“Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, who has let the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.” (Proverbs 2:16-19 NIV)
I woke up this morning thinking about the adulterous woman. It’s a strange statement, I know, but I’ve got your attention, right?
We tend to apply this scripture in Proverbs literally. It’s pretty straightforward, adultery will destroy your life: you relationship with your spouse, your kids, your community and most critically, your God. But today it occurs to me that the adulterous woman might also represent idolatry. Hear me out.
Idolatry slips into our life. A stolen grace here, a secret embrace there. Idols are seductive and enticing. But the Word warns us, the house of the idol is erected over a pit of death. Idolatry offers what it cannot produce.
If we follow this idea of idolatry as adultery a little further, we remember that the nation of Israel had a long-standing love affair with foreign gods. The Lord God identifies Himself as a husband and employs explicit language about Israel’s wayward affections in books like Ezekiel and Hosea. (Some passages are downright uncomfortable to read!) We also note how the writer of Proverbs, Solomon, points out the people’s abandonment of the covenant made with God. Of course, our marital vows are made before God, but we are first and foremost covenanted to be His people.
We see also, this scripture is included in a passage entitled ‘Moral Benefits of Wisdom’. Of course, scripture headings were added after the fact and aren’t considered to be divinely inspired, but they are helpful in understanding the nature of the content we are reading. This bit about the adulterous woman is included in the the grander scope of texts encouraging us to walk with wisdom, and ultimately, God Himself.
Honestly, most of us are not going to have an affair with a wayward man or woman. But the probability of us engaging in idolatrous behavior? That is quite high. Idols seduce us. Idols drag us away from our covenant. Idols will ultimately lead us to death.
Additionally, consider the author. King Solomon had possessed tremendous wisdom. He was awarded wisdom as a gift from God at a very young age. But wisdom alone wasn’t enough. Solomon slowly lost hold of his life as he intermingled in marriage to other nations. He bought wives as a personal insurance policy on peace in his kingdom, but in all those illicit unions, he unwittingly built his house over a pit of death. Instead of making unholy pacts with surrounding nations, Solomon should have trusted God for protection and provision.
Idolatry is adultery. We are cheating on God with lesser deities. Let’s solidify this entire idea by reading Solomon’s closing thoughts in this text:
“Thus you will walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it, but the wicked will be cut off form the land and the unfaithful will be torn from it.” (Proverbs 2:20-22 NIV)
Remember my friend, like the Israelites, we are still forging our way through the wilderness of sin. We are learning to live as free people instead of slaves. In this barren desert, we are addressing our flesh nature and adjusting our lives to the rhythm of manna. One day, we’ll arrive at the border of Heaven and only those who have trusted Christ will step into life everlasting. Idolaters — those that spend themselves in worship of lesser gods — will be met with the limits of their faith. False gods cannot offer us hope and a future, they are only a path that goes down to death.
Lord, help us to recognize the call of the adulterous woman in our own life. Give us the courage to steer our course toward You instead. May we understand how idols draw toward death and thus avoid their path altogether. Keep our eyes and ears and hearts fixed on You. Let us live totally focused on our relationship with the Almighty and deaf to the seduction of the enemy. Amen.