Bible Devotion - 8/30/2021

A certain fellow parked his car in a no-parking zone and left a note on the windshield that read, "I've circled the block for 20 minutes.  I'm late for an appointment, and if I don't park here I'll lose my job.  Forgive us our trespasses."

When he came back he found a parking ticket on his windshield and a note that read, "I've circled this block for 20 years, and if I don't give you a ticket, I'll lose my job.  Lead us not into temptation."
It has been often said that opportunity knocks only once, yet have you ever noticed temptation bangs on the door constantly?

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that there is no temptation that has taken us but "such as is common to man." The word "common" speaks of that which is human.  To be tempted is only human and to be human is to be tempted.

Let me go on record and say that all men face temptation.  And all women face temptation too. Temptation is as the Bible says a human and common experience.  The question that we should ask is, are we saying yes to temptation or are we saying no.
 
Oscar Wilde, the well-known British writer once said, "I can resist anything except temptation."  I am afraid he summed up the attitude and experience of many.

Instead of conquering temptation, many are conquered by temptation.  When tempted, instead of overcoming, many are overcome.

Such was the case of a young man that Solomon observed on one occasion.  There was an evening that Solomon was looking out his window and he saw a group of young men.  He wrote in Proverbs 7:6-7:  
The word "youths" that he used primarily speaks of a son, so what Solomon saw was a group of boys, young men.  He described them as "simple ones."  The word "simple" means, "silly, naive, gullible."

I can imagine that he looked out his window and saw this group of young fellows walking down the street or standing on a street corner going on with the usual foolishness that goes on with a group of boys.  He watched as they laughed and joked with one another, cutting up and going on, acting silly.

But then his attention was drawn to one particular boy in the group.  In Solomon's own words, he "discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding" (Vs.7).  The word "discerned" describes how his attention was particularly drawn to the one youth.  Solomon spoke of this one youth as "void of understanding."  He saw him as one who was lacking in real judgment, one who was prone to make wrong decisions.
 
The reason he recognized that the youth was "void of understanding" was because Solomon watched him as he bid adieu to the rest of the group and turn down a certain street.  Solomon described the scene in Proverbs 7:8: "Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house."

The word "street" that is used is very enlightening.  It literally means a "back street."  The word "passing" means, "to cross over."  I can hear him as he said to the others, "Fellows, I got to run. I'll see you later."  He crosses the street and then turns down a back street.

Solomon watched as "he went the way to her house" (Vs.7).  The word "went" describes someone strolling along.  It literally means, "To tread pompously."  I can see him strolling casually along the street, going his merry way, and then as verse 10 tells us:
"And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart."  As he strolls along he comes upon a certain woman.  As verse 8 describes, she was standing on her corner, the place where she was usually found.  Notice how Solomon described this woman. Solomon describes how she was dressed in a very enticing and seductive way.  The way she was dressed revealed who she was, what she was, and what she wanted.  In verse 10 he speaks of her as being "subtil of heart."  She was very crafty and cunning in heart.  Her purpose on that street corner was obvious.

Verse eleven said she was "loud."  The word "loud" speaks of a "loud noise" and was sometimes descriptive of a hum.  She sees the young man coming: "H-m-m-m-m," she says, "How are you? Need some company, Big Boy?"

Solomon also speaks of her as being "stubborn" in verse 11.  It would seem that at first the young man said no, but she doesn't give up so easily.  She was very persistent.  She doesn't walk off and start looking for another customer.

Verse 13 tells us "she caught him, and kissed him."  The word "caught" speaks of how she restrained him.  I can see her as she steps in front of him, begins running her fingers through his hair, and over his body.  She began to kiss him and say, "Oh, come on sweetie. We can have a good time together."

She says in verses 16-18: "I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. [17] I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. [18] Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves."
She offers him her bed and body.  She says, "Come on in my place and I show you a really good time."  With her looks, touch, and seductive words, she seeks to appeal to the young man.  The result: (vs. 21)
Underscore the word "yield."  With her persuasive, seductive, smooth talk, she caused the young man to yield.  With her flattering speech she seduced him.

Solomon watched out his window and saw a young man "void of understanding", a young man make the wrong decision, a young man that came face to face with temptation and yield to the temptation that confronted him.  As Solomon looked out his window, he not only saw one guilty of the world's oldest profession, but one guilty of the world's oldest problem-yielding to temptation.
 
Let's look through the window of Solomon and seek to learn lessons that will help us to respond in a different way when confronted by temptation.

The first lesson that I want us to learn as we look through Solomon's window is:
1. RECOGNIZE THE POTENTIAL OF YIELDING TO TEMPTATION!















As with this young man, there are situations that must be avoided at all cost.


Bro. Jeff