Under Gods Command

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 7:21With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.

Women can overpower men – by words! Men crave hearing a woman’s praise, affection, and loyalty. A whore’s flattery is very dangerous. Wicked women use this power to entice men to sin; virtuous women use it to please, protect, and build up their husbands.

Solomon’s long parable about an adulteress seducing a young fool includes the power of her words tempting him to sin with her. Her speech is so powerful, she “caused him to yield” and “forced him” into sexual sin. He is fully guilty for sinning with her, but the wisdom of this proverb is to rightly grasp the danger and power of her flirting words.

In this perverse world, no matter how a woman dresses or acts, it is always the man’s fault for sexual problems. Sexual harassment occurs in only one direction for such weak minds and today’s courts. But the LORD and Solomon warned about women seducing and forcing men, and they were right. Women have power (Pr 6:24-25; 7:26; Eccl 7:26).

Whorish women create more sexual temptation for men than lewd men do for women (Pr 23:27-28). Only the basest of women are attracted to crude, forward, and lascivious men. Women are naturally protected by stronger inhibitions, need for commitment, families, laws, and social decorum. But what can protect men from a bold seductress? Proverbs!

Flattery is excessive praise used to seduce someone against his will. It is presenting a matter very favorably in order to make it more pleasant and to beguile the listener. Men love the praise of a woman, for winning the adoration, favor, and devotion of a woman is an instinctive drive placed in their hearts and loins by God. Evil women manipulate this desire in men to prey on them in their various schemes of seduction for selfish purposes.

Whatever inhibitions against sexual sin a man has – by religion, parental training, or noble character – he will often lose them due to the enticing and flattering speech of a desirable woman. The adoration of a woman is an elixir that only a few exceptional men can resist, and then only by the grace of God. Joseph may have resisted Potiphar’s wife, but he was an exception to the general rule of Scripture and human experience.

King Solomon often warned his son about the smooth and silky words of a whorish seductress (Pr 2:16; 5:3; 6:24; 7:5; 22:14). Wise men will take sober heed and avoid such women, before their lying words steal their souls and virtue. But here he has just described in detail the verbal approach of an adulteress enticing a naïve victim (Pr 7:13-20). His summary in this proverb states the case well. She forced the young man to yield!

Solomon described the whore as using an embrace, a kiss, and a bold, uninhibited face before her words (Pr 7:13). Then he gave a lengthy description of her much fair speech:

1. I am really a good girl: I am no whore: sleeping with me will not be sin (7:14).
2. I have made many preparations and have lots of things for a great time (7:14).
3. My motives are very noble in wanting to share a great time with you (7:15).
4. I have waited a long time and dreamed often of finding a man like you (7:15).
5. I am so glad I found you, because I do not want to be with anyone else (7:15).
6. It is so wonderful to be alone with you and feel the passion between us (7:15).
7. I have wanted to meet you for a long time; I have made preparations (7:16).
8. I have arranged things for the ultimate, perfect lovemaking between us (7:16).
9. I know special things you will love, that other boring women overlook (7:17).
10. I care about you more than any other woman, so I go to greater efforts (7:17).
11. We surely have a love between us that no one else has ever had before (7:18).
12. Let us fully experience the depths of this unique, special love we have (7:18).
13. No woman has ever felt as strongly about any man as I feel for you (7:18).
14. Our lovemaking will exceed all the lovemaking in the world’s history (7:18).
15. The comfort and pleasure we can find in each other will be wonderful (7:18).
16. Our love and pleasure will last all night – and all our lives – forever (7:18).
17. Don’t worry about any risk, for my old man is on a long business trip (7:19).
18. He loves business more than me: I need your love and body so much (7:19).
19. There is no risk of getting caught; I have figured everything out for us (7:20).
20. He has money, which he loves; we have a love his money cannot buy (7:20).

