S) "8 Passing through the street near her corner;
And he takes the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening,
In the middle of the night and in the darkness."
Proverbs 7:8-9 (NASB)
O) This verse describes the naive young man, lacking sense (v.7), and the process of his adultery with the harlot. It is amazing that, thousands of years later, with completely different cultural and technological landscapes, this process of spiraling is the same. Succumbing to sexual temptation is usually a battle lost well before the act takes place. It starts with an unacknowledged resignation - an ignored, but foregone conclusion. The first step toward this adultery is a lost fight that is usually treated as an exhibition of no consequence - finding some excuse to be near to sex. For the modern Christian, this often manifests by visiting a website that is not actually a porn website. Instead, it will be a website that has provocative advertisements, or some other small, side, or otherwise inconspicuous images - it starts by passing "the street near her corner;" You don't start by walking directly to the house of the harlot. You just go near her house. That is the first loss. Then, it's some variation of inevitability, spiraling closer and closer, like a tether-ball. There was little doubt of the final destination, as the fool goes from "near her corner," and finally, "to her house," as the eventual end.
The other warning that comes from this passage, is in verse 9, which describes how long this process can actually take. The word "twilight" can refer to both, "after sunset" but it can also mean, "before sunrise." While most translations have this sequence as a PM happening, I found that the word "evening" here is literally translated as, "evening of the day." Not only does it leave the possibility that this process is an all day, slow, gradual problem, but this has been my exact experience more often than not. The fool, at some point in the middle of the day (but possibly earlier than that), yields to a very minor, seemingly harmless temptation. And all day long, the seed of that temptation swirls him slowly around a whirlpool of sin that resembles a toilet in more ways than one. While it was still daylight, he allowed (or put) himself on the same side of town as the harlot, and as it slowly got darker and darker, found excuses to get closer and closer, until he resigned to just plainly visiting her house under the cover of full darkness. He didn't suddenly lose the fight, there on her doorstep, or as he crossed a threshold not his own. He lost much earlier in the day, repeatedly, when he failed to cut his tether.
A) The most important thing, is recognizing the initial strings attached. The brutal combination of satan and my flesh, will bombard me with temptations incessantly, but they all start quite subtly. That's why it's so crucial to allow "not even a hint." I must recognize them for what they are, and act swiftly and decisively. Those strings become stronger with every circuit around the harlot's block. Eventually, they form the tether that will pull me toward a destructive end. Cutting strings is much easier than cutting rope. Even still, at any point during the process, God assures me that through Him, I have the strength to cut the cord and escape (see 1 Corinthians 10:12-13). I need to recognize how long this process is, because that plays into the subtle deception. I am fooling myself into thinking that there is no problem, because the initial pull is so faint. But, this is just like an orbit. In space, during an orbit, there is still gravity (which is what keeps the object in orbit, instead of floating away). The gravitational pull is so faint, and there are so many distractions, that the subtlety of gravity is not usually felt. Relatively speaking, it doesn't seem to be there at all. That is the danger of sexual temptation. You don't usually feel the gravity of it until you come crashing back to the earth.
The other warning that comes from this passage, is in verse 9, which describes how long this process can actually take. The word "twilight" can refer to both, "after sunset" but it can also mean, "before sunrise." While most translations have this sequence as a PM happening, I found that the word "evening" here is literally translated as, "evening of the day." Not only does it leave the possibility that this process is an all day, slow, gradual problem, but this has been my exact experience more often than not. The fool, at some point in the middle of the day (but possibly earlier than that), yields to a very minor, seemingly harmless temptation. And all day long, the seed of that temptation swirls him slowly around a whirlpool of sin that resembles a toilet in more ways than one. While it was still daylight, he allowed (or put) himself on the same side of town as the harlot, and as it slowly got darker and darker, found excuses to get closer and closer, until he resigned to just plainly visiting her house under the cover of full darkness. He didn't suddenly lose the fight, there on her doorstep, or as he crossed a threshold not his own. He lost much earlier in the day, repeatedly, when he failed to cut his tether.
A) The most important thing, is recognizing the initial strings attached. The brutal combination of satan and my flesh, will bombard me with temptations incessantly, but they all start quite subtly. That's why it's so crucial to allow "not even a hint." I must recognize them for what they are, and act swiftly and decisively. Those strings become stronger with every circuit around the harlot's block. Eventually, they form the tether that will pull me toward a destructive end. Cutting strings is much easier than cutting rope. Even still, at any point during the process, God assures me that through Him, I have the strength to cut the cord and escape (see 1 Corinthians 10:12-13). I need to recognize how long this process is, because that plays into the subtle deception. I am fooling myself into thinking that there is no problem, because the initial pull is so faint. But, this is just like an orbit. In space, during an orbit, there is still gravity (which is what keeps the object in orbit, instead of floating away). The gravitational pull is so faint, and there are so many distractions, that the subtlety of gravity is not usually felt. Relatively speaking, it doesn't seem to be there at all. That is the danger of sexual temptation. You don't usually feel the gravity of it until you come crashing back to the earth.
P) Father, I do not want to be deceived. I do not want to play the part of the fool, being slowly drawn toward destruction. Open my eyes to see cords that try to ensnare me. Give me courage, strength, and a decisive hand to fight hard against the temptations that start out so small, so subtle. Remind me of the gravity involved, and let me act swiftly and zealously to protect the righteousness You have given me in grace. Thank You for the mercy You have shown me, again and again. Thank You for the victory You have given me over sin, this one and all others. Help me to walk in righteousness, that will glorify Your name, and prove my life to be worship of You. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment