Keep Away

Proverbs 5:7-11

7 And now, O sons, listen to me,
and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house,

9 lest you give your honor to others
and your years to the merciless,
10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11 and at the end of your life you groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed...

Keep away from the "forbidden woman"! If she is in your travel route, take a detour – a wide detour. Instead of matching your wisdom against her folly, just stay away. She will not listen to you. As Proverbs 18:2 explains, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding.” And 15:14 adds that “the mouths of fools feed on folly.” The more likely scenario is that she will lead you astray and to your ruin.

What happens when you yield to the forbidden woman? You lose your honor, your good name. Perhaps you are young and earning a good name. You are accomplishing much good. Perhaps you are effectively ministering for God’s kingdom, but you yield to the enticements of the forbidden woman and become publicly shamed and thus disqualified for your work. You lose your years of a fruitful life. The years of a meaningful, productive life are taken away as you waste them indulging in folly or suffering the consequences of your folly. Many good, talented men and women have had their talent wasted because of going near the door of her house. You lose your possessions. Strangers – those who have no interest in you – reap your possessions. The lovers of money take from you your money. Understand that our society is saturated with sexual temptations, not because of mere sensual impulse, but because sex is a lucrative business. Like casinos, the sex industry is all about becoming wealthy off of your giving in to temptation. And of all the temptations, illicit sex is the easiest to exploit because sexual impulses makes fools of us all. And you lose more than money. You may lose your spouse. You may lose your family and your friends. You may lose your job. What was dear to you ends up with someone else. And you lose your health. It is impossible not to connect rampant venereal disease with rampant sexual promiscuity. But there are other tolls on your health – anxiety, depression, the dangers connected with linking up with fools, to name a few.

Keep away and embrace the Wisdom who will strengthen you with the gospel of Christ.