ODJ: don’t be dumb

October 15, 2013 

READ: Proverbs 5:1-23 

Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house! If you do, you will lose your honour (vv.8-9).

There’s nothing new under the sun.

King David, the most respected man in Israel, committed adultery while his soldiers were fighting for their lives (2 Samuel 11:1-5).

Not long ago, a highly respected military leader in America was found to be in an adulterous relationship that began while he was commanding soldiers during the war in Afghanistan. He was enticed by the flattering attention of his biographer who was 20 years his junior. Sadly he chose to ignore his marriage vows and engage in an affair with the woman. Emails exchanged between him and his paramour eventually came to light in a very public way and brought shame on both of them, devastating their families. The commander’s sterling reputation was permanently tarnished.

The affair, which had been such a bombshell to his devoted wife of 38 years and their two children also forced his resignation as head of the Central Intelligence Agency and guaranteed that he would never land his dream job of becoming president of Princeton University. This man was the embodiment of Solomon’s warning to “stay away from her” or “you will lose your honour” (Proverbs 5:8-9).

The sordid mess could have been avoided if he had followed the counsel of David and Bathsheba’s son, Solomon. He begged his own son to watch out for the sweet “lips of an immoral woman,” for “her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave” (vv.3,5).

In the history of the world, how many have ever cheated on their spouse and not regretted it? We’re surrounded by sad stories of promising lives that were destroyed on the shoals of illicit sex. The next time you’re tempted to lust, open your eyes and look at the wreckage around you. Don’t be dumb. —Mike Wittmer