The seduction of Mr. Simple
Proverbs 7:1-27
The book of proverbs is a collection of wise words regarding morality and right versus wrong. Proverbs is largely concerned with the inevitability of God's justice and the importance of prudence. Solomon's proverbs maintain that wicked deeds will invariably lead to divine retribution and punishment during a person's earthly life.
The book of Proverbs is inspired by the Spirit and therefore it is the Word of God while the proverbs of other countries are not.
In the case of Proverbs 7 the hint is given in verse 4 where sister and relative are compared to wisdom and insight respectively. What does it mean to call wisdom your sister? It means to embrace her and make her near and dear to you (Pr 4:6-8; 8:17; Song 8:1). A close sister would never let you get near a seductive woman. She would despise the woman, and she would expose her wicked wiles and foretell the horrible consequences. You would trust a close sister, for you would know she had your best interests at heart. What does it mean to call understanding your kinswoman? It means to consider her a close confidant, dear companion, and faithful friend. It means to trust her motives and follow her advice, for she seeks your prosperity. Understanding is another word for wisdom in this context. While other men are making “sisters” of seductive women , let understanding be your close kinswoman. She will protect you from their sinful seduction.
The second hint is the final verse 27, where it says that she will lead you to death. here it is unlikely talking about disease and more about a spiritual death.
So why is the sister wisdom? Sisters provide stability in a young man’s life and can provide a goal and concrete foundation for a man knowing his worth. Sisters and other younger siblings can teach a man responsibility.
Note that this can apply just as easily to women as to men… women can be led astray just as easily and should also pay attention to wisdom and insight.
As we turn our attention to Proverbs 7 where the focus is again a warning about the dangers and destructive consequences of adultery. This passage is cast in the form of a father giving instruction to his son, urging him to embrace and cultivate wisdom in his life in order to “keep” him “from the seductive woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words” (7:5). Once again let me remind you that although the danger is portrayed as coming from a sexually promiscuous and seductive woman, we could just as easily turn the tables and describe it in terms of the philandering and immoral man. So we must all, both men and women, pay close attention.
We see from these opening verses that “wisdom” is again something eminently practical. Wisdom is what will guard the heart of the young man or woman and keep them from falling prey to the manipulative and clever tactics of the adulterer and adulteress.
In v. 2 the father exhorts his son to keep this teaching as “the apple of your eye.” The word translated “apple” refers to the “pupil” (cf. Deut. 32:10; Ps. 17:8). The pupil of the eye is that part upon which our sense of sight completely depends, and thus something to be guarded with the utmost care. No less than you would strive to preserve your own eye-sight, be diligent to observe and assimilate this instruction on the tactics of temptation employed by the wayward woman. As v. 4 says, be as conversant and intimate with wisdom as you are with the members of your own family.
In vs 6-23 Solomon tells his son what he has seen or witnessed. He describes himself as if he were peering out the window of his house watching the behavior of the simpleton, the fool, the young person who doesn’t have the good sense to come in out of the rain. Their lack of wisdom is precisely what will lead them into the trap set by the adulteress.
In describing this young person as “simple” and “lacking sense” Proverbs doesn’t mean someone who has a low IQ or someone who is self-determined and hardened in sin and sets out to gratify his lust. Proverbs is talking about the young man who lacks discernment. The problem is aggravated when the young man thinks himself to be a real man’s man, worldly-wise and beyond temptation
Notice in vv. 8-9 how Solomon describes both the place and the time of the temptation. As for the place, Mr. Simple stupidly wanders near her house. Perhaps he’s heard of this lady and out of curiosity he wants to see where she lives. He probably doesn’t set out with the intention of ending up in her bed. He just wants to walk by her house. Solomon is not talking about all the young men he could see through his window - no, he is talking about this one young man who "lacks judgment" - verse 7.
And when does this happen? In the “twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness” (v. 9b). The word “twilight” literally refers to a “cool breeze” which comes from the east as the afternoon sun sets. And the words “night” and “darkness” suggest that he chooses this time so no one will see him. He is careful to visit her under cover of night, thinking that this will protect his good name. But what it actually does is to put him precisely where she is able to make her play without being seen by others. Of course he does not realise the Lord watches all his actions - Proverbs 5:21.
The point is that he mindlessly and foolishly wanders deeper and deeper into that situation where he is most vulnerable and easy prey for her appetites.
You will notice in vv. 10-12 in Proverbs 7 how this woman is described in terms of her outward clothing, her inward depravity, and her method for capturing her prey.
She is “dressed as a prostitute” (v. 10a). Most likely her clothing was seductive and revealing, all designed to draw attention from any man who passed her way. As for her character, she is “crafty intent ” (v. 10b). The word “crafty ” literally means “ deceptive" or “secretive.” In other words, she is careful not to let anyone know her true intentions. She is cunning. She pretends to love her husband and also to be infatuated with her unsuspecting victim, but she in fact despises them both.
