Proverbs 7:7-27
The Simple Young Man
The Young Man Described
1. Simple: simplicity, naïve; foolish, open-minded; inexperienced;
2. Void of understanding:
• Void = in need of, lacking, in want of;
• Understanding – inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding; inner part, midst.
• This man is lacking in mind and heart. He is empty in the inner most part of his being. He is hollow… shallow… superficial… no depth of character.
3. The terms used speak of a man without discernment… lacking in judgment.
a. In fact, the exact same terms are used in 6:32 – the adulterer lacks judgment… in 7:7 – “void of understanding.”
b. The woman in this scene convinces the young man that they are too smart to ever get caught. (Adulterers always think they will not get caught.) (vs.19-21)
c. Yet later we are given a vivid image of just how lacking he really IS in judgment—he is like an ox going to the slaughter! (vs. 22)
d. This young man lacks understanding… he is a fool… he is like a dumb animal… he is shallow… no depth of character… empty… shallow kind of a person… a youth with little experience… naive…
4. He is seen passing through the city under the window of an observer. (vs. 6,8)
a. We are not told if he just happened to be walking that way, or if he was headed for the red light district on purpose.
b. We are not told this—perhaps so that the passage might be applied more broadly.
c. Thus, it would apply to a young man who innocently stumbles upon temptation (like Joseph) — or a man who went seeking for sin.
d. One man wrote, “If you want to avoid the devil, stay out of his neighborhood!”
e. If he HAD discernment, he would have AVOIDED the temptation.
f. Paul wrote, “Make no provision for the flesh.”
His Failure
1. The young man was met by a woman in the attire of a harlot.
a. Her attire should have alerted him to the danger. He should have turned around and ran… like Joseph did.
b. Instead, she caught him and kissed him. He should have turned around and ran as fast as he could in the other direction.
c. But he did not. He stayed. He listened.
2. He follows the same pattern of failure we saw in the Garden of Eden.
a. Eve listened to the serpent. Satan reasoned with her…
• ye shall not surely die (Gen. 3:4) (no consequences) (Cf. Prov. 7:19)
• ye shall be as gods (there is great advantage to sin—Gen. 3:5—cf. Prov. 7:16-18—it will be like paradise!)
• The woman SAW the fruit was good for food and pleasant to the eyes (Gen. 3:6) This young man SAW the harlot… and her skimpy clothing… and the flesh…
• And just like Eve who took of the fruit and ate—so too, he partook of sin with this woman.
b. This young man listened to the persuasive arguments of the harlot, and was convinced to follow her home. (vs. 21)
• This shows his lack of understanding… naïve… easily led…
• The wise man does NOT listen to the arguments of evil. The devil is clever enough to package evil in such a way that it looks good! He is clever enough to beat us in arguments.
• What we need is to rest upon “Thus saith the Lord!”
• Don’t even LISTEN to anything else! As soon as you hear anything contrary to God’s Word—depart! Run!
c. The woman was subtle of heart. The young man was simple… and void of understanding. (vs. 7-10)
• We don’t have to be more clever than the devil.
• We don’t need to be able to out argue our adversaries.
• All God wants of us is to know His Word and DO it!
• As SOON as he knew what this woman was up to, he should have left… but he didn’t. He hesitated… he listened… he fell pray.
• The sin of adultery or sexual immorality is not something that you can toy with… you will get burned! (6:27-28)
• Don’t try to hold on to coals of fire and reason with it. You will lose. You will be burned.
• You’re not going to out smart coals of fire. You are not going to over power coals of fire. You are going to be burned by coals of fire!
• There is no reasoning with the flesh. Run away—or the flesh will carry you away.
• Once this woman had this young may toying with the idea of coming home with her, she won.
• She got him thinking about the sin… then she gave arguments why he wouldn’t get caught… and all the while juices are flowing… and that becomes irreversible… overwhelming…
• Don’t give the flesh any opportunity whatsoever. Run like Joseph!
• By running, Joseph wasn’t being weak spiritually. Rather, that is a sign of spiritual strength: recognizing the weakness of the flesh = spiritual strength! The spirit may be willing to do what is right—but the flesh IS weak! Acknowledge it.
• When I am weak, then am I strong! (II Cor. 12:9-10). God’s strength is available to us when we admit our weakness and our need for Him!
