1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom,     turn your ear to my words of insight, 2 that you may maintain discretion      and your lips may preserve knowledge. 3 For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,     and her speech is smoother than oil; 4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,     sharp as a double-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death;     her steps lead straight to the grave. 6 She gives no thought to the way of life;     her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.7 Now then, my sons, listen to me;     do not turn aside from what I say. 8 Keep to a path far from her,     do not go near the door of her house, 9 lest you lose your honor to others      and your dignity to one who is cruel, 10 lest strangers feast on your wealth      and your toil enrich the house of another.ReflectionsWritten by Vincent ChanIs there a more destructive way to completely ruin a relationship than adultery? Sadly, for anyone who has been affected by adultery (children, spouses, family, friends, churches…), they know all too well the pain and heartache it brings. It tears a huge hole into the very heart of a relationship. Trust disappears, lives are shattered and often the damage can seem irreparable. I remember talking to a man whose son-in-law had committed adultery many years ago and you could still feel the anger in his voice as he spoke about it. It’s hard to imagine any man or any woman on their wedding day saying to themselves: One day I will commit adultery and it will be a good thing.That’s why today’s Proverb is so startling. Sin is personified as an adulterous woman. That is, only incredible devastation can follow the path of sin. To say yes to sin is to head down the road where honour and dignity is lost (vs. 9), it is the path of death (vs. 5) and can only end in bitterness (vs. 4). Given the consequences, why would anyone even contemplate listening to sin?But that’s the thing isn’t it – sin is attractive! Here, her lips drip with sweet honey and her speech feels like the smoothest of oil (vs. 3). That is, for all the destruction that it will bring, sin always feels tempting. It promises us satisfaction and pleasure. Didn’t Adam and Even believe this very lie? Today’s Proverb urges us – no more than that – it cries out to us: “Do not turn your ear towards the seductive voice of sin, but instead listen to the lifegiving voice of Jesus!” Sin promises everything and yet in the end only gives destruction. But Jesus says that to listen to him is to know and receive life to the full. I often find myself reflecting on how good it is that our Lord Jesus speaks to give us life and not death!On a very practical note, I think God is calling for us here to examine our hearts. Are there any lies that we’ve started to believe in? Are there any half-truths we’ve given oxygen to that we need to shut down? If so, brothers and sisters, let’s entertain them no longer, for they can only lead to ruin. Let’s run to our Saviour always and bring these things before our Father.About the AuthorVinno is an Assistant Minister with our Fairfield congregations.