Proverbs 7:15

A whore speaks. Her words are precious. She describes her passion, efforts, and success at finding her lover. She romantically seduces him from his conscience and training. She flatters him with eager desire, and he falls for it as easily and quickly as a bird flies into a trap. She knows how to kiss and flatter her prey into the numbing nightmare of false love.

Any woman other than your wife can be the strange woman. And she is the strange woman – and an enemy – if she does anything to excite or invite your lusts for intimacy with her. Her kisses or words are a lie, for they tell of affection and pleasure, though there is only hatred and pain. Do not get near her kisses, and do not listen to her words.

Solomon used this chapter to warn against the strange woman. In detail he described her seduction: her subtle character, her romantic actions, her flattering words, and her careful precautions (Pr 7:10-21). As the perfect example of a wise father, he made the efforts to warn his son about one of the most dangerous temptations in life – whorish women.

Solomon’s extensive experience with women – 700 wives and 300 concubines – gave him a unique advantage (I Kgs 11:3). He warned often of the appeal and power of a woman’s flattering speech (Pr 2:16; 5:3; 6:24; 7:5,21). But here is a preview of some of her words – the flattering expressions of ardent passion and fervent love for her victim.

Let every man tremble in fear of this enemy. Joseph ran from a seductive whore, even though it landed him in prison (Gen 39:7-20). Samson listened to the enticing lies, and it cost him his hair – and his life (Judges 16:4-21). A woman’s passionate flattery is too much for most men. The adoring words and eager efforts overwhelm most resistance.

Safety is simple. Avoid desirable women you have not married. Reject any words or correspondence that even hint of affection, and end the relationship altogether. Recall that kisses and flattery from other than a wife are simply an alluring guise for your destruction, no matter whether they were given in malice or ignorance.

Christian wife, if you starve your husband of flattering affection and praise, you will be an accomplice in his sexual sins, for you make him vulnerable to the thing other women know how to give and are willing to give. When was the last time you praised his good features of appearance and character (Song 5:9-16)? Even Paul encouraged it (I Cor 7:3).

The warning here extends also to belly worshippers and religious compromisers – Christians with a form of godliness, but not living holy lives. Their good words and fair speeches deceive the simple, just as the whore deceived the young man here. So Paul warned to mark and avoid all such persons (Rom 16:17-18; Phil 3:17-20; I Tim 6:3-5).

Remember, the kisses and words of an enemy are deceitful (Pr 27:6; 26:24-28). Their lives are false, so it is no surprise their words and affection are false (Ps 28:3; 55:21). As with the harlot, their hearts are subtle (Pr 7:10); they have compromised truth and integrity in their souls, so their words are deceitful as well. Their great swelling words of vanity are just so much lying foam (II Pet 2:18; Jude 1:16). Judge them by their lives.

When they say, “It is so good to see you,” what in the world do they mean? What is good? What good have they done for you, or what good have they received from you? What good do they want to give you, or what good are they expecting from you? Instead of talking about good, they ought to be doing good, by either joining in your good worship of God or correcting your worship so it might be good.

True love is found only in Jesus Christ and exists only in truth (I Cor 13:4-7; Phil 1:9-11; I John 4:7-13). It is amazing how often big smiles, warm greetings, affectionate hugs, and tearful eyes totally lack anything about Jesus Christ or His gospel. What is this unholy friendliness? It is the lying deceit of self-deceived men, who have chosen the love of pleasure over the love of God (II Tim 3:4,13). Despise their kisses and words (Pr 27:6).

Is it any wonder that David prayed twice in one psalm to be delivered from strange children – false brethren – whose mouths speak vanity and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood (Ps 144:7-8,11)? Sober reader, David prayed for deliverance from such flattering men that he might enjoy the blessings of God upon his family (Ps 144:12-15).

The Church of Rome and all false churches follow the same course. They use the deceit learned from their father (John 8:44). They pretend to be just men – apostles of Christ and ministers of righteousness – but they are ravening wolves (Matt 7:15; Luke 20:20-22; Acts 20:29-30; II Cor 11:13-15). As a whore will seduce a man for his money, so these false teachers make merchandise of simple Christians by their feigned words (II Pet 2:3).

The cure for the strange woman is to find and marry a virtuous woman with whom you can have God-honoring companionship and lovemaking every day, resulting in a family for your great pleasure together (Pr 5:15-19). The cure for the false churches of false religion is to find and join a Bible-preaching, apostolic church that follows the old paths and earnestly contends for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jer 6:16; Jude 1:3).