Proverbs 7:14

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 the dangers of Lady Folly:

Proverbs 7:14 (ESV)

“I had to offer sacrifices,

and today I have paid my vows;

In chapter seven of Proverbs we actually have a synopsis of the entire book of Proverbs. The story in Proverbs is about Wisdom vs. Folly. In this chapter you have Folly personified as a harlot on the street calling out to the simple one (you or I, or any believer or unbeliever who refuses wisdom). The word wisdom is not found in the chapter but inferred at the end. This chapter is a demonstration of what Folly can do to us and how Folly works us over. In this chapter we see Folly telling the simple one that she is not so evil at all.  In fact, she claims to have had a religious experience: She has offered a peace offering and paid vows. Folly is like that. Folly looks pure. She paints herself up to look good. To smell good. To appeal good. Folly will always make you think that it is pure and it is righteous. But, it is not. It is evil and it makes its way into our lives to do evil and to do sinful behavior. God warns us in Proverbs 7 to watch out for cunning nature of Folly.  We like to think that Satan walks down the street with horns on his head and a pitch fork in his hand.   But, Paul, like Solomon, states that is not true.  Evil can look good and even make you think it is righteous:

2 Corinthians 11:14 (ESV Strong's)

14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Beware of Folly’s lightness ... in the end it is death:

Proverbs 7:25-27 (ESV Strong's)

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.