over the years. I have no doubt that he looked at all the religious roles he performed as some sort of justification for his decision to pursue his sinful fleshly desires. In his own eyes, he was a godly man who had no choice but to pursue happiness. What a fool! His lack of wisdom destroyed his family, hurt his church, and nuked his own spiritual well-being.

Men and women who justify their sin by pointing to the spiritual/religious things they do will tell you that they’re “good with God.” But if their relationship with the Lord is as strong as they say, they wouldn’t pursue sin.

Plan For A Problem And You’ll See It Coming

“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, or as 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.”

Proverbs 7:21-23

The senseless man listens to her honey-drenched lies. The poison is sweet on the lips but kills on the way down. He’s an animal led to slaughter. He doesn’t see it coming, but he could have if only he had prepared. Meditating on God’s Word, learning His truth, and living out His wisdom would have made the consequences to giving into the forbidden woman’s temptation unmistakable. He would have known the cost and understood what God instructed. Unfortunately, all he sees is the short-term pleasures. Sin usually feels good at the time. Clearly, we wouldn’t sin if there was no pleasure in it. Sin always has consequences, though. Infidelity, both sexually and spiritually, guarantees to destroy us.

Know Better And Do Better

“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 Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.”

Proverbs 7:25-27

This isn’t a description of a bad day or a metaphorical slap on the wrist. We’re looking at ruinous consequences. Not only that but notice that this isn’t an uncommon or occasional occurrence. Countless men have fallen victim to the forbidden woman. How many of these men knew better than to engage with her but did it anyway? Do you know not to do things but choose to do them anyway? We’ve all been there. Knowing better is not enough. We need to take action. We must do better, as well.

Final Thought

When I plan for a problem on a trip, I am better prepared to face it head-on and make the best decisions possible. I think ahead and understand what the best responses would be. Admittedly, these problems are generally small issues, but my preparation still makes me better suited to make wise decisions.

How much more important is it for us, as Christians, to seek out godly wisdom and live it out in our lives? Proverbs 7 begins with a father imploring his son to make his instruction an intimate and active part of his life. He warns his son of the dangers of ignoring his wisdom, specifically regarding sexual sin. We can take this teaching and apply it to any area of temptation we may face. Seek after God’s wisdom and heed His warnings. Avoid opportunities to engage with temptation. Plan for a problem, and you may very well avoid it altogether.

How have you seen a lack of wisdom lead to sin?

Image courtesy of Vitaly Gariev via Unsplash.