A Dart Through the Liver - Proverbs 7:23

In the book of Proverbs Solomon said a young lad met a woman dressed in the attire of a harlot who said, “Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey. He has 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. He goes after her straightway, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks”, and in chapter seven and verse twenty-three of Proverbs Solomon added, “till a dart strike through his liver” where we read,

Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hastes to the snare, and knows not that it is for his life.

The verse begins, “Till a dart strike through his liver;”. Solomon began with the words, “till a dart” or “even to and until a piercing arrow, shaft or spear” “strike through his liver” which means “slice, plow and cleave open his, the young man's, heaviest physical organ known as the liver”. Solomon said the young man followed after the woman until a piercing arrow sliced open his “liver”.

The verse continues, “as a bird hastes to the snare, and knows not that it is for his life.” Solomon added the words, “as a bird hastes” or “similar and in likeness to how a flying fowl or sparrow is impetuous, precipitates and hurries” “to the snare” which means “toward the bird trap or net”, “and knows not” or “and does not perceive, recognize, acknowledge or consider” “that it is for his life” which means “that it, the snare, exists on behalf of his, the bird's, active living and breathing”. Solomon said the young man followed the woman similar to the way a “bird” hurries toward the trapping net and is unaware that the “trap” exists to take his active living away from him.

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn how Solomon employed several metaphors to describe what happened to the young man who yielded to the seduction of the woman dressed as a harlot. Not only would this be similar to a sharp spear piercing his “liver”, but also would be like an unsuspecting “bird” who hurriedly flies toward a netted trap without understanding that it was to take his life. This young man was void of understanding even like people who sin without thinking about the consequences. Sin leaves it's mark, and without God's Son Jesus coming to the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, we all would be doomed. When we believe and trust in Jesus as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit not only to be aware of the consequences of sin, but also to avoid sin altogether.

Next time Solomon said, “hearken unto me now therefore, O you children”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".