Young man, how strong was Samson? Was he stronger than any man? Indeed! He was stronger than you. But whores have slain many strong men (Pr 7:26). Delilah used words to destroy him, even though he knew she wanted to destroy him. Why could he not resist her? Because flattering words from a beautiful woman are too much for most men! Read about his weakness and helplessness before her manipulating flattery (Judges 16:4-21).

Young man, how wise was Solomon? Was he wiser than any man? Indeed! He was wiser than you. But whores have cast down and wounded many great men (Pr 7:26). Exotic women caused even Solomon to sin, against the good advice of his own proverbs (I Kgs 11:1-8; Neh 13:26). Among many nations there was no king like him, and God loved Him, but these women corrupted his great character by power over him (Eccl 7:26).

In avoiding the dangerous flattery of women, you must also guard against seducing words in notes, cards, emails, text messages, tweets, phone messages, letters, forums, or any other forms of communication. It does not matter how a woman’s words arrive in a man’s mind, they are powerful. She can communicate with you more easily today than ever before, and wisdom demands caution in all these new dangers of the 21st century.

Christian woman, guard your speech to men other than your father or husband. Be sober. Hate flirting or flattery. While praise is a wonderful thing, it is too powerful for you to give to men other than on rare occasions and with great discretion. But you should learn to use kind words and feminine adoration of your father and husband, for it can build a man’s soul and character to be the strong and noble creature God intended him to be.

Christian wife, why let the world’s women tempt your husband by your silence or prudery at home? A virtuous wife is skilful in all the arts of lovemaking (Pr 5:19; I Cor 7:1-5; Heb 13:4), including words that comfort, intrigue, arouse, and invite her husband. If you have not been taught such things, you need to read King Solomon’s Song! The book of Proverbs has lessons of wisdom, but his song describes two hot married lovers!

The subtle and damning nature of flattery is seen also in false religion, where good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of simple hearers to sell false doctrine (Rom 16:17-18; II Cor 2:17; 11:3-4,13-15; Col 2:4; II Pet 2:3,18). What is the protection? Look for the plain and simple churches of Jesus Christ with straightforward preaching of the Bible. Look for ministers who provide all things direct and honest (II Cor 4:2). Instead of pulpit manner, look for pulpit content. Instead of presentation, look for doctrine and instruction.

Under Gods Command
Proverbs 16:32 Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.

Here is a lesson in personal greatness. How strong are you? What have you achieved? The best test of character is controlling your emotions, especially anger. The biggest achievement you can have is to limit your passions to only those actions that are good.

Every real man wants to be a mighty man of valor. Every real woman wants to be a noble woman worthy of such a man. The Bible records many exploits of mighty men and noble women. But this proverb teaches a greater measure of individual glory – the ability to deny anger and to control your spirit. The man who can resist getting angry or losing control of his spirit is more honorable than men with great military accomplishments.

Consider some mighty men of valor. Gideon defeated a huge army of Midianites with only 300 men, and Jephthah destroyed 20 cities of the Ammonites with a small army. Samson killed 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, and Shamgar killed 600 with an ox goad. Joab took the fortress of Jebus, which became Jerusalem. Adino killed 800 at one time with his spear, and Abishai did the same to 300. Caleb begged for a mountain in Canaan where the dreaded giants lived, and he destroyed them and took their cities.

But you can be greater than these men! You do so by being cautious and slow in getting angry and by controlling and ruling your spirit. It takes more courage, discipline, strength, and wisdom to resist passionate emotions like anger than it does to take a city.

Can you control the violent feelings of anger and keep your spirit calm and wise? Will you? This is how a born fool can be wise and glorious (Pr 14:29; Ec 7:9; Jas 1:19-20). If you defer anger and pass over faults and offences of others, you are glorious (Pr 19:11).

But your spirit screams for a strong response! It hates to be restrained. It must exert itself, in full fury, now! Harsh words burn in your tongue and must be spoken. You tell others you cannot help yourself. You may blame God for giving you a spirit too strong to rule.

