26 “And I
find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her
hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall
be taken by her.”
This
is, of course, being spoken experientially from Solomon whose heart we are told
was led astray by his wives (1Kings 11:4 “For
it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that
his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect
with the LORD his God, as was
the heart of David his father.”). He says of this seductress: "...whose heart is snares and nets, and
her hands as bands..." This word snares means "lying in wait to catch men"; in other words she is a
huntress (See Proverbs 6:26). We
would emphasize this verse with all caution; this woman is the subject of Proverbs 7 (See Proverbs 7:6-27). Solomon had fallen, no doubt, into this snare
many many times. He found it bitter personally! But the caveat is this: "...whoso pleaseth God shall escape
from her..." There are weights and measures with God; those who please
the Lord are directed by the Lord and escape her snares and nets whilst those abhorred
by Him are not preserved (Proverbs 22:14
“The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of
the LORD shall fall therein.”)! How does one please the Lord? Christ said: “And he that sent me is with me: the Father
hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” (John
8:29). By walking in humility, the fear of the Lord and keeping His
commandments we bring pleasure to the Lord. Proverbs 7:1-5 begins with the good advice on how to please the
Lord and how to avoid this woman. “My son, keep my words, and lay up my
commandments with thee. Keep my
commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon
the table of thine heart. Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: That they
may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.”
It
is important to distinguish the difference between being loved by the Lord and
bringing Him pleasure. One can have a child that they love dearly but if the parent
strongly disagrees with his or her choices then there is no pleasure in them.
It is the same with the Lord He may love us but is He taking pleasure in us, it
is not the same thing. At the end of this book Solomon wisely summarized the
whole duty of man and gave to us the key to pleasing the Lord (Eccl 12:13)
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