Proverbs 6:23-35 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
We find here a returning theme: a warning against adultery. Why is it repeated? This theme is not solely about loose women. It concerns a woman who though married, seeks pleasure by giving herself to other men. We also find in this section good advice to help men against being enticed by such women. The wise king tells us that living in close relation and obedience to the Word of God is man’s protection against the lures of the ‘whorish’ one. Within this section, we also read the unforgiving results of adultery.
As we read these passages, we need not fail to look at their messianic value. The Old Testament refers to the people of God as God’s wife. In the New Testament, Paul’s definition of marriage purity to the Church in Philippi ends with a qualification that he actually talking about our relationship with our Lord and Messiah.
The Church, the wife of the Messiah is, and has always been unfaithful. Throughout the generations, she has decked herself in order to please others. In the Garden of Eden, Adam was really an early representation of the Messiah, the Image of God. Eve represented the Church who easily transferred her loyalties from obedience to her husband’s command to another who could provide her with more fleshly pleasures. This story is repeated over and over again throughout the generations.
Let there be no mistake though. The Church reaps the consequences of her adulterous deeds and for those who believes in pre-trib rapture, I say that you will be surprised. The Great Tribulation is the time of washing and purification of the Church getting ready to meet her betrothed Messiah for the final wedding ceremony and banquet.
The other point we see in our text is that even though the Church receives her due punishment, the man with whom she lays does not escape. The devil who has defiled the church and wooed her loyalties away from her true Lord and master will be the forever victim of the unforgiving wrath of a jealous husband.
Let this be a comfort to us. In the Book of Hoseah, we find the story of the Bride of God in the life of Gomer, Hoseah’s wife. She marries Hoseah and plays the harlot against him. Later, when he finds her in marketplace, abused and sold to the highest bidder, he buys her again. He pays a new dowry for her and brings he home back to him. So does the Messiah. His wife Israel played the harlot against Him, but He came and even though He had already married her at Mt Horeb, he came to buy her again, this time, in dying for her sins. These stories my friend serve as a ensample Paul says for us upon whom the end of the world has come. We have the assurance that our husband Jesus, while letting us reap the full results of our adulterous ways, will come and not only rescue us from our foolishness, but also rightly punished the one who took advantage of us.
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