A Perfumed Bed - Proverbs 7:17

In the book of Proverbs Solomon shared about a young man who met a woman who was dressed in the attire of a harlot who was, “loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lies in wait at every corner.) So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows, therefore came I forth to meet you, diligently to seek your face, and I have found you. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt”, and in chapter seven and verse seventeen of Proverbs Solomon shared how the woman said, “I have perfumed my bed with myrrh” where we read,

I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

The verse begins, “I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, ...”. Solomon began with the words, “I have perfumed my bed” or “I, the woman in the attire of a harlot, besprinkled, brandished and waved my, the woman's, bier or lying couch for sleeping” “with myrrh” which means “by the use of a sacred oil in perfume which is an Arabian gum from the bark of a tree”. Solomon shared how the woman sprinkled her sleeping couch with sacred oil perfume.

The verse continues, “... aloes, and cinnamon.” Solomon added the word, “aloes” or “aloe perfume”, “and cinnamon” which means “and the fragrant bark of cinnamon used as a spice”. Solomon said the woman also dressed her lying couch with aloe perfume and the fragrant bark of cinnamon.

When we think through Solomon's words in this verse, we learn how the woman prepared her “bed” in advance of seducing the young man. She used various aromas that would be inviting for their time together. In other words, she made her sin attractive. Sin at first glance may seem to be attractive, but the ends thereof are the ways of death. (See Proverbs 14:12; 16:25) Because we “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (See Romans 3:23), God sent His Son Jesus to pay the price of death on the cross for the sins of all mankind. Now when we put our faith and trust in Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and keep us from the tempting “perfumes” set out by those who would cause our sinful demise.

Next time Solomon shares how the woman says, “come, let us take our fill of love until the morning”, 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".