The Wisdom of Purity

1. Have Reverence for God’s Word (1-5)

A. Treasure His Commands

Proverbs 7:1–2 NASB95

1 My son, keep my words And treasure my commandments within you. 2 Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye.

B. Keep them Close to You

Proverbs 7:3 NASB95

3 Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.

C. Love Them As Your Friend

Proverbs 7:4 NASB95

4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your intimate friend;

D. Save Yourself from Trouble

Proverbs 7:5 NASB95

5 That they may keep you from an adulteress, From the foreigner who flatters with her words.

2. Avoid Bad Situations (6-9)

A. A View from the Safety of Wisdom

Proverbs 7:6 NASB95

6 For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice,

B. Don’t Be Naive

Proverbs 7:7 NASB95

7 And I saw among the naive, And discerned among the youths A young man lacking sense,

C. Avoid The Places of Temptation

Proverbs 7:8 NASB95

8 Passing through the street near her corner; And he takes the way to her house,

D. Avoid Times of Temptation

Proverbs 7:9 NASB95

9 In the twilight, in the evening, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.

He was looking for for evil or he wouldn’t have been out there at this time of night.

NYC - the city that never sleeps.

3. Expect Temptation (10-15)

A. It Will Look Good

Proverbs 7:10 NASB95

10 And behold, a woman comes to meet him, Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart.

Proverbs 29:3 NASB95

3 A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad, But he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth.

B. It Will Seem Exciting

Proverbs 7:11 NASB95

11 She is boisterous and rebellious, Her feet do not remain at home;

C. It Is Everywhere

Proverbs 7:12 NASB95

12 She is now in the streets, now in the squares, And lurks by every corner.

D. It Is Aggressive

Proverbs 7:13 NASB95

13 So she seizes him and kisses him And with a brazen face she says to him:

E. It Will Try to Sound Righteous

Proverbs 7:14 NASB95

14 “I was due to offer peace offerings; Today I have paid my vows.

F. It Will Make you Feel Special

Proverbs 7:15 NASB95

15 “Therefore I have come out to meet you, To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you.

4. Expect Catered Desires (16-21)

A. It Targets What Looks Good

Proverbs 7:16 NASB95

16 “I have spread my couch with coverings, With colored linens of Egypt.

B. It Targets What Smells Good

Proverbs 7:17 NASB95

17 “I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

C. It Targets What Feels Good

Proverbs 7:18 NASB95

18 “Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with caresses.

D. It Sounds Safe

Proverbs 7:19–20 NASB95

19 “For my husband is not at home, He has gone on a long journey; 20 He has taken a bag of money with him, At the full moon he will come home.”

E. It Is Convincing

Proverbs 7:21 NASB95

21 With her many persuasions she entices him; With her flattering lips she seduces him.

You Can have it all with no consequences.

No you Can’t!

Transition

Proverbs 22:14 NASB95

14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; He who is cursed of the Lord will fall into it.

5. Expect Death (22-23)

Proverbs 7:22–23 NASB95

22 Suddenly he follows her As an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool, 23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver; As a bird hastens to the snare, So he does not know that it will cost him his life.

Proverbs 23:26–28 NASB95

26 Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes delight in my ways. 27 For a harlot is a deep pit And an adulterous woman is a narrow well. 28 Surely she lurks as a robber, And increases the faithless among men.

Malachi 2:14 NASB95

14 “Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.

6. Choose Life (24-27)

Proverbs 7:24–27 NASB95

24 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, And pay attention to the words of my mouth. 25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths. 26 For many are the victims she has cast down, And numerous are all her slain. 27 Her house is the way to Sheol, Descending to the chambers of death.