Have you noticed that Solomon was very concerned about protecting his sons from sexual sin? When you consider the issues that Solomon himself had in this department, it makes sense.

I kings 10:23 says, “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.” He had 1,400 chariots, 12,000 horses, a huge army and lots of money. He was a strong king. The next chapter tells us the rest of the story. “King Solomon, however, love many foreign women . . . As Solomon grew old, his (700 plus) wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God.” (I Kings 11:1,4)

One of the things that I love about the Bible is that it is honest. Solomon was not presented as being perfect even though he was very wise. One of the insights we can take away as “sons” (and daughters) of Solomon is that if anyone should know about the pitfalls of sexual temptation and sin, it was Solomon.

In Proverbs 7:1, Solomon told us to keep his words, store up his commands, and guard his teaching as though it were the apple of your eye (the most sensitive and important part of your body) . . . because they (his commands) will keep you from the adulteress and the wayward wife. At the end of chapter 7, he laid out what happens to the one who succumbs to the wayward wife type . . . “Her house is a highway to the grave leading down to the chambers of death.” (verse 27) Yikes!

So, what then specifically is the command that he gave to his sons (us) that will protect us from this fate? Here it is . . . (verse 25) “Do not let your heart turn to her ways.” Ponder the truth in this command and think about what he is warning against. When we ‘turn’ our hearts toward something, we have made it our treasure. Your heart is where your treasure is and your treasure is where your heart is. This turning and giving your heart to something is the critical moment, the point of no return. He says, DO NOT let your heart turn to her ways because if you do, it will be very hard (impossible?) to turn it around. Can you relate?

Ok- so here are some practical suggestions:

#1: Take a hard look at the adulteress woman and recognize her for who she is, a brazen prostitute who will lead you like an ox to the slaughter. For the purposes of personal application, the adulteress woman could be a literal person -or- she could be a figment of our overactive imagination that is fueled by watching too much television or spending too much time on the internet. Let’s resolve to live in reality and see this for what it is . . . a highway to the grave, spiritually and otherwise...

#2: Do not let your heart turn to her ways. Part of this is sheer resolve- I’m not gonna do it! But let’s face it, how well does resolve hold up in the face of temptation. We need more than just resolve if we are going to win the battle against sexual temptation. We need the strength of the Lord that comes through the power of his Holy Spirit according to his grace that is at work within us. That’s what we need!

Father, we ask you to fill us with your Spirit and to give us a hunger for your word and a burning desire to trust you and follow your ways. Protect us from the temptations that are common to every man (and woman), and show us the way out! (1 Corinthians 10:13) We ask that you would enable us, by your grace, to be obedient and faithful.