Beware the Strange Woman

Introduction

This is a fascinating portion of Scripture. Here we have Solomon addressing his son, concerning the dangers of a ‘strange woman’ - the ‘stranger’ spoken of in Proverbs 7:5 “That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the stranger which flattereth with her words.”

‘strange woman’ (def) sense of scattering; to alienate or estrange

‘stranger’ (def) alien; unknown person

So when you combine these, what you see is that this an unknown person is one who causes a scattering. She’s like a bomb that is dropped that you didn’t see coming.

Solomon - because he loves his son - doesn’t want him to be caught unawares, so he begins to instruct him in what to watch for.

Now the plain application is pretty straight forward. Daddy’s, you need to speak to your sons and convey the truths found here. Because there’s women out there that need be avoided.

There’s been plenty of good men that’s been ruined by strange women. OF COURSE the same can be said about good women being ruined by whoremongers.

As I said, this is the obvious application - but there’s another application that I want to address today that is more universal, and I believe offers great insight to us today.

Instead of considering a Physical whoredom, I want us to consider this from the Spiritual Whoredom perspective. This is of course how God spoke of His relationship unto the COI. Jeremiah 3:6 “The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.”

The implication was that they were committed unto God, yet instead of remaining faithful unto Him, they chose to commit whoredom with another. That being said, there’s a many Christians - who are supposed to be in a committed relationship unto the LORD Jesus, they are part of the Bride of Christ - yet they are being wooed by a strange woman and are committing whoredom on the LORD.

So the message today is directed toward the church, and the title of the message is ‘Beware of the Strange Woman’:

‘Be-ware’ - Be aware

‘Strange Woman’ - that which sneaks up on you and will scatter your life and your potential, and watch it fade away like dust in the wind.

The first thing to note is the Danger

I. The Danger

We find this through the description Solomon gives in v10-11

Sensual (v10a)

This strange woman has ‘the attire of an harlot’.

There’s a few things to note here:

The first being that there is a way that harlots / whore’s dress.

God didn’t say ‘a maidservants attire’, or ‘a queen’s attire’. He didn’t say ‘casual attire’ and he didn’t say ‘comfortable attire’ or ‘attire that makes me feel good about myself’, He said it was the ‘attire of an harlot’.

Women, if you don’t want to be accused of being a whore, then don’t dress like one. God’s women have no business dressing like a hooker - but that’s exactly what many of them dress like.

The second thing to note is that this was meant to entice. It was meant to be appealing to our natural tendencies.

Make no mistake - Satan will appeal to your natural tendencies. But understand this: OUR NATURAL TENDENCIES ARE NOT GOOD! Remember the words of Paul that say: Romans 8:6–7 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

It’s a Sensual Danger

Subtil (v10b)

Satan is a master of subtilty.

If you’ve been under my preaching any time at all you’ve heard me say that the perception of Satanic attacks and the reality are two different things: Satan is not an overt ogre with horns & pointy tail, red & evil looking - the Bible states clearly: 2 Corinthians 11:14 “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

When Satan approached Eve, the first description was Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”

This Strange Woman is hard to see coming, because she’s subtil

Stubborn (v11)

Stubborn (def) of a persistent rebellious nature.

This strange woman is rebellious attitude is unwielding.

She will bring you no benefit.

There’s no redeeming qualities within her.

She is altogether persistently stubborn in her morally rebellious state

She’s Stubborn

Sure (v12)

Take a look at v12 - Proverbs 7:12 “Now is she without, now in the streets, And lieth in wait at every corner.)”

How can one woman be at EVERY corner? Because it’s not simply one danger, the danger of encountering this SUBTIL, STUBBORN, REBELLIOUS, SMOOTH-TALKING WOMAN IS EVERYWHERE!

Solomon wasn’t just warning his son of ONE WOMAN, he said this kind of woman is EVERYWHERE!

(Ill.) Some Christians seem to think that as long as they stay out of bars, they’re safe. Nope. More preachers have run off with more women of the church than hookers. You can stay out of bars, not drink and still be led astray by idolatry.