She is “loud and defiant ” (v. 11a), which is to say she lacks the delicate features of femininity and hopes to allure her victim with brash and trashy behavior. She is “defiant,” wandering throughout the street, then the market, and “at every corner” (v. 12). She is profoundly unstable and feels no loyalty to her place of residence.
The proposition itself is described in detail in vv. 13-20. This woman cares nothing for social custom or moral propriety or common decency. She is utterly devoid of modesty. She baits her prey before he is even aware he has been trapped. She grabs hold of the man at the first opportunity and kisses him (v. 13). Her aim is to captivate him before he’s had the chance to say " No."
What follows in vv. 14-15 is simply stunning! She portrays herself as religious and spiritually devout! This is a reference to the sacrifice of a peace offering as commanded in Leviticus 7:15ff. The Mosaic Law required that the flesh of the sacrifices be eaten on that very day, or at the latest the next day, by the person who offered them.
And notice how she carefully personalizes her seductive offer. Although she’d be happy bedding down any unsuspecting man, she wants you to think there’s something special about you alone. Note the repetition of the pronoun “you” – “I have come out to (1) meet "you", (2) to seek "you" eagerly, and (3) I have found "you" .” She knows how to touch that inner longing of every man to be regarded as more attractive than all others, to be “the one” who alone can awaken her interest.
In vv. 16-17 she describes her bedroom in a way that she knows will grab his interest and cause his hormones to rise with desire. See how her appeal to all five senses!
(1) He “sees” the way she is dressed, ever so subtly suggestive that she’s available to him (v. 10).
(2) He “hears” her invitation and flattery, her smooth and silky words that overcome whatever moral restraint he might otherwise have mustered (vv. 14-15).
(3) He “feels” her embrace as she “seizes” him (v. 13a) and
(4) he “tastes” her lips as she “kisses” him (v. 13b). Finally,
(5) he “smells” the perfume of her bedroom, the “myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon” (v. 17).
By now, having gone this far in engaging her physically, he’s doomed. There’s no turning back.
The fantasy comes to full form in v. 18 - “Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love.” There are no boundaries, she says. The only thing that matters is your desires and my availability to fulfill them to the max.
“And you don’t need to worry about my husband, for ‘he is not at home; he has gone on a long journey’” (v. 19). No fear of discovery! No fear of an angry man walking in on us in bed! Secrecy is ours. No one will ever know. By the way, contrary to the rendering of the ESV, she doesn’t say “my” husband. She literally says, “the man.” It is a dismissive way of referring to him, as if to say she cares little if at all for him.
Not only that, but he took enough money with him to be away for a long time. The second half of v. 20, with its reference to the “full moon,” indicates that he won’t be home for several days. “We’ve got the run of the house for a long time with no fear of being discovered. Come on, let’s go for it!” And he takes the bait
So off he goes into her bed, like an ox being led to slaughter (v. 22), like an animal caught in a trap or a bird in a snare. Before he knows it and can do anything about it, he’s lost everything of value (v. 23), maybe even his life. Because if he is discovered he will be stoned to death.
Listen to the urgency of Solomon's counsel: “Son, don’t dwell on her in your heart. Don’t think about her. Turn your mind to other things. Don’t go anywhere near her home or where
Now let me add a few comments being simple is like having pimples--it comes with adolescence. Almost unconsciously we regard the simple as those who are young. Several Proverbs suggest by their parallelism that being simple is nearly synonymous with being young:
If simplicity is a malady of the young, there are several implications to this truth which should be noted:
Everyone goes through the stage of being simple, just as all go through adolescence. It is not a sin to be simple, just as it is not a sin to be immature. However what begins as immaturity can become carnality. As a rule, those who are simple in Proverbs are simply immature. So the simple must decide to become mature or he will become a fool. Because it is a similar to a phase of life, simplicity passes and grows into something else. No one can stay simple.
The “son” who is being taught by his father in chapter 1 is simple; but his father is fully aware that this lad must make a choice, either to walk in the way of the wise or to follow evil men (or wicked women) in the path of folly. This change will not be brought about by the passing of time, but by a conscious decision (1:10,15,22-23). Wisdom comes from the resolve to forsake folly and to pursue wisdom as a precious treasure.
The simple face great danger as a result of many contributing factors:
They lack wisdom (Ps. 19:7), knowledge and discretion (Prov. 1:4), understanding (Ps. 119:130; Prov. 9:4,16), and judgment (Prov. 7:7). Beyond this, those who are simple lack the ability to critically analyze what others tell them. In other words, they are gullible:
The simple believes everything, But the prudent man considers his steps (14:15).
The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, But the simple go on, and are punished for it (22:3; cf. 27:12).
While the simple are ignorant and inexperienced, they are also Inclined toward folly They tend toward what is harmful and destructive. Left to themselves the simple will not become wise, but will stumble into folly and disaster.
“How long, 0 naive ones, will you love simplicity? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?” (1:22).
“For the waywardness of the simple shall kill them, And the complacency of fools shall destroy them” (1:32).
