Proverbs chapter 7 has some strong warnings about what some translations call the “strange woman” or more aptly, the woman who is a stranger; not familiar. The literal translation is “woman who draws away”. And this is precisely what the warnings in the chapter are against… being drawn away.
But being drawn away from what, to what? If we are to truly understand and heed the warnings in the chapter, we need to understand what is actually being warned against. Who or what is the strange woman? What does she represent? And what is she trying to draw us away from? What methods does she use?
These are the questions that we will be examining in this study today – as always, through the lens of Grace and the finished work of Christ.
As we begin our study today, we are going to read a rather large chunk of the warning in Proverbs 7 (don’t worry we will break it down in smaller bites); but there is quite a bit to see, and some very informative details for us, that are often overlooked as these verses are read.
Let’s start by reading Proverbs 7:6-27:
“For at the window of my house I looked through my lattice,
And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart.
(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
Now is she without, now in the streets, and lies in wait at every corner.)
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said to him,
I have peace offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows.
Therefore came I forth to meet you, diligently to seek your face, and I have found you.
I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
For the manager is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
He has taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
He goes after her straightway, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, and knows not that it is for his life.
Listen to me now therefore, O you children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Let not your heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
For she has cast down many wounded: yes, many strong men have been slain by her.
Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.”
Now, there’s quite a lot here, but again, not to worry, we are going to take it slowly and look at the details here.
Typically when most people read these verses, they read them with only one single perspective in mind: physical fornication. Of-course there is that aspect to it, but that is not all there is! There is a much more dangerous and even deadly fornication – that is Spiritual fornication.
Physical fornication certainly has it’s worldly consequences, and is in no way ideal; but spiritual fornication is flat-out deadly, and results in final destruction apart from God in hell.
So let’s examine these verses starting with 6 and 7, and we see that the writer here is relating a time when he looked through his window and saw a youthful person who is simple and lacked understanding. This person doesn’t see for understand the danger set before them; they don’t understand the incredible risk of the “strange woman”.
Keep in-mind that what follows is not talking about a physical woman, but this is spiritual imagery (we will see why this is so later on in the study).
What we see in verses 8 through 13 is that this person who lacks understanding crosses the street near her corner. And we can also observe that she does everything possible to attract this kind of person. Her attire is that of a harlot, meaning that she dresses in a manner that is enticing, inviting and sometimes mysterious – again, anything that will draw attention and attract people.
We also see in verse 11 loud and stubborn; she’s not shy, and doesn’t give up easily. And verse 12 makes it clear that she wanders the streets, and waits at every street corner.
This is some very descriptive and telling language being used to paint a picture of the “strange woman”. Spiritually speaking, the fact that she is loud and stubborn signifies the fact that the temptation, the pull, the draw to give in to her will usually be strong, and the deception of her is large and easy to give in to. And the picture of her being on every street corner, tells us that at every cross-road, at every decision that we make, she will be there waiting to influence us to make the wrong choice; to go towards her.
Though she is loud and stubborn, she is also quite tempting and crafty – she’s not harsh, in-fact she can be quite pleasant. In verse 13 she grabs him and kisses him, and what she says in verse 14 is also very informative:
“I have peace offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows.”
Here she speaks of peace offerings. This is a reference to Leviticus 7:11 and the Old Covenant Laws for what is typically called the “thanks offering” – which is actually one of the least understood out of all the offerings in the old covenant. The peace offerings were offerings of thanksgiving, offered only after the other offerings for sin and trespass and meal. When the strange woman claims that she has her peace offerings with her and that she had paid her vows (all references to the Old Covenant Law, mind you) she is also claiming that the other sacrifices had been given. A claim which is not actually true, with deadly consequences as we will soon see. (see also: Jesus is the Perfect Sacrifice)
In verses 14 through 20, she then makes her case and sets her trap in motion. She describes how everything is made beautiful and inviting: her bed has been perfumed, and given the appropriate dressings… including fine linen of Egypt, which for any Hebrew of that day, would be a picture of slavery; and Egypt is generally a presentation of the world in scripture, it is a place to come out from, as believers are to be called out of the world, bondage and oppression.
