Proverbs 7:22-23

Proverbs 7:22a,23b Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter ... He did not know it would cost his life.

The Pattern of Sin and Keys to Avoiding it

The first five verses give us the keys to dealing with sin and echo what Proverbs has been telling us so far since chapter one. We must keep and treasure the commands of God, they are life and will keep us from sin. To store God's commands in our heart is imperative, but we must also have that prerequisite fear of the Lord, that fear that indicates respect and relationship with the Creator of the Universe (Pr. 1:7).

As our heart "treasures" His commands, we make them important and they begin to form the fabric of our reason and motivation. If He is our delight (v. 2), we will be satisfied with nothing less (Pr. 27:7). If we bind His words to our "fingers," the functional part of our life, and our "heart," (v. 3) the core of our spirit, and identify ourselves with and make decisions based upon the wisdom and understanding of God (v. 4), we will be able to walk away from the sin that comes to us (v. 5)

Notice that the man in the proverb was devoid of wisdom and understanding of the consequences of sin (v. 7,22-23), he went right to it. But also notice that it wasn't just a momentary lapse (v 8-9), although that does happen. He purposely took the path to sin, a journey that started before dark and ended in the night - there was time to turn back. It wasn't just a stray glance but a purposeful choice. Their meeting was planned (v. 15-17). A great fall into sin doesn't just happen, it starts in the heart and ends with a choice to leave the path, death is assured apart from Intervention (v. 27).

Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

Sin is seeking to devour (v. 10,13,21) . Notice how alluring sin sin made itself to the man. It was attractive and beautiful (v. 16-17), it was different and exciting (v. 11-13), it was hidden and offered false justification from guilt (v. 14 - she made peace offerings and paid her vows) and consequences (v. 19 - no husband at home). It offered to satisfy the inner desires (v. 18 - take our fill and delight ourselves). It was seductive and pursued his weaknesses (v. 10)
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Though the sin was calling him, wooing him, enticing him to give in, it didn't have the power to force him. By the time that it took hold of him, the battle was already lost, because He had already decided to leave the path of protection of the Word of God and give in to the lie that the offering was more satisfying than the truth and commands of God. In his heart, he desired self satisfaction over delight in the commands of God. He yielded to his passions and pursued sin without thought of the relationship with God that was being violated and the consequences that would come. Like an animal, controlled by instinct and physical cravings, without knowledge of anymore more but self, he walked calculatedly into the temporary pleasure of sin. He did not know that it would be his destruction. Like an ox walking unknowingly to a butcher's knife, he would be opened up and drained of life. Sin's desire was to destroy him, and it used his own desire for satisfaction of self to do it.

The exhortation that follows is simple, to listen and pay attention to the words of God; the command in the Word and the leading of the Spirit. His sin started in the heart and there is where the battle must be fought and won. The heart is where the Words of God must take root (Luke 8) and where the desire for pleasing our God must emanate. Do we desire and yearn for our God, do we desire to please Him in obedience to His protective words, His plans for grace and mercy? If we reject His grace and mercy, not giving heed to His word, how can we live and not fall to the sin that pursues us?

The consequences of taking the path to sin's house, was death and hell. No matter how weak or strong (v. 26), the one who turns to sin will die and find destruction. Either we heed the heart of God that He's revealed through His Word, or we ignore it and our heart becomes open for sin which will surely lead to death.

Verse two says, "keep my commands and live." Will we?