On Adultery, Proverbs 7

Oxen Lead to Slaughter

A hot topic for sure. It seems that the culture celebrates adultery, overlooking the ramifications and the hurt to families and nations (aggregately). It's intrigue is fertile ground and a danger to all men (secular and non-secular alike).

Sadly, many "family values" spokespeople wind up getting caught up in the snare and the mainstream enjoys pointing fingers and blaming the Christian church for their "obtuse" views of the destructive power of adultery. They themselves lose sight of the warnings.

The Christian man is not above falling into the trap mentioned in Proverbs 7. Adultery is a powerful force.

I am not going to preach here. Suffice to say, that I know that I need to be on gaurd against it. If prominent Christ followers can fall, then I know I can. If prominent politician and business leaders can fall, then we all can. It has happened from generation to generation and there has always been a cost somewhere down the line. A cost that no one really wants to pay.

Proverbs 7:21 - "With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk."

I think we often want to blame the woman for her seduction. I think men are easy targets. We get too close and we get the "deer in the headlights" look and it is all over. Keep your distance. We create our own situations.

Proverbs 7:22 - "All at once he followed her like an ox to the slaughter."

I think the observation made here is that the young man was already flirting with disaster and before he knew it, he fell. He could not resist the temptation. It's a strong warning, that we should not flirt with disaster either.

Solomon compares this meandering to an ox going to slaughter. The ox may not know it it is going to slaughter, but at some point, he might get a clue and get nervous.

An Ox is a very heavy animal. I imagine the slaughter is very bloody, with much noise and violence once the slaughtering process begins. Who holds the animal while it flails around? Afterward there is a chain of commerce and a feast somewhere along the line. The animal does not go to waste.

Proverbs 7:26 - "Many are the victims she has brought down;"

I guess we should take this as a warning that the line is long. The history is strong. The mathematical certainty has been tested.

On Mission, On Assignment, and in the ZONE!

Andy Valadez
e-mail: andy@marketingdynamics.org