The way of death

Now therefore, listen to me, my children; Pay attention to the words of my mouth: Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths; For she has cast down many wounded, And all who were slain by her were strong men. Her house is the way to hell, Descending to the chambers of death. - Proverbs 7:24-27

To really get the impact of this passage we need to go back a few verses. This is like an exposition on ‘if sinners entice you don’t consent.’ We see here an immoral woman personifying all kinds of temptation. Listen to her words:

So I came out to meet you, Diligently to seek your face,

And I have found you.

I have spread my bed with tapestry, Coloured coverings of Egyptian linen.

I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;

Let us delight ourselves with love.

For my husband is not at home; He has gone on a long journey; He has taken a bag of money with him, And will come home on the appointed day."

With her enticing speech she caused him to yield,

With her flattering lips she seduced him.

When you read this you can almost feel the allure of the woman’s offer. It makes sin sound like the most exciting and amazing thing you could imagine How could anyone resist that draw?

That’s the terrible thing about sin – it never sounds bad. It is not ugly and disgusting and scary. I once saw a puppet show for kids where Mr Sin was thus scary demon like creature who terrified the kids. It would be nice if sin looked that way, but sin masks itself in such a way that it draws us to it.

So beware. Sin looks tempting. It has an allure.

Stay away from it. Don’t go near it. Don’t be drawn in.

Or, as Solomon puts it:

Now therefore, listen to me, my children; Pay attention to the words of my mouth: Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths; For she has cast down many wounded, And all who were slain by her were strong men. Her house is the way to hell, Descending to the chambers of death.