Therefore I Came After You - Proverbs 7:15

In the book of Proverbs Solomon shared about a woman of the streets, “is 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 paid my vows”, and in chapter seven and verse fifteen of Proverbs Solomon shared how the woman said, “therefore came I forth to meet you” where we read,

Therefore came I forth to meet you, diligently to seek your face, and I have found you.

The verse begins, “Therefore came I forth to meet you, ...”. Solomon began with the words, “therefore came I forth” or “ thus, wherefore and on this account I, the woman in harlot's attire, proceeded, went forward and directed my own self” “to meet you” which means “to seek and encounter you, the young man”. Solomon shared how the woman in harlot's attire concluded that she could encounter the young man after having “peace offerings” and “paying her vows”.

The verse continues, “... diligently to seek your face, and I have found you.” Solomon added the words, “diligently to seek your face” or “to earnestly inquire of your, the young man's, countenance or physical face”, “and I have found you” which means “and I, the woman in harlot's attire, have attained, secured and met you, the young man”. Solomon shared how the woman said she earnestly looked for the countenance of the young man and secured him.

When we consider Solomon's words in this verse, we learn how the woman upon obtaining her “peace offerings” and “paying her vows” determined to find the young man, and she was excited to discover him. She believed that her religious practices cleared her for this illicit affair. God knows us, and He knows when we follow religious practices just to lead us into sin against Him. Paul the apostle wrote, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (See Romans 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death” (See Romans 6:23a). Paul also said, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. (See Romans 6:23b) God sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when we yield our lives to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. All other religious practices may make a person feel like they are cleansed to sin, but they only deceive them and lead the person to continue in their violation of the laws of God.

Next time Solomon shares how the woman says, “I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry”, 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".