Proverbs 7:1-27
All churches claim to help their members reach heaven, but not all truly do. Jesus, in Matthew 7:21, proclaimed that “not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” He also stated that many would come in His name, claiming to represent Him, but would deceive many (See Matthew 24). Throughout the Bible, we are warned about individuals who claim to serve God but instead lead people to hell.
So, how can you know if you are in a church leading people to heaven or hell?
Understanding what the strange woman in this chapter represents is key to helping you discern what an apostate church looks like, and where they are leading you.
Join us as we explore Proverbs 7 to uncover the truth about deceptive churches.
Watch this video to dig deeper into Proverb 7, or continue reading the study guide below.
Your Church Should Teach The Law
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. -Proverbs 7:1
“Keep” is the Hebrew word “shamar,” which means to guard or watch. It can also be used in a military sense, similar to a watchman who diligently protects something, as if his and others’ lives depend on him. So we see here that keeping the commandments of God is extremely important. And if you want to be part of the faithful remnant that keeps the commandments in the end days (Revelation 12:17), this message is for you.
Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. -Proverbs 7:2
There is that word “keep” again, for repetition. And we see the reason for keeping them is so that his son could live and not die, to live life to the fullest rather than suffer. To live a life of honor rather than shame. The apple of thine eye is something we instinctively guard, and God’s law should be treated with the same kind of vigilance and care.
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. -Proverbs 7:3
Isn’t it interesting that we have 10 fingers and are told to keep the commandments bound to them, one for each finger? But why bind them to our fingers? Of course, we are not talking literally; we are speaking metaphorically. Our hands represent our work; therefore, all our works—everything we do—should be guided by the commandments of God. We were also told to write them on the tablet of our heart. Why? The heart represents our desires and will. We should do everything we can to transform our will to align with the will of God. This is how we write them in our hearts.
You know a lot of churches remain silent when it comes to the law of God and act as though grace and mercy are the only things that matter now. I wonder why they don’t listen to the NT book of Hebrews, where it says that under the new covenant, God would put his laws into our minds and write them on our hearts? (Hebrews 8:9) Because that’s exactly what we’re instructed to do in this verse!
How does this work practically? How can you write the laws of God on your heart? By studying, meditating on them, and practicing obedience to them.
Protection from the Strange Woman
Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: -Proverbs 7:4
Treat wisdom like she is your next of kin. Value her.
That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. -Proverbs 7:5
Ah, here we go. We are now introduced to the strange woman. In Hebrew, the word “zuwr” means an apostate or someone unfaithful to God and her people. On a basic level, this is a woman who has violated the sacred covenant of marriage by being unfaithful to her husband. However, on a spiritual level, the “zuwr” represents an apostate church that has violated its covenant with God.
Not only has she violated her covenant with God, but she also seduces others to join her. She uses flattery to lure her victims by telling them what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear. Rather than calling people to repentance, she invites them to join her in sin.
She teaches cheap grace rather than a costly grace. Cheap grace is a superficial understanding of grace that doesn’t require genuine commitment or discipleship. Biblical grace requires a serious commitment to following Christ and living a life transformed by His teachings. And we will see that she cares nothing about that.
“The apostate church teaches a form of grace that doesn’t require a genuine commitment to God’s commandments and the teachings of Jesus Christ.”
Seductions of The Strange Woman / Apostate Church
For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: –Proverbs 7:6-9
Solomon is now going to tell a story about someone being duped by the strange woman. This is a simple person who has not been trained in wisdom, someone who is not familiar with the word of God. Nighttime is when many evil deeds are done.
And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, -Proverbs 7:10-13
Attire of an harlot: It could be said that she was dressed to kill, literally.
Lound and stubborn: Never marry a woman who is loud and stubborn; you will regret it.
Every corner: Keep in mind, there are churches on many street corners these days, but few that teach truth.
Impudent face: Impudent means bold. She was bold in her seduction of him, she was the aggressor.
I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. -Proverbs 7:14-15
Peace offerings: Peace offerings (See Leviticus 22:21) symbolize the restored relationship between the worshipper and God. Some of this offering went to the priest, and a large portion went back to the offerer to have a feast with. There is a lot here!
Does it get any worse than this? She is claiming to be religious by paying her vows to God and using the holy offering as a way to tempt this guy to commit adultery/idolatry with her.
Diligently to seek thy face: A seductress knows the power of making people feel desired, to get what they want from them—manipulation at its core.
Her Illustrious Bed
I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. -Proverbs 7:16-18
I have decked my bed: Now, she is getting right to it, making him envision the luxurious bed where he can satisfy his lust. But what’s the parallel between an adulterous woman and the apostate church? They both use luxury to seduce their victims. I mean, after all, you’re not really in church unless you go to the fancy mega church in your area, right?
Apostate churches prioritize attracting sinners using various methods rather than simply calling them to repentance.
Purfumed my bed: Myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon are used here to create an alluring and seductive atmosphere.
Fill of love: Ah, there we have it. The word “love”! Nothing new under the sun. Way back then, the enemy of your soul has been using the word “love” to draw people in. Love is love, right? One problem, Adultery is not love, it is hate. When you cause someone to sin or commit unlawful sex, you are hating that person’s soul, not loving them.
For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. -Proverbs 7:19-21
Goodman is not at home: Her husband was gone, so it seemed safe; no one would ever know. Jesus in Luke 8:17 says, “nothing is hidden that will not become manifest, nor secret which shall not be known and come to light”.
Day appointed: Some believe this day was appointed on the day of the new moon. Perhaps she knew her husband’s business schedule. Spiritually speaking, this is no doubt referring to the time that Jesus, the husband of the church, returns at His second coming.
Fair speech: Sooth saying sermons of the apostate church. Don’t talk about the consequences of sin, and don’t stress the importance of discipleship or disciplining oneself to the law of God. Just make Christianity as easy as possible.
She Is The Highway To Hell
He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. -Proverbs 7:22-23
Goes after her straightway: He doesn’t even think twice about it. Why would he? He is a fool, and she promised him a little piece of heaven on earth.
Dart strike through his liver: Sin always leads to misery and death; there is no escaping that truth. Keep the commandments and live.
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. -Proverbs 7:24-27
Let not thine heart decline to her ways: Don’t give in to her flatteries, luxury, and promises of pleasure and prosperity! It’s all a lie.
Many strong men slain by her: The sin of adultery has caused the downfall of many strong men. Another aspect you can observe in this account is a glimpse into radical feminism, where the strange woman employed various stratagems to dominate the man, her prey. 
Her house is the way to hell: Ultimately, adultery can be forgiven, but apostasy leads to hell. And now you know how to spot an apostate or false church. An apostate church is a church that seduces you away from the commandments of God using many means of deception. The question is, what will you do about it? Will you heed the warning, or will you be another one of her victims?
Jesus said, “if you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
Don’t miss next week’s study in Proverbs 8 about Wisdom’s Call, and what a true Church of God looks like.
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