In verses 19 and 20, she makes the case that the manager is not at home; that he has taken a bag of money with him, and that he is gone on a long journey. In other words, you won’t get caught, there will be no consequence. And the really interesting thing to note here is that without even realizing it, she is admitting that the “manager” has the provision! He has the bag of money!
So what we have learned so far about this strange woman, is that:
- She dresses as a harlot (enticing / tempting)
- Is there waiting at each decision and crossroad (on every street corner)
- Is loud and stubborn (hard to ignore)
- Can be pleasant and give temporary comfort (gives you a kiss / fair words)
- Makes false claims about peace with God
- Hearkens back to slavery and bondage (fine linens of Egypt)
- Is deadly at the end, all the way into hell itself.
Keep all of these facts in mind as we now approach the conclusion of all of this.
We see in verses 21 through 23, we see that by her words, she causes the one lacking wisdom and discernment to yield to her. And he goes straight into the trap; and the end result is deadly.
What is the identity of the strange woman for us today? Where is the place which promises peace, and looks pleasant but delivers death and destruction; even an arrow through your liver? Hebrews 12:18-20:
“For you are not come to the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor to blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake.”
The strange woman for us today who are under the New Covenant, is none other than the Old Covenant!
The strange woman, the harlot, the false bride, who continually tempts and pulls so many people back into bondage and slavery all over again. Promises peace with God; all you have to do is follow the lists of rules and laws – but it’s a false claim, because behaviors and performance and the old sacrifices can not remove sin! (they never could! Hebrews 10:4)
For some, the Law and the Old Covenant can give them a kind of peace and a sense of security. But it is a false peace and a false sense of security because no one can stand before God and be sure in themselves based on their law-keeping. No flesh will glory in His presence (1st Corinthians 1:29-30)
Verse 25 of our text in Proverbs 7, tells us not to let our heart decline to her ways. Not to let our mind and thoughts, turn aside from the truth of Christ and His finished work, back onto the Law and the works of men. It’s actually the exact same warning that can be found in other places in scripture, such as Galatians 5:4.
Then, the final verses of our study today, fully solidify who the strange woman is, and the dangers of her.
In verse 26, we see that She has cast down many wounded, and many strong men have been slain by her.
Take notice of the two types of people that she can captivate. Those of have been wounded, and strong men.
Those who have been wounded, injured, and those who are so desperate to escape evil, wickedness and sin, will often turn the the Old Covenant and Law because they think that it will at least provide some kind of band-aid, or stop-gap solution to the problem. Legalistic preachers will promote this idea as well, by saying things such as: “We have forgotten God’s Law! We need to turn back to God, and fall prostrate before Him!”, and all the while they are unwittingly falling right into the trap of the strange woman.
It’s much the same with the strong men, because strong men will (naturally) trust in their own strength, their own efforts, and their own obedience to save them. Remember these are spiritual pictures. And those images of wounded and strong men may seem like complete opposites, they both have one thing in common… they are relying on their own strength, and the old covenant to save them… a covenant which was never given to save anyone at all, and never had the power to to begin with! Only the New Covenant of Grace in Christ Jesus has the power to save.
The goal of the strange woman is to cause people to forget and leave the New Covenant in favor of the old, and in doing so, destroy many people. (Proverbs 2:16-23).
And what we can see from that, as well as the final verse of our text today, is that she leads to death and hell.
Proverbs 2:19 states it even more strongly in-fact:
“None that go to her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.”
And again, this makes it clear exactly who the strange woman is. Spiritually thisis lnot talking about physical adultery, otherwise anyone who has ever committed adultery would then be doomed to hell with no hope of escape! And we know from jesus’ own life, that He did not condemn the woman caught in adultery.
No. The harlotry here is not a physical one, but a spiritual one. Forgetting and forsaking the New Covenant of Grace in Christ and His finished work, in favor of the old covenant of the Law of Moses, and the works of man, which cannot save, and whose end is death and hell.
I encourage you today, to heed the warnings of Proverbs 7. Although the rules and rituals may seem very enticing, and promises peace with God, and you may feel a warm kiss from them at times, they really produce slavery and bondage, and lead to death and hell.
Do not forget your true husband is Christ, not Moses. Your true mountain is Zion, not Sinai. You cannot mix the two, nor should you.
Be blessed.
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