The world lies that anger is a trait of mighty men, a right of free men, and a tool of strong leaders. They say venting rage brings relief, but this is only to a depraved soul. If a conscience remains, you are soon grieved at the violence that spewed out of your mouth.

Rather than ruling their spirit, most men are ruled by their spirits. Instead of conquering anger, they become captives of their passions. Instead of thinking before speaking, they speak without thinking by their feelings only, which is highly dangerous and foolhardy.

The battle facing you exceeds any military expedition. A city can be taken with a single siege, but you will fight the passion of anger for the rest of your life. Wars are fought by the efforts of many, but you must fight alone. The vigilance, effort, and patience needed to rule anger causes most men to forfeit the battle and become slaves to their own folly.

The world is filled with illustrations of those who could not rule their spirits. You have them in your own family. You likely have several in your own closet. Alexander the Great conquered the known world, but he could not defeat the brutish beast within that ruined him at home and among his friends. Peter the Great is reported to have said, “I can govern my people, but how can I govern myself?” If you can defeat this monster, you will have a victory over a foe that has destroyed conquerors. You will be a mighty man!

Anger marks a loser. Guaranteed! Anger blinds your mind to misread situations, causes you to say and do stupid things, never accomplishes anything good, and drives away your family and friends (Pr 14:17; 15:18; 21:24; 22:24-25; 29:22). If you get angry and do not rule your spirit, you cannot be compared to a military hero; you must be compared to a city with its walls broken down and vulnerable to all kinds of evil (Pr 25:28; Jas 3:14-16).

Not all anger is sin. Do not let misguided Christians tell you otherwise. Jesus condemned unjustified anger (Matt 5:22), and Paul said to be angry and sin not (Eph 4:26). Anger is good, when it is directed against sin for the glory of God. But anger in a traffic jam, or over spilt milk, or about another’s harsh words against you, or because you were slighted, or in retaliation for a wrong, or because things did not turn out as expected, is wrong!

There are more passions than just anger, and you must also rule them. Moodiness is the mark of an immature child, not a mighty man of valor. Such a person needs a beating, not comforting. Murmuring is the complaining of a wicked heart moving a devilish tongue, which ought not to be. Critical or harsh speech is the poison that spews from a selfish heart. Great men have pure hearts that result in gracious speech (Pr 22:11; Col 4:6).

There are other passions that need to be ruled. Fear is very debilitating, but it has no place in your life, for God has not given you such a spirit (II Tim 1:7), and fearing others will trap you into foolish choices or sin (Pr 29:25). Covetousness, the desire of what others have or what you do not have, is compared to idolatry (Eph 5:5). Contentment, a key to true happiness and a measure of great gain, is your choice (I Tim 6:6; Heb 13:5-6).

What can you do to be great in the sight of God and men? Slow down! Do not ever say or do anything by impulse. Hear things out before you speak. Choose to study every matter before giving your opinion. Wait before reacting, when you hear or experience any negative event. Cut your words in half. Always be gracious in your speech, especially with your family. Let the words of this proverb motivate you to be a mighty man of valor.

But you cannot achieve this victory without help, and that help is in the Lord, His word, and His saints. Paul learned that he could do all things through Christ, Who strengthened him (Phil 4:13). The Holy Spirit, allowed to bear fruit by a holy and submissive life, can fill you with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, and so forth (Gal 5:22-23). The Bible can convert your soul by showing the folly of anger and the glory of peace. And brothers and sisters in Christ, when they are doing their duty, can encourage and warn you as needed.

Will the real mighty men of valor please stand up! Will the real noble women of the earth please stand up! You will not have to wait long to face your foe. The Lord Himself will arrange circumstances to test the rule of your spirit. Do not be surprised by anything that happens. Purpose now to be slow and cautious in responding and to rule that unruly fury in your belly and tongue. May the grace of Jesus Christ give you complete victory!