Proverbs 7:22

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about temptation:

Proverbs 7:22 (ESV)

All at once he follows her,

as an ox goes to the slaughter,

or as a stag is caught fast.

Keep the God's Word as the apple of your eye and you won't become the ox at the slaughter. This chapter of Proverbs is one of my favorites. It captures both the contrast between wisdom (God's Word; Law) and folly (an adulterous women) and it shows us how sexual temptations work and what their results may be. The young man is us and the adulterous women is the world, the flesh and/or the devil. The enticement is what we have every day. Solomon tells us in verses 1-5 that if we keep God's Word as the apple of our eye we won't fall into the trap set describe in verses 7-20 and we will avoid the punishment outlined in verses 21-27. Many strong and great men have fallen victim to folly. None of us are exempt. Unless we keep the law as the apple of our eye.  This proverbs is classified as an “emblematic proverb.”   Solomon uses a word picture to convey his thoughts.   When we forsake the truth of God’s Word we are unwise.   Solomon is telling us that, in this unwise state, we become like a dumb ox.  When an ox goes to the slaughter it is not conscious about what is about to happen.   It is dumb.   It is unwise.   When a fool goes to the correction of the stocks he acts like ... a fool.   A fool does not consider the pain and suffering he is about to undergo.   Those who have no wisdom will be like the ox and the fool.  They don’t realize the havoc they about to have released on them.  When we pursue the evilness of this world and not the truth in the Wisdom of Christ, we are like the dumb ox and unconscious fool.  Keep God’s Word as the apple of your eye and you won’t be taken and slaughtered like an ox.