Dr. Stieglitz
Aug 7, 20182 min
"He has taken a bag of money with him, at the full moon he will come home"
The temptress who is seeking to lure a hesitant sinner into her net – step by step – builds a mental picture of the pleasure that will be enjoyed by giving in to her suggestions and step-by-step answers his objections to going along with her sinful suggestions.
In this particular case it is that there is no chance of discovery. The husband has gone away for a long time. He has a lot of money to spend and is not expected back for a month.
Temptation works like this: getting you to visualize the sin, mentally giving into the temptation, and then answering the consequences question with “No one will ever find out.” It is not true, of course; but this is always the way temptation works – whether it is stealing from a store, lying to your parents, intimidating someone into silence, sexual unfaithfulness, corruption, drugs, whatever.
Do not believe the assurances of those who want you to give into what you know is wrong. They would say anything to get you to join them in their selfish pursuit. If you are a young girl, do not believe the boy who tells you that no one will find out. If you are a young person, do not believe your "friends" when they tell you that no one will find out what you stole.
Solomon is trying to warn young people of the tactics of sexual predators, but the lesson is also for all temptation. You must believe the assurance that you will not get caught or you would not do the thing. You will get caught – either publicly and legally or internally – with true moral guilt and shame. Do not let go of the fact that you will be found out by at least God and you. Both of you will know that you did what was wrong.
The fear of the Lord is about consequences that God will bring into the life of those whom He cares about. He spanks or disciplines those He loves. The writer of the book of Hebrews says that the only ones who are without discipline are those whom He doesn't love. There will be consequences. He does love you.
When I am being tempted to do something that I know is wrong, I try and list the ways that I could be found out or caught if I were to give in. The more that you keep the consequences in front of you, the easier it will be to say no to the sin no matter how close to it you have been lured. Just walk away before anything more happens.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz
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