Church, you WILL encounter this strange woman - and if you’re not careful, she’ll sneak up on you and destroy your life & your testimony before you know it!

We see the Danger. Next, let’s look at the Destruction. What Caused this young man to yield?

II. The Destruction

Note how Solomon describes this destruction:

Proverbs 7:22–23 “He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.”

This man was headed for destruction - but why?

Because of Ignorance (v7)

As we consider this, we note a few things:

Solomon says he beheld ‘among the youths’ (plural) ‘a young man void…’ (singular)

In other words, there were others there, they all didn’t fall to the strange woman - but this one did because he was ‘void of understanding’.

This young man was ignorant.

Understand, ignorance is not equal with stupidity. (Ill.) Stephen Hawking was apparently a smart man - but he was completely ignorant of the things of God. (I say ‘was’ because he’s dead now and is not living in ignorance any longer. He fully understands the reality of rejecting God).

Church, God doesn’t want us to be ignorant.

Multiple times Paul implored the church about this:

Romans 11:25 “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”

1 Corinthians 10:1 “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;”

1 Thessalonians 4:13 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”

One of the great hinderances to the church today is ignorance, but unfortunately, it’s willful ignorance. The Bible says you can have wisdom if you want: James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

If you are willfully ignorant of the things of God, you’re ripe for seduction by the strange woman - if you haven’t been seduced already.

Because of Ignorance

Because of Insufficient Light (v9)

We see what the environment was like - devoid of light.

Church, it’s hard to tell what you’re doing in the dark.

(Ill.) How many have either stepped on something or stubbed their toe walking around in the dark? The reason is, it’s hard to see the obstacles and dangers in the dark.

Why do you think things are happening in this country like they are?

Why do you think we’ve got such confusion over what constitutes a woman?

Why do you think that if you spin your tires on a pride flag mural in the street, you can face 10 years in prison for a hate crime?

Up is down, right is wrong in this country - why? Because as a nation, we’re slipping further and further into darkness. The light of Christ, the light of His Word is is being ignored and neglected by His people!

Our ‘Christian leaders’ of today are either:

Word of Faith money hungry pimps

No Judgment, no hellers

Hipsters with tattoos & skinny jeans

Or any combination of the three.

The Light of Christ is being systematically snuffed out in our Word, Worship and Walk! And BECAUSE OF THAT - many are falling to the seduction of the strange woman.

Destruction came Because of Insufficient Light

Destruction came through an Imploring of the Flesh

Through Imploring of the Flesh

What we see through approximately 8 verses is an excitement and enticement of the flesh.

Christians today have so little understanding about this topic

They ‘follow their heart’ - yet the Bible says: Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

They allow the flesh to guide them - yet the Bible says: Romans 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”

They follow after worldly pleasures - yet the Bible warns us: 1 John 2:15–16 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

“If it feels good, just do it” is the order of the day - THAT’S THE PHILOSOPHY THIS YOUNG MAN LIVED BY - and you see where it got him… as an ox to the slaughter!

Look here at how strange woman lured this young man to his destruction through the flesh:

Sight (v10)

He began to look upon this woman.

This is where it all starts.

Church, if you’re careful about what you allow your eyes to behold, you’ll have a lot less problems being seduced by the strange woman.

Consider David - you know, the man after God’s heart? He still sinned greatly!

His Looking lead to Lusting

His Lusting lead to Adultery

His Adultery lead to Conspiring

His Conspiring lead to Murder

Psalm 101:3 “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.”

The strange woman began with the eyes

Touch (v13)

Now the physical contact begins. She begins appealing to his sexual appetites.

She begins appealing to him, persuading him through touching

Taste (v14)

She then appeals to him through his physical appetites

Peace offering is what meal that was split between the priest, the LORD and the offerer. She had apparently just come from offering a peace offering unto God

Now we’re not only seeing how wicked this woman is, but she’s presenting herself to be a religious person as well!

