Book of Proverbs

Chapter 7

As I have studied each chapter of the Book of Proverbs, presenting to you of my findings, I have learned many new things, even though I have studied the Book of Proverbs all of my 68 years of my Christian life. 

• As I have studied it this time from such a detailed position, I could definitely see that God placed King Solomon and his teachings of wisdom over his people to be a teacher regarding good and evil, that we all know, but it was also meant for those living under the Law of Moses.  While we, as Christians, can and should glean as much as we can from the Book of Proverbs, which is meant to teach us good from evil, it became so clear that these Old Testament people under the Law have missed out on the blessings that we, as New Covenant believers have, because of all that Christ Jesus has done for us with His atoning blood for our redemption of sins. 
• While, of course, I knew all that in my head, but I really felt it deep within my heart this time around, and I am so grateful to be a part of the New Covenant - the Church - the Body of Christ.  In one word, I would express it, as GRACE. 
• I keep praising God that God created me in this time in history, knowing I would be accepting Jesus as my personal Savior and Lord, and so He saved me from the pit of hell.  I am so grateful.

There is a lot of repeat in chapter 7 from other teaching sessions that King Solomon has had with his son and his audience as he sat on his throne.  Because of that, it will be a short chapter.  Today, I'm going to read this chapter from the New Living Translation.  And then I will add my thoughts here and there from this easy to understand version.

Wedding Band or a Phylactery

Proverbs 7:1  Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands.  ² Obey my commands and live!  Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes.  ³ Tie them on your fingers as a reminder.  Write them deep within your heart. 

Tie them on your fingers was a common phrase to mean a constant reminder of commitment.  This is also where we get the concept of the wedding ring - which is placed on the middle finger of the left hand (closest to the heart) as a constant reminder of being committed in marriage. 

• The Law of Moses also used that symbol centuries later for the Pharisees to place a band, called a phylactery on their left arm in a spiral line, which ended up at the top of the middle finger, which was also a sign and a reminder of our commitment to God that is placed deep within our heart.  He often also placed a phylactery in the middle of his forehead as a reminder that he has the Word of God in his head or his heart.

Let Wisdom Go Deep into Your Heart

⁴ Love wisdom like a sister;  make insight a beloved member of your family.  ⁵ Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.

Again, wisdom should become so deep within you like a blood family member to protect you from any sort of sexual encounter.

King's Solomon's Story

King Solomon, as a skilled storyteller, began to explained how one day he was looking out the lattace of his window and saw a young man walking down the street. The man was young, naive, simple, inexperienced and gullible, lacking in common sense.

This young man crossed the street near the house of a prostitute and headed down the path that led to her house.

Proverbs 7:6-8  While I was at the window of my house, looking through the curtain, I saw some naive young men, and one in particular who lacked common sense.  He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house.

It was obvious he was full of energy, but lacked wisdom, probably newly independent and maybe had just received his pay from work and looking for a good time.  His kind stuck out like a sore thumb, ready to have someone pounce on him.

Proverbs 7:9-15  It was at twilight, in the evening, as deep darkness fell.  ¹⁰ The woman approached him, seductively dressed and sly of heart.  ¹¹ She was the brash, rebellious type, never content to stay at home.  ¹² She is often in the streets and markets, soliciting at every corner.  ¹³ She threw her arms around him and kissed him, and with a brazen look she said, ¹⁴ “I’ve just made my peace offerings and fulfilled my vows.  ¹⁵ You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are!

While the prostitute could have settled for just about any man, she seductively looked for a vulnerable young man whom she could lure with her sex and her charm, like a game!  She claimed that she gave her peace offering and made her vows?  What does that mean?  First of all, this prostitute was a Jewish woman who was married.  A married woman while she had her monthly period she was considered unclean and had to become ceremonially clean.  

• According to the Law of Moses, a Jewish woman was not to have sex with her husband while she was having her monthly period.  She was considered impure in the eyes of the Law of Moses.  In fact, to overcome that temptation for a man to have sex with his wife, the Mosaic Law required women to go to a special tent away from her tent until her period had ended.  It was called the observance of the "Law of Purification."
• Following the end of her cycle, the woman was to bring a peace offering to offer to the priest, claiming she was now ceremonially clean.  He could now return to her home tent with her husband and be able to have sexual intercourse again, as well as to be able to be joined among the people again as now being considered clean.

This Jewish prostitute was a married Jewish woman, seeking to entice a man while her husband was away.  While she went through the ritual of obeying the Law of Purification, being obedient to the Mosaic Law, she certainly was not obedient to her husband.  Her heart was in sin.  If caught, it could cost her her life, along with the man she had sexual intercourse with.  That was a heavy price to pay, but one that many Israelites played!  

Sexual intercourse outside of marriage was common practice among the pagan Gentiles.  Many Gentile men went to the temples to worship their pagan gods, and part of the worship was having sex with pagan women who were prostitutes of the temple.

Proverbs 7:16-17  My bed is spread with beautiful blankets, with colored sheets of Egyptian linen, 17  I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

Today, this verse might say: "I have a roomful of dimly lit candles, perfumed silk sheets, scattered with scattered deep red rose pedals ready for you."