Bible Devotion - 9/7/2021

September 7th, 2021

THE WINDOW OF TEMPTATION “PART 2”

Last week in the book of Proverbs, Solomon taught us about the danger of simply putting ourselves in situations that will only cause us to be tempted. The take away from last week’s devotion was... When we put ourselves in tempting situations we are exposing ourselves to temptation and therefore inviting temptation. We all have situations that must be avoided at al costs.

Continuing in Proverbs 7 we need to say a word about what could have been avoided.
Proverbs 7:21 say's the young man "yielded" to the harlot's fair and flattery words. If he had not been where he was and around whom he was around, he would not have found himself in such a tempting situation, and therefore could have avoided yielding to the temptation. As with all, yielding to temptation and moral failure could have been avoided.

I am sure many of you remember the TV show Hee Haw. On one of the episodes, a patient comes to see Doc Campbell and tells him that he broke his arm in 2 places. Doc Campbell replies "Well then, stay out of them two places!" Good advice, would you not agree? Someone has written what is entitled "Autobiography in Five Short Chapters." Listen to it carefully for I think it speaks well to our subject:

Chapter One: I walk down the street. There's a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost...I am helpless; It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter Two: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I am in the same place; But it isn't my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter Three: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in...it's a habit. My eyes are wide open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.

Chapter Four: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.

Chapter Five: I walk down a different street.

The moral of the story is obvious. If there is a deep hole in the street that you keep falling in, go down a different street. Quit putting yourself in tempting situations.

We need to be fully aware that we cannot put ourselves in the face of temptation and not be affected. It doesn't matter who you are. If you put yourself in certain situations, you are only asking for problems.

Solomon observed through his window a young man making a wrong decision. He watched him turn down a street that he should not have entered. He watched as he was enticed and seduced simply because he placed himself in a tempting situation.

Let me give you a second lesson about yielding to temptation that we learn as we look through Solomon's window. We not only need to learn to Recognize the Potential of Yielding to Temptation, but also:

2. REALIZE THE PRODUCT OF YIELDING TO TEMPTATION

Once seduced, we see the results. We read this in 7:22-23... "He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life"

The young man yields, goes after her, not realizing that what he thought would be a time of pleasure would reap serious consequences in his life.

James tells us: "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. [15] Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death" (James 1:14-15..)

Yielding to temptation can have serious results in our life. It can (1) Destroy our life, (2) It can disgrace our life, (3) It will Depress our life, and (4) It will dominate our life.

Yielding to temptation has destroyed many a person's life. Homes have been destroyed. Careers have been destroyed. Even Churches have been destroyed.

We read also in verse 22 that the young man's going in after the woman was, "as a fool to the correction of the stocks." Like a prisoner being placed in stocks before the public, to be stared at and sneered at by the passing public, yielding to temptation has often brought shame to the one who yielded. Yielding to temptation has disgraced many a good name. Many good reputations have been sacrificed on the altar of temptation.

The young man's yielding to temptation is also described in verse 23 in the words: "Till a dart strike through his liver." We speak of the heart as the seat of emotions, but to the Hebrew, the liver was considered the seat of emotions.

The idea behind the phrase is that it left the young man depressed. What he thought would make him happy, left him with a guilty conscience, feeling defiled and dirty.

Also in verse 23 it describes his yielding, "as a bird hasteth to the snare." His act of yielding would lead to bondage. This young man would yield this once, and in so doing weaken his resistance.

Solomon does not tell us about the future of this young man, but no doubt he came back again and again and again. The one time opened the door for many times. Our society often calls it an addiction. I prefer to think of it as bondage.

I think of what one writer said regarding this young man's yielding:

"The defense advised here is threefold.

(A). Guard your mind. One is in danger as soon as his mind wanders in her direction.

(B). Keep away. Avoid all contact, literally, as well as mentally.

(C). Look past her, farther down the road, to the countless slain and led to the chambers of death."

The first two points I will address in a moment, but let me draw your attention to the last where the writer encourages us to look past the temptation to the consequences. In the case of the young man, it led to a destroyed life, a disgraced life, a depressed life, and a dominated life. Before we yield to temptation, we need to look further than the present moment. It may feel good at the present, but you need to think about the sorrow, shame, and suffering you will feel later.

We read in verse 27: "Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death."

If I may give you a paraphrasing of verse 27: "It may feel good now, but it will later feel like you have been to hell and back."

In other words, the day will come when you will wish a thousand times a thousand that you never said yes to temptation.

Let me point out one more lesson that we learn as we look through the window of Solomon. Can I strongly encourage you to listen closely? When it comes to temptation we must also:

3. RESIST THE PULL TO YIELD TO TEMPTATION

In Proverbs chapter seven we not only are given a warning of the consequences of yielding to temptation, but are also given principles for enabling us to resist the pull of temptation.

Let me point out two lessons we learn that will make us a candidate to be a victim of temptation. First:

A. GUARD YOUR LIFE FROM THAT WHICH WILL SEDUCE YOU

This lesson we have already commented upon through out the devotional and is one that is obvious from the chapter. I need not say more than to just remind you that to put yourself in a tempting situation is only to invite disaster.

I once came across this equation: "Temptation plus opportunity equals trouble." There may be temptation but not the opportunity. There may be the opportunity but not the temptation. But when you get the two together, you are headed for trouble.

We must prevent the opportunity by avoiding that which offers the opportunity. We must guard our life from that which will seduce us.

Secondly, we learn from Proverbs 7 to:

B. GUIDE OUR LIFE BY THAT WHICH STRENGTHENS US

Notice how the chapter begins: Go back and read Proverbs 7:1-5...

In short, we are to let the Word of God be the guide of our life. We are to "keep" God's Word. We are to obey God's word. It is to be the rule of life. It sets the standards of our life. It's "no's" are always no. It's "yes'" are always yes. It is the rule of our daily walk.

God's Word is to be written upon the table of our heart. We are to learn God's Word and listen to God's Word. We are to put it in our heart. As the Psalmist said in 119:9...
"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word"

How can we keep our live clean? It is by taking heed to God's Word. D.L. Moody used to say, "This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book." Read the Bible daily. Obey the Bible daily. Let it be the guide of your life. There are many reasons why we should do so, and none more important than enabling us to resist the pull of temptation.
Thank you Solomon for letting us look through the window with you! May your wisdom reside in our hearts this day.

Bro. Jeff