Dogwood Valley Homesteading | |
The Strange Woman of ProverbsThere are many different women mentioned in Proverbs. We are told of the evil woman, the whorish woman, the gracious woman, the fair woman, the virtuous woman, the wise woman, the brawling woman, the angry woman, the contentious woman, the adulterous woman, the odius woman, the foolish woman, and the fearful woman, But the first woman that God chose to mention in Proverbs and the one He mentions the most is the “strange woman”.We find her first in Proverbs 2:16. God tells us that wisdom, knowledge, discretion, and understanding will deliver us from her. This strange woman has a flattering tongue. Her words are smooth and candy-coated (Proverbs 5:3). She knows what to say and when to say it, so she may get her way. She is a divider amoung the people. She does not like to see the women getting along or the men. She likes to see the flock scattered. She is smooth and deceitful. She has forsaken “the guide of her youth” (2:17). This guide is her husband, the head of her home. The feminist movement of that day said she needed no man. A man should not rule over her. She has set herself to not notice him. When he talked to her, she looked the other way and changed the subject. When he came home, she acted like he was not even there. She dishonored him, belittled him in private and in public. She did not put much value in him or what he had to say. She pushed him to get her way. She found fault with him. She despised him. She has broken her vows of marriage. And worse than all of that she has forgotten “the covenant of her God” (2:17). Her eyes have been turned away from an Almighty God. She has forgotten that there was a blood covenant made just for her. She has forgotten the promise of a coming Messiah. Now she seeks another power and serves him instead. Her paths lead “unto the dead” (2:18). Instead of going to an All-Knowing God, she seeks out soothsayers, palm readers, and fortune tellers. She looks to the stars for her future, instead of their Creator for His will. She dabbles in witchcraft and the magics. She would rather serve the devil and his crowd than God, who holds her very life in his hands. She has such an influence on people that when they come into her little circle they are never themselves again (2:19). She leads them into the very mouth of hell (5:5). God, in his infinite wisdom, devotes almost a whole chapter in Proverbs warning us about her. A warning for men of all ages to stay away from her. And I believe, a warning also to the women to watch the paths we choose to walk, that we not become like her. In Proverbs 7, we are told a story of a young man, void of understanding, who has sought out to find this strange woman. He came out at night, “passing through the streets near her corner” (vs 8). “He went the way to her house.” The first thing we notice about her here, is her appearance. She was dressed as a harlot (modern day prostitute-vs 10). Maybe her blouse was too tight, too short, too low cut, and showing more than covering. Maybe her skirt was the same. Maybe her make-up was bright and bold. Proverbs 6:25 tells us of her physical beauty. Just by her very appearance, she becomes the enemy of married women and the adversary of mothers. She is loud, stubborn, and rebellious (vs 11). Remember, she is a flatterer. Her mouth is a deep pit (Proverbs 22:14). Just as mice are allured to the cheese on a trap, so are her victims allored to her by her words. In verse 14, we see she has taken something as holy as a peace offering and twisted it to use it for her own devices. Remember, she has forgotten “the covenant of her God” (2:16). She went to the temple, not to worship, not to make a sacrifice for her sins, but because it was a ritual. She made her offering, sang a hymn or two, shook a few hands then took the remainder of her offering home. It was supposed to be eaten with friends, but this was to be set for a trap. She had food ready to eat. With her smooth, candy-coated words, she befriends the young man. She has done all this for him (vs15). She has made a bed ready for him, covered in the finest sheets and blankets that this world can offer (vs16). Remember, she has forsaken the “guide of her youth” (2:16). She does not even call him her husband, she refers to him as the “goodman” (7:19). She has taken off her wedding band for the moment. Dear lady, if this is you, I beckon you to come to an All-Knowing, All-Powerful, loving God and ask him to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart and save you from this life and a place called Hell. Dear Sir, if you see this strange woman in person or on the pages of a magazine, run away. “Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.” (7:25) Dear Woman, how can we stay on the straight and narrow path and not wonder off and become like her? Dear Christian Woman, let’s dress as “becometh women professing godliness”(I Timothy 2:10) Let’s make sure our skirts are long enough, so that even when we sit down, we don’t attract the eyes of another woman’s husband. Let’s make sure our blouses are modest and covering more than showing. Let’s have a meek and quiet spirit. Let’s not forget the Saviour that gave His life for us. Let’s read our Bibles and pray. When we go to church, let’s worship Christ for who He is, for what He has done, and for what He is going to do. Let’s not get caught up in rituals of “just going” every Sunday and Wednesday. Let’s fall back in love with the man God gave us. The man we were created for. Don’t call him the “goodman”. Call him your Knight in Shining Armour, your Prince Charming, your King, Mr. Wonderful. Sarah called Abraham, lord, showing him the respect that a husband should be shown. Mrs. Charles Spurgeon, who knew Greek and Hebrew, called her husband Tershatha, which means My Reverance in Greek. While our husbands are out for the day, let’s pray for them and ask God to keep them safe. When they come home, let’s be there with open arms ready to greet them. When they talk, let’s listen intently to what they are saying. Let’s honor them never belittling them, even in private. Every husband has faults, but so does every wife. Let’s show them affection and love that they might not go looking for the strange women and fall into her trap. Let’s admire them for who they are, the God given head of our home. Christian Women, we must protect and guard our homes against this strange woman and her crowd. Protecting and guarding, not with a gun standing at the door, but on our knees with our sword (Bible) ready for the intruder and our shield of faith in an Almighty God, who would love to hear prayers of godly women asking for help in protecting our King (husband) and this next generation of little kings and queens. Leave a Comment { Last Page } { Page 10 of 31 } { Next Page } |
About Me My Profile Archives Friends My Photo Album LinksDr. Mike BagwellMom of 9's Place Women at the Well Bread Beckers No Greater Joy Bulk Herb Store Calvary Baptist Church CategoriesBible StudiesBook Reviews Current Craft Dogwood Valley Homeschooling Funny Fridays In the Kitchen Little Tidbits Natural Beauty On The Homestead Photo Gallery by Jonathan Recent EntriesFunny Fridays, hmmm, what's he trying to say?Glory Cloud Two Weeks and No Shampoo Recycling at its Finest Path to Freedom Friendsquiverfull KellyKJV karatemom KimMC urbanblogger pointe510 MicheleC11 haras Darbydoodles MyThreeDaughters |