Joseph Patty, Associate Director of Student Ministry; Lamenter of the State of Popular Music

Proverbs 5:1-9, 18
My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
    turn your ear to my words of insight,
2 that you may maintain discretion
    and your lips may preserve knowledge.
3 For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil;
4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,
    sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
    her steps lead straight to the grave.
6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
    her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.
7 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
    do not turn aside from what I say.
8 Keep to a path far from her,
    do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you lose your honor to others….

18 May your fountain be blessed,
    and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

Reflection:
“Oh-oh here she comes! Watch out, boy, she’ll chew you up.” Hall & Oates were obviously thinking of Proverbs when they wrote the song, “Maneater.” Lady Folly is introduced here in full color with the practical advice of how to avoid an adulterous woman. She’s subtle, attractive, and a smooth talker. Nobody starts their marriage thinking, “Yeah, I’ll enjoy it for a minute and then go commit adultery. That sounds like a great plan.”  No, the path to unfaithfulness is subtle, starting with a seed of discontentment in the heart that is watered by attention and flattery. Before you know it, the path that started with small compromises has led you deeper than you ever thought possible. Therefore, we keep our path far from her.

However, as in most things in Scripture, there is a second level to the text. In the same way that Paul’s marriage advice in Ephesians 5 is about Jesus and the Church, so here the dichotomy of Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly in the first nine chapters of Proverbs is about humanity’s pursuit of God. Lady Folly is the portrait of Eve’s temptation and downfall in Genesis 3. Eve’s “path is aimless, but she does not know it” and is paved with small compromises. None of which are sins of course, but there is a lack of intentional choices (Gen. 3:1-6). Suddenly they cross the line of no return and are aware of their nakedness (Gen. 3:7). You can almost see the surprise in their eyes when they wake up to the string of choices they’ve made.

Proverbs takes this story and serves it on a platter of daily choices. It invites us to see our relationship to God as a marriage worth fighting for. It opens our eyes to see every choice we make as an intentional pursuit of God or as compromise. In a culture that embraces compromise in every form, let the Proverbs invite you to a life of conviction. What if instead of us constantly asking what we can get away with and asking where the line of “sin” begins, we could run headlong into the arms of Lady Wisdom and our Heavenly Father? I encourage you to self-examine even now and see where your paths are leading. “Keep your path far from her, do not go near the door of her house.” May you rejoice in the wife of your youth, the wisdom of knowing our Heavenly Father.

Prayer:
Father God, open my eyes to the places I make small compromises. I want to live for you and you alone. Keep my path far from Lady Folly and her door. May my eyes be set on you, and there let me find delight. Amen.