Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
This whole Proverb is an admonition and warning against, as the bible calls her, (7:5) the strange woman. Previous Proverbs have dealt with her, but not in its entirety like Proverbs 7. I’ll be honest. I’ve managed to stay away from it because there are other things in those Proverbs to cover. But now that we’ve got to Proverbs 7, there is no avoiding it. You say Why do you want to avoid it? It’s such an ugly topic: adultery and fornication. And it is such a sad topic. It’s sad because (7:26) She hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
This writer of this Proverbs tells how the strange woman seduced a man. The writer says these things of the man: (7:7) Beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding.
Simple
The bible asks (Proverbs 1:22) How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? So, being simple in this context is not a good thing. It means to be naive. It’s on the same plain as scorners and fools, for this verse goes on to ask And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? The bible does not excuse naivety. It instead accuses the simple of willful ignorance, for they love their simplicity. They’re proud of it. Simple is not innocent. The strange woman is pretty bad, but all the blame does not go to her. The simple are vulnerable, yes. But they are also culpable. A little fawn that can’t keep up with his mother is vulnerable, and if the poor thing gets caught at the back of the herd by a lion, it’s not his fault; he is not culpable. But the simple love their simplicity.
Nowdays, in most context, simple is considered desirable. Simple is synonymous with user-friendly. But in the Word of God, simple is a bad word. It’s used 22 times in the King James Bible and there isn’t one time that it is used in a positive sense. For example (Psalm 119:130) The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. I had read this before and thought that it must be good to be simple, because you are given understanding. But that’s not how it works. That simple doesn’t mean cute and humble or somehow blessed with understanding. It means you are a dumbo; an ignoramous. When the light turns on, and you are given understanding, you cease to be simple. You don’t want to stay simple.
Young
When I read this, I get the impression that the writer is narrowing things down. So, first he looks at the simple ones, and then among the simple ones there is another category within the simple: The youths! So there’s a hierarchy to these descriptions; kinda like a file directory structure. You got this file called simple. And if you opened up this file, you’ll find another one called youth. In other words the simple may be or may not be young. But the young will always be simple. What are you saying, Preacher? I’ll just say it. Young people are dumb. Now don’t get mad. I love young people. I got seven of them under my roof that I love very much!
Let’s just tell the truth. Between the age of 15 and 25, you think you know just about everything. You have no idea how dumb you are. Grant it. There’s a few wise ones out there. But I wouldn’t put any money on it. The bible says that (Proverbs 22:15) Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. And when do children get corrected? They’re out in school for nine hours, on their cell phones for three, and watching television for three, and asleep the other nine. When does foolishness ever get driven?
(Psalm 51:5) Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. I’m no outsider looking in. I once was young. And boy was I dumb; a simpleton indeed. And even now, at the age of 43, as the years pass by, you learn more and more that you know less and less. Without the Word of God and the grace of God, I’d surely be on Proverb 7:27 ground; the way to hell. (1 Corinthians 10:12) Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. And this one: (Romans 12:3) For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Void of Understanding
Now here’s the one thing that will save the youth; understanding. So this is the one thing I understand about understanding. Understanding is not cheap.
It requires time. You don’t just wake up with it. It requires concentration. Everything else cannot have your attention. It requires an earnest interest. That means intense effort. It takes a vested interest. There’s got to be a personal stake. It takes practice. You don’t get it the first time, or the second, or the third. It requires instruction. That means you need a teacher. It requires review. That means you better use it or lose it.
This goes for just about anything. Most all people are very capable of gaining understanding in whatever area they see fit. But most people are not willing to pay the price to get it. Therefore, they are void of it. You look at the first three verses of this Proverb to see the matter in which we should have understanding; My words… My commandments… My law… Men, your susceptibility to the strange woman is inversely proportional to how much time, concentration, interest, practice, instruction, and review is being spent on the Word of God.
These warnings of the strange woman bring to mind (1 Corinthians 10:13) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. According to Proverbs 7, that way is the Word of God. And if we are void of understanding it, what hope do you have? The Proverbs says (7:4) That they (My words… My commandments… My law…) may keep thee from the strange woman… The Word of God will keep you from the strange woman; from the way to hell!
There’s your vested interest right there. This ox wants to stay away from the slaughter. This fool wants to stay out of the stocks. This bird wants to stay out of the snare. (Psalm 119:9) Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. I think that’s some good advice for a middle-age man too; an old man too for that matter.
Final Remarks
That word void means empty. There’s just nothing there. There’s just no understanding in there. This is what comes to mind: I don’t know how exactly the Old Testament Saints gained their understanding back then. I’m often baffled at things sometimes. David delighted in the law of the Lord, was a man after God’s own heart, and the strange woman still tripped him up. Then Paul explains in Romans that he also delights in the law of Lord, but with his flesh he serves the law of sin. Apparently, even the best of God’s people have some voids that need to be filled. Paul said (Romans 8:3) For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Praise the Lord for His Son!
And Praise the Lord for the Holy Spirit. For he is the void filler indeed. (Ephesians 5:18) Be filled with the Spirit. If it’s understanding that we need, (John 14:26) He shall teach you all things. James gave us a pretty good lead (James 1:5) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
The way to hell? We need some real grace in these days. The bible says that the strange woman (7:11) is loud and (7:12) lieth in wait at every corner. Put your faith in God. (Psalm 145:18,19) The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth… He also will hear their cry, and will save them. (Psalm 91:3) Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.