Man, God is good! I've gotten into Exodus (as you can see from my previous post about intro to Moses) and definitely some awesome things have come to mind while I have been reading. I'm almost done with the book of Matthew and the more I read of Jesus, the more I know that he was not this smiling, sweet man. No, he was blunt and serious. But he had a love for people I cannot even fathom those people felt.
I have three HUGE big topics that I want to discuss from my readings from Exodus, Matthew, and the Proverbs, but I really don't have time to do that. So I'll just focus on one aspect of today's reading.
Probably the passage from Proverbs was the most shocking though. Jesus said the disciples couldn't cast out demons because they had little faith. This was the passage about the mustard seed in Matthew. Moses had to strip himself of the world before he could get close with God in Exodus. And the Proverbs told young men "Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house!" Proverbs 5:8
I certainly don't want to be that young woman that God is telling his sons to stay away from. What warranted that command? Whose doors should these young men go to? And what happens?
Well first, this is in the passage of Proverbs, so it has got to do with wisdom. So 1) The girl was not wise. Not wise in what? Well, first and foremost living for God. She is probably what you would call a "Jezebel" or a "Delilah." She is the temptress of the enemy. This is something young Christian men have GOT to watch out for. Girls who put on a facade of a servant of God. Girls whose hearts aren't completely in a relationship with the Lord.
Ladies: Don't be that girl!! You want to know why? Because you will only attract the men whose hearts aren't completely God's. And how happy can you be without a Christ-centered relationship? Not very. Most likely the man you will get will be selfish, will be arrogant, will be lazy--he won't have any qualities of a man after God's heart.
So we know that the girl had no wisdom concerning her life with the Lord. She probably dressed provocatively so as to lure a man's eyes. If young men must "Don't go near the door of her house," obviously that's her physical place of residence because if you do, you will be tempted and most likely succumb to sexual sin, but also her house as in her body. If God has to specifically say that, then that means a lot of her body is showing for you to even be enticed.
Later, Proverbs 31 describes the women that men should seek. The women whose worth are far above rubies. My friend Sarah told me that "Just reading Proverbs 31 already makes me tired;" which is absolutely true. It's hard work to be a lady of God. It's hard work to not only have a job (tending the field) but to also teach your children, keep your home, and serve your husband. I'll go more in depth when I actually read Proverbs 31, but for now, let's just say that young Christian men should flock to her door and stay away from Jezebel/Delilah.
So what happens to those men who defy God and go for the temptress? Proverbs 5:9-14 goes in depth on the consequences:
"9 If you do, you will lose your honor
and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.
10 Strangers will consume your wealth,
and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
11 In the end you will groan in anguish
when disease consumes your body.
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!
If only I had not ignored all the warnings!
13 Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers?
Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?
14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin,
and now I must face public disgrace.”
So let's see-- you will be destitute, you will be mocked, you will be scored, you will be dishonored, you will not only be physically but emotionally scarred. There will be a physical disease that takes over your body, and lamenting and regretting not heeding the warnings.
So men: Recognize the good young women. Pay attention to God's warnings about those who don't walk towards Christ.
Women: Don't tempt your brothers. Don't be the woman that God warns men to stay away from.
The consequences are dire. The cost is more than anyone should bear.
God Bless,
Lauren
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