Today’s Devotion
Topic: Against Adultery And Fornication!
(Self Assessment 144)
PART 2
Background: Last week, we tried to understand both fornication and adultery using Solomon’s observation in Proverbs 7 as a case study.
We saw a young man who lacked judgement walk at night towards the residence of the woman who dresses like a prostitute. Solomon described her as unruly and defiant; one whose feet never stays home.
Let’s see what happened when they met, and draw some lessons from it.
Text: Proverbs 7: 13- 27
13 She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen (bold and without shame) face she said: 14 “Today I fulfilled my vows, and I have food from my fellowship offering at home. 15 So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! 16 I have covered my bed with coloured linens from Egypt. 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love! 19 My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. 20 He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon.” 21 With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.
22 All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose 23 till an arrow pierces his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. 26 Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. 27 Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death. Amen
Questions:
i. In our opening verse, we see that the woman takes a hold of the man and kisses him, though they are not married to each other. Many young people wonder whether kissing someone other than a marriage partner is wrong. What do you think?
ii. From verse 14 – 17, it looks like either the woman or the both, have been preparing towards this day for a while. What do you think?
iii. How determined was this woman to sin when she says “I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you”. Does it happen that some men and women go about searching for others they can sleep with who are not their spouses? And do they find ‘some’?
iv. Once her bed is covered in coloured Egyptian linen and perfumed with myrrh, what does it imply?
v. Explain the expression, “Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love”.
vi. Verse 19 suggests that this woman is married and that her husband has gone on a long journey and won’t be home till full moon. What do you think are some of the factors that cause married men and women to commit adultery?
vii. Verse 21 reveals the two weapons that will get many men and women who lack judgement to fall. What are those two, and explain how they can influence a person’s mind till they give in to sexual sin.
viii. Read verses 22- 23 again. How is it that ‘following her like an ox going to the slaughter’ got an arrow piercing his liver? In other words, what are some of the dangers in sleeping with anyone who is not your marriage partner?
ix. Verses 25 and 27 are quite scary. Not only to the young man who will fall into the snare of the woman whose agenda is to commit sexual sin with him, but also to the young woman likely to fall victim to the man who goes about anybody in skirt. What does it mean to say:
a) Do not let your heart turn to his/her ways?
b) Many are the victims he/she has brought down?
c) His or her house is a HIGHWAY to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death?
x. What have you learnt from today’s Bible study?
Kindly reply us through this same social media platform. We learn a lot from the answers you share.
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