Listen to this Article
Proverbs 5:7-8
Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say.
Keep to a path far from her [the adulteress], do not go near the door of her house,
The heading of Proverbs 5 is, "Warning Against Adultery".
Adultery is when a married person engages in sex with someone who is not their spouse.
A Fornicator is someone who is not married, yet is sexually active.
Both adultery and fornication are breaking the Sixth Commandment: Thou shall not commit adultery.
Solomon was a man who was well acquainted with the allure of sexual sin. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). 1 Kings 11:3 ends with the sentence, "...and his wives led him astray." So with those credentials Solomon is sufficiently qualified to give warning against the destructive power of sexual sin.
Solomon was the wisest man to ever live. He knew better than to intermarry with the princesses of the surrounding nations. Yet even he had to find out for himself the truth that Jesus spoke in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Mark 14:38)
What were some of the results of Solomon's selfish, sexual sins?
- His foreign wives seduced him into worshiping false gods (Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Molech- 1 Kings 11:33).
- Because of his idolatry, God allowed internal rebellion and civil war to tear Israel into two nations.
- Solomon's line was left only two of the tribes of Israel to rule over.
Now that we understand what adultery did to Solomon, what is this Proverb all about?
We have clearly established that we should listen to him, and it would be utter foolishness to turn aside from his warning. In verse 8 he is very adamant about totally avoiding the adulteress at all costs. He doesn't just say, "Keep away from her." NO! He says, "Keep to a path far from her.." Those three little letters make a huge difference. He is warning us to to stay so far away from her that we couldn't possibly be tempted or led astray by her. This is how powerful the lure of sexual sin is: we are to stay far away from it. Only a fool thinks that he can flirt a little, or make subtle innuendos, or repeatedly put himself in one-on-one situations with married women and not get burned. Solomon warns against this because he got burned by it 999 times. Apparently he was wise, but he wasn't very smart. That's a hard way to learn a lesson. How much dumber would we be if we don't learn the lesson from him? He repeated it 999 times and we can see how things turned out for him- not so great. Read Ecclesiastes if you need to find out just how meaningless and empty a lifetime of sexual sin is in the end. By contrast read the Song of Solomon and see how amazing and fulfilling sex is within the boundaries of marriage. There is no comparison!
King Solomon is a great example of how a person can be abundantly blessed by God and still screw it up. Solomon had everything a person could possibly want in this life: power, fame, wealth, virility, and wisdom. He didn't want for anything. But because he was a sinner, Satan was able to use all of those gifts to lure Solomon into selfish self-fulfillment. Sadly, how many of us have not been blessed as richly as Solomon, yet have been led astray by the same trap. Satan is very cunning and knows how to do what he does. I encourage you to learn these lessons from Solomon, don't keep repeating them.
Graciously, it appears that Solomon did turn back to the Lord before his death; and like Solomon, God will forgive your rebellion. Jesus payed the price for all of your sins and foolishness when He died on the cross.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
God bless
Jason Fredrick
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