Title: The Slaughterhouse
Scripture Read: Proverbs 7
Key Verse: “All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose.” Proverbs 7:22
Observations:
The writer returns again with warnings of the adulteress who lurks in the neighborhood. Wisdom is to be our sister as opposed to a woman on the corner. She promises anonymity, pleasure and a luring away from reality to escape the present circumstances. With Physical touch and persuasive words the woman seeks the absolute ruin of the man. The man who lacks judgment is caught up with her. “Easy prey”, were the first thoughts that came to my mind. Weak minded and undisciplined are familiar references. At the end of the evening is a death to the soul. A total aloneness accompanies the man to the chamber of death. When I read this today, it conjured up feelings of fear and a painted picture of something I never want to experience.
Application:
A few years ago I was driving through central California. In Central California there is a place called Coalinga. Everyone who has driven that particular stretch of I-5 knows that the putrid smell of cows lingers over the highway as you pass through the area. Why? One reason: A slaughterhouse that regularly annihilates thousands upon thousands of cows. If you have ever smelled that smell, it has the power to make you nauseous. Every time I think of it now, I am reminded of this verse. A man who follows a prostitute to her bed is following her to his own utter failure and undoing. I never want to experience this, ever. Imagery and metaphor is a powerful thing and its not always pretty, but it teaches a lesson. Looks are deceiving. Let me always steer clear of the adultress who seeks my ruin.
Prayer:
Lord, protect me from stupidity and lustful eyes that could ruin me. Protect men and women from the lure of sexual indiscretion. Make us wise so we may know how to act and what to avoid.
The Burning Question:
Are you flirting with your total demise? If so, please call, get help, tell someone, get accountability stop the domino effect now before it is too late. The slaughterhouse is not a pleasant place.
You can’t find what you are not looking for…in other words, it is not only the woman taking the blame to be ‘out there’… why is the guy going after her.
7 I saw among the simple,
I noticed among the young men,
a youth who lacked judgment.
8 He was going down the street near her corner,
walking along in the direction of her house
9 at twilight, as the day was fading,
as the dark of night set in.
Clearly here, the youth who ‘lacked judgment” was going after the woman, of course the woman with her looks brings him in… But nowadays its not only the youth, it doesn’t matter the age. Sometimes I think that the human race (not only men here) enjoy going to the slaughterhouse even when they come out stinky and filthy. Sex is all over the place, wherever you turn your head, we have sexually filled spaces in TV, Radio, Ads, Magazines, etc. it’s ‘normal in our society’ to see half naked men and women as something called ‘art’.
We definitely need to spend more time with God! We need to reach out and help those in need of freedom. Because definitely the slaughterhouse is not the place we want to be!
Okay Josh, being that I totally know that “smell” of cows! You need to know what that smell really is……….it is the smell of MONEY.
I was once affiliated with cows, dairies, hay etc….and believe me….that is what money smells like.
Bev, it may be the smell of money, but those cows stink up the whole countryside.