You know this is interesting. For every man that has been destroyed by a strange woman, when they are in the midst of it, they never see the danger. ‘Oh, she’s not bad, she’s a very religious girl! She went to church just today!’

She appealed to him through taste

Vanity (v15)

Vanity (def) caring about how others see you

Now she’s making him feel special. She’s appealing to his vanity. She’s feeding his ego.

The Psalmist prayed to God saying: Psalm 119:37 “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; And quicken thou me in thy way.”

She appealed to his vanity

Pride (v16)

Pride (def) Having inflated opinion of yourself

Now she’s talking about her room. She tells him he’ll be like a king!

(Ill.) She says: ‘Listen, we’re not going to the Super 8, we’re going to the Ritz Carlton! Only the best for you baby!

The Bible warns us: Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall.”

She appealed to his pride - but it doesn’t stop there

Scent (v17)

Now she’s working on his sense of smell. She’s spraying on the perfume.

(Ill.) Do you know what this reminded me of? In Junior High there was a boy who had BO but instead of deodorant, he sprayed cologne. At first it was pleasant, but it didn’t take long until you got a whiff of what truly lied underneath, and it was worse than had there been nothing at all.

This in a nutshell is the result of the strange woman. It seems ok on the surface, but the putrid stink of it all lies just below the surface!

She appealed to his sense of scent

Sound (v18;21)

Proverbs 7:21 “With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, With the flattering of her lips she forced him.”

She talked him into it!

She appealed to his ears

An Apparent Escape from Repercussion (v19-20)

She got him to believe that he could get away with such wickedness! She said ‘We can do this! We’ll never get caught! No one is going to know!’ This church is how Satan works!

Satan (the strange woman) wants you to believe that the secret sins you harbor you’re getting away with.

But church understand this - I heard it put this way this week: If you dance, you’re going to pay the fiddler.

Remember the definition of the strange woman - one who comes out of nowhere and scatters / destroys!

Let’s recap for just a minute: We see the Strange Woman appeal to:

Sight, Touch, Taste, Hearing, Smelling, Vanity and Pride & Arrogance. How anyone can understand this great warning and have any confidence at all in the flesh is beyond me!

We see the Destruction comes through Ignorance, Insufficient Light and an Imploring of the Flesh.

We see the Danger, the Destruction - but finally, what does Solomon say about how to avoid it? Next we see the Deliverance

III. The Deliverance

Knowledge (v1-2)

Understanding:

His Word

His Instructions (Commandments)

Church, it will do us good and not evil to dig down and seek what God’s Word says and hear God’s Instructions for our lives.

Too many Christians live in ignorance. They abide by what THEY THINK is right, or WHAT SEEMS Right unto them instead of SEEKING OUT GOD’S WORD! Remember: Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.”

We must dedicate ourselves to knowing the Word of God. Knowing His Instructions on life.

You do know that God gives us instructions on how to live, right? We don’t have to guess, we can know. The Bible gives us instructions, principles and precepts in all things necessary to life:

How to dress

How to conduct ourselves (in a variety of situations) (Ill.) When I left the house of one I was visiting: Proverbs 25:17 “Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; Lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.”

Who to befriend

What to Give

How to Respond to others

How to have the right attitude

What to do when you’re hurting

We should set our face to KNOW THESE THINGS! It will keep us from the Strange Woman

Knowledge

Keeping (v3)

But you see, it’s not just the Knowing, it’s the KEEPING that leads to life.

It’s not enough to know the truth, but you must obey the truth.

That phrase ‘apple of thine eye’ means that his commands should be cherished ABOVE ALL ELSE!

Keeping His Commands leads to life

Kinsmen (v4-5)

Lastly - wisdom and understanding should be nigh unto thee. As close kin.

Listen church, you can either draw nigh unto Wisdom and Understanding, or you’ll find yourself nigh in the bosom of a strange woman and have your life, testimony, potential destroyed before you know it.

As I said earlier - wisdom is attainable by anyone, yet so few actually acquire it. The question today is, will you?

Kinsmen

Conclusion