Proverbs 7 (Listen)

Warning Against the Adulteress

7:1   My son, keep my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you;
2   keep my commandments and live;
    keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
3   bind them on your fingers;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
4   Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
    and call insight your intimate friend,
5   to keep you from the forbidden¹ woman,
    from the adulteress² with her smooth words.
6   For at the window of my house
    I have looked out through my lattice,
7   and I have seen among the simple,
    I have perceived among the youths,
    a young man lacking sense,
8   passing along the street near her corner,
    taking the road to her house
9   in the twilight, in the evening,
    at the time of night and darkness.
10   And behold, the woman meets him,
    dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.³
11   She is loud and wayward;
    her feet do not stay at home;
12   now in the street, now in the market,
    and at every corner she lies in wait.
13   She seizes him and kisses him,
    and with bold face she says to him,
14   “I had to offer sacrifices,⁴
    and today I have paid my vows;
15   so now I have come out to meet you,
    to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.
16   I have spread my couch with coverings,
    colored linens from Egyptian linen;
17   I have perfumed my bed with myrrh,
    aloes, and cinnamon.
18   Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
    let us delight ourselves with love.
19   For my husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey;
20   he took a bag of money with him;
    at full moon he will come home.”
21   With much seductive speech she persuades him;
    with her smooth talk she compels him.
22   All at once he follows her,
    as an ox goes to the slaughter,
  or as a stag is caught fast⁵
23     till an arrow pierces its liver;
  as a bird rushes into a snare;
    he does not know that it will cost him his life.
24   And now, O sons, listen to me,
    and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25   Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;
    do not stray into her paths,
26   for many a victim has she laid low,
    and all her slain are a mighty throng.
27   Her house is the way to Sheol,
    going down to the chambers of death.

(ESV)

No father who truly loves his son will be unwilling to warn him of what will cost him his life. Rather, “keep my commandments and live,” is his hope. Real love guides and warns.

Like sin, the seductive woman “lies in wait,” looking for an opportunity to prey on the weakness of the wanderer. Oh how good it feels to be sought after, a favored bait-and-switch from Sheol. Silky smooth words cover the lie. How dare she call adultery “love”? And “all at once” his cord of resistance snaps: this is no falling into sin; he jumps! Had he just listened to Abba’s wisdom: “You’re 20 minutes away from a world of regret, a life-piercing arrow.” Look instead to future glory; present sin pales in comparison. The love and life of the Lord is better! Lean in hard.

2 Corinthians 8:16–9:5 (Listen)

Commendation of Titus

16 But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. 17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going¹ to you of his own accord. 18 With him we are sending² the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. 19 And not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will. 20 We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, 21 for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man. 22 And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers³ of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24 So give proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to these men.

The Collection for Christians in Jerusalem

9:1 Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, 2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending⁴ the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. 4 Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift⁵ you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.⁶

(ESV)

8 Once again, the sheer repetition of words reveals what this section is — and what these men are — all about. Repeated four times, “earnest” best describes not only the apostle’s love but Titus' for the church at Corinth. Paul sends his best to them, hoping such preaching will be best for them. This ministry is an “act of grace” … “for the glory of God.” Generosity, honor and confidence round out the list of right words Paul writes. His desire is that Christ be seen by all as affecting all His people accordingly. 9 Hence the kind and confident way he gently reminds them of their need to arrange for the support of the family of faith in Jerusalem. “Be ready” with generosity.