• One who is spiritually strong will ALWAYS recognize the total weakness of the flesh. He has NO confidence in the flesh. He knows that in his flesh dwells no good thing. He knows that the arm of flesh will always fail you.
• If you are in a building engulfed in flames—is it a sign of weakness to run out as fast as you can? Hardly. It is the RIGHT thing to do… the smart thing to do. Only a fool would remain inside and say, “I can handle these flames!”
• If you want to avoid sin, you must avoid the temptation to sin. Flee youthful lusts! Flee temptations!
The Consequences (Vs. 22-23
1. We do not know for sure whether this man went looking for a prostitute, or whether in ignorance, he just happened to run into her.
2. We don’t know for sure if the meeting occurred out of ignorance on his part. But we DO know that he was ignorant of the consequences.
3. Solomon gives several illustrations to demonstrate his ignorance:
• An ox going to slaughter—
• He goes willingly… but is unaware of the results. He doesn’t know what he is really getting himself into.
• An ox is a picture of strong but dumb animal…
• He is strong—but looses all strength in the slaughterhouse. He gives up his life.
• A fool going to the stocks—
• Again, not a complimentary picture.
• NIV = like a deer stepping into a noose, till an arrow pierces his liver, (food in stocks doesn’t explain the arrow and liver)
• Either way, it speaks of a naive person who is ensnared because of his foolish behavior
• A bird in a snare—a bird blindly walks into a snare, and is oblivious to the danger until it is too late.
4. The meaning of each of the illustrations is summed up in vs. 23c – “Knoweth it not that it is for his life.”
a. Just as an animal that is brought to the slaughter or is caught in a trap is going to lose its life, so too the simple young man who goes after the immoral woman.
b. Such a situation COULD result in the loss of his physical life, but that is not what Solomon means.
c. Such behavior will RUIN a life… his good life will come to an end…
d. When a man commits adultery, and has to hide it with lies… constantly covering up… leading a double life… he has no peace or rest.
e. He loses his honor. (5:9)
f. He could lose his wealth. (5:10)
g. His physical flesh COULD be consumed in disease. (5:11)
The Moral of the Story
1. Now Solomon asks his son to pay attention. He is about to give the moral of the story just told. (vs. 24)
2. The moral of the story: (vs. 25)
a. Don’t let your heart (mind; inner man) be drawn in by her
b. Keep your body out of her paths! Stay out of her neighborhood! Run away! If you see her coming, head in the other direction.
c. Stay away mentally and physically!
• Don’t fill your mind and heart with her ways—through bad literature… pornography… TV… soap operas… movies…
• Avoid places where you are likely to run into such temptation.
• Keep your heart with all diligence… keep it pure… clean…
• Keep your body away from anything and everything that will stir up evil in your heart—TV, movies, videos, literature, impure web sites… theatres… shows, beaches, clubs, parties—anything that will stir up your flesh.
3. Reasons to stay away:
a. She (the immoral woman) has not only wounded a few, but MANY men have been wounded by her!
• Many STRONG men (physically) have been slain by her!
• This ONE sin has been the ruin of MANY people… many households… many families… many men and women, young and old.
• Strong men—like Solomon himself—have been completely undone by this sin… their lives ruined… their testimony for the Lord ruined… their ministries ruined…
• Solomon wants to warn his son that if MANY STRONG men have been ruined by this sin—don’t be so presumptuous to think it won’t harm you!
b. Her house is the way to death and hell… (vs. 27)
• Death—her husband; disease; the stress of a double life; drugs and alcohol which often accompany such behavior…
4. Moral purity… faithfulness to one’s marriage partner is the way of life and peace. Adultery is the way of death and guilt. Choose life!
Conclusion
1. These are not warnings for the unsaved who hang around the barrooms. These are warnings for believers who have been raised into heavenly places in Christ Jesus!
2. WE are warned about the fleshly lusts which war against the soul. Be vigilant! (I Pet. 2:11)
3. Col. 3:1-5 – Those who have been raised up with Christ and whose lives are hidden with Christ in God are warned: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication… etc.)
Charles Bridges: “If impure love solicits, remember that holy love of thy Saviour to thee, proved by His most shameful death. Think of Him, as looking into thy heart boiling over with corruption, showing thee His wounds, and exciting thee to a reciprocal love of Himself.”