There is hope for the simple, for not all who are simple succumb to the wiles of Madam Folly. Since simplicity is a phase in the normal growth and development of a young person, it is one that every man and women must pass through--successfully. It took several readings of this passage for me to make a crucial observation: while Mr. Simple fell, there were many others who were simple and did not.
While Lady Folly seeks to lead astray those who are simple (7:6-26; 9:13-18), Lady Wisdom also calls to the simple, warning them of the dangers ahead and urging them to turn from folly and to seek wisdom (1:20-33; 8:1-36; 9:1-6). The solution for the simple is to turn from folly, to reject wicked men and refuse evil women, and to pursue wisdom (1:23; 2:1-11; 3:1-26; 4:1-27).
Wisdom focuses attention on this young man because he, by his own waywardness, falls into sin. My point is that it was he alone, and not all those youths (all of whom were simple), was seduced. The inference is clear: being simple is not the real problem--wrong choices is. Mr. Simple did not have to fall; he fell because of his own wrong choices..
In nature there are some creatures which do not stalk their prey but simply let their victim come to them. For example, some sea plants lure their prey toward them by appearing to be what they are not. Lady Folly, in chapter 7, does not stalk her prey, she waits for him to come to her. While Lady Folly was a wanderer, whose “feet do not remain at home” (v. 11), on this occasion, at least, she seems to be near her home (v. 8; cf. 9:14). Mr Simple was wandering about late at night, “passing through the street near her corner” (v. 8).
I do not think he was near her house by accident. It is my opinion that he wandered toward her house purposefully, knowing where she lived.
I think Mr Simple knew about this seducer because she was the ' talk of the town' . He lingered about her house because he wanted to get a look at her, to see what she really looked like. I doubt very much that he planned to sin, or even wanted to initially, but he was looking for a thrill.
Incidentally, this is typical of many, especially the immature who try to get as close to the flame as possible without getting.
We cannot know the intentions of this young man as we wandered about in the darkest and most dangerous hours of the night. What we do know is that he was not deceived by Lady Folly. This woman was cunning, but not deceptive. Our text tells us that she was dressed like a harlot (v. 10).She was not a harlot, but an unfaithful wife.
The reason she dressed like one was to appeal to what she knew Mr. Simple was looking for. He was a thrill seeker. If he was not sophisticated enough to see what she wanted, she would dress in such a way that he could not miss it. Her approach was far from subtle. She brazenly greeted him with a kiss (v. 13.) She told him she was married (v. 19) and eager to drink the cup of love to the fullest (v. 18). She was anything but indirect. No matter how simple this young man was, he knew what she wanted. For whatever reason he ended up near her house, he could have (and should have) fled, once her intentions were known to him--but he stayed. He was seduced, but not deceived.
Mr. Simple made a quick decision to follow Lady Folly, as it were, to the slaughter. To Mr. Simple the spiced sheets of Madam Folly were like the carrot dangled before the ox as he is coaxed into the slaughter house (vv. 22-23). Fixing his attention only on the momentary pleasures offered by Lady Folly, Mr Simple had no sense of the danger ahead. He virtually pushed and shoved, hastening his own destruction.
While it is important to observe the Mr. Simple’s decision was not made on impulse.
In verse 22 he unwisely strolled about town, in the wrong place and at the wrong time of night. He was, as they say, “looking for trouble.” When Lady Folly approached him and boldly propositioned him, he did not flee. She flattered him, and he liked it. She enticed him, and he pondered her proposition. She assured him that a night with her would be both sensual and safe, and he believed her.
My point is that none of us should ever willingly put ourselves in the position of having to make a decision with Lady Folly standing before us on a lonely street corner in the middle of the night. Decisions made in these circumstances are exceedingly dangerous. Once we have determined to court sin, going as far as we can without getting caught, we are an easy prey for Lady Folly. How much easier it would have been for Mr. Simple to have decided to go home and go to bed, than to “stand on the corner, watching all the girls go by.” with his mouth open. And he fell for the bait.
I have deliberately saved what I believe to be the initial step in this sequence of sins until last. Verses 24-27 urge the simple to listen to the warning of wisdom, and to turn from the path of Lady Folly. The end of that path is inevitably death and destruction.
But why is it that Mr. Simple made his way merrily down that path without any sense of danger? Was he so ignorant of the danger? No he was not ignorant of the danger. He knew fully well what he was up to. Then what was the problem Verse 25 provides us with a significant clue: “ Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths.”
The problem was in the heart of Mr. Simple, not his head. Because "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9
We are all fallen creatures and although we praise and thank God that we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ.. have been made a new creation in Him and have been given His resurrected life - our old, fleshly nature battle against our new life in Christ.
As born again believers who are living in the dispensation of grace, we have the permanently indwelling Person of the Holy Spirit in our heart . And yet we have a permanent battle with what we should do and what we should not do. Knowing that the heart is more deceitful than anything else and desperately wicked, we should examine our hearts to see if there is any wicked way in us that needs to be cleansed and rooted out.
