“lest you lose your honor to others and your dignity to one who is cruel,”
Solomon is discouraging the pursuit of freshly lusts that will end up stealing the best years of a persons life if not killing them. I have known some men and women who are living good lives in their later years that could have been sweeter. They are paying a price for the things they pursued in their younger years. They have a trail of broken relationships in their family as well as health challenges from years of poor lifestyle choices. Many started life on a respectable and honorable path only to sacrifice it to fleshly lusts. There is no doubt God’s two highest desires for man are reconciliation and redemption. He will reconcile wherever allowed and will redeem anything broken that is placed in His loving and all powerful hands. Were that not true we would all be in trouble. This verse warns specifically about giving into the adulteress but it can more broadly refer to, “…. idolatry, false doctrine, which tends to lead astray men’s minds and manners.” However, the direct view is to warn against seventh-commandment sins. Many of us may be tempted to ignore this verse because we are not battling with the adulteress at this moment but as we see there is no shortage of temptations to waste our youth on. Today, whatever your age, flee temptation and preserve your honor for God. #BeTheEdge
“A good name is better than fine perfume…” Ecclesiastes 7:1a NIV
