Proverbs 2:16

The book of Proverbs gives us a lot of instruction on a lot of different subjects. One subject that can keep us in God’s wisdom is Godly Follower-ship. Who we follow; where we follow; how we follow are all spoken about in Proverbs. Here is one of them about folly’s flattery: 

Proverbs 2:16

To deliver you from the strange women, from the adulteress who flatters with her words.

 We are often lead astray by those who use the "flattery" of their words. Those who can "twist" a tale or "spin" a yarn seem to entice us to leave our path and follow their ways. Flattery is such a mild form of seducement - it doesn't come across as offensive or threatening. It is often seen as something desired or even earned. But, don't be lead astray, flattery is Satan's main tool. He wants us to feel good about ourselves - when we are thinking good about ourselves, we are thinking less of God. He wants us to glory in our accomplishments (the ones he points out through flattery) - when we do we are glorying God less. Satan wants us to realize we have great value - when we do we realize less and less that our only true value comes from Christ's salvation of us. Don't be fooled by flattery. It leads off the path of life.  In the above proverb Solomon is giving us the impact wisdom can have on us.  Once wisdom enters our hearts we can have a sense of freedom from false words that are intended to draw us into Folly’s trap.  In Proverbs Solomon uses the adulterous woman as a metaphor for folly.  Solomon is telling us that wisdom can keep us safe from all kinds of folly ... including adultery.   This "strange women" he is talking about is the various folly available in this world that entices us to follow it.  Note one such episode:

Genesis 3:4-6 (ESV)

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Satan used flattering words to entice Eve.  She was lead astray by the false, but enticing words of Satan.  Notice how the appealed to HER needs and not God’s word.  Only God's wisdom can keep us clear and clean from Folly’s words.  Flattery is Satan bait to hook us into self-pleasure.