Straightway to the Slaughter - Proverbs 7:22

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”, and in chapter seven and verse twenty-two of Proverbs Solomon said, “he goes after her straightway, as an ox goes to the slaughter” where we read,

He goes after her straightway, as an ox goes to the slaughter,

or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

The verse begins, “He goes after her straightway, as an ox goes to the slaughter, ...”. Solomon began with the words, “he goes after her straightway” or “he, the young man, walks, departs, proceeds and follows her, the woman dressed in harlot's clothing, suddenly and instantly”, “as an ox” which means “similar and in likeness to a bullock, cow or cattle” “goes to the slaughter” or “walks, departs, proceeds and follows toward the butcher”. Solomon shared how the young man naively and instantly followed after the woman in a similar fashion that cattle walk toward a butcher.

The verse goes on to say, “... or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;” Solomon continued with the words, “or as a fool” or “or similar and in likeness to a mocking, quarrelsome and perverse person” “to the correction” which means “toward the discipline, chastening and reproof” “of the stocks” or “belonging to the anklets, fetters or tinkling ornaments”. Solomon said the young man proceeded after the woman dressed in harlot's attire in a similar fashion to a quarrelsome and perverse person walking toward restraining fetters.

When we meditate upon Solomon's words in this verse, we learn how the young man proceeded after the woman in an oblivious manner. Like cattle walk toward the butcher and foolish people make their way toward prison, this young man followed the woman and was led straight into a trap. God knows sin has consequences, and those consequences are ruinous and damaging to our lives. He wants to keep us from devastation, but because we have failed to keep His law, we suffer the results of our disobedience. God sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when we believe and trust in Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit power to help us resist temptations to sin that cause us to suffer devastation and ruin.

Next time Solomon adds, “till a dart strike through his liver”, 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".