Today’s post is a bit different, and it will be short. While we celebrate Labour Day and resting from work as a nation, there is a thought that has been running in my mind this past week as I was reading the book of Proverbs, and it is that of the adulterous woman. What was particularly shocking was her attitude. It was not simply the fact that she was an adulterous woman and consequently her actions could not be surprising, but it was the fact that she was arrogantly confident in her folly to the point of bringing others in it.
If there is a main teaching in the book of Proverbs, it is to seek after wisdom for it is more valuable than gold and everything expensive that can exist in this world (Proverbs 8:10-11). According to the book of Proverbs, the value of wisdom is inestimable, it is just worth everything. There is no number to put on it. And so, with vehemence and constant reminder, the book emphasizes loving wisdom, being taught by her, applying wisdom. Similarly, the book also encourages us to run away from the adulterous woman and her folly (Proverbs 6:20-7). This woman is not like wisdom, she is a lady that is married but living like a prostitute. She is loud, arrogant, she is crafty, defiant, her feet never stay at home, she takes what is not hers and speaks lies. On top of that, she acts as if what she wants belongs to her. Her attitude reminded me of the rich man in prophet Nathan’s story to king David who slaughtered the lamb of the poor servant when he had more sheep than his servant (2 Samuel 12). It is outrageous. This is not your typical adulterous woman. She is firm in her adultery, she loves it, affirms it, and she wants more of it. The attitude of the adulterous woman as portrayed in Proverbs 7 disgusted me. I am not sure why I was never as horrified at her actions as I was this week. It could be because I had never put myself in the text, or maybe the LORD just opened my eyes to how evil such people are. No wonder, the LORD hates such a woman and does not want those that are His to follow in her steps because her ways only lead to death (Proverbs 7:27). A child of the Most High God cannot be around the adulterous woman. This might be a good place to note that the adulterous woman is not limited to a woman, it can be a man as well. In fact, it is a type of person. That is people who dwell in sinful habits; who love to take what does not belong to them; people who hate rebuke; who only think they know better; people who are not honorable and do not honour others; people who easily despise their covenant with God and men, are quick to break it because of a desire of their flesh; people who are untrustworthy; people who are crafty and only think about how to get what they want regardless of the cost or harm to others; people who are defiant and despise others, looking to their own interest only rather than the interests of others. They have no humility in them, they work with their bellies and not the Spirit (reminds me of Philippians 3:19).
For the first time, I saw why it is so important that we run away from such attitude and people. I don’t know about you, but have you been welcoming the “adulterous woman” in your life? Have you been letting other things take the place of God in your life to the point of getting you to forget about Him and what is right? I would encourage you to come back to your first love, repent of your wrong and run to Him. Read Proverbs 7 and ask the LORD to reveal His truth to you. May the LORD help us to be quick to see sin and not partake in it, may we also be quick to hate sin as He does. We are people of the kingdom; we are not of this world therefore, let us live like kingdom citizens. Amen!
