Beguiling Words

Proverbs 6:24,26

To keep thee from the evil woman,

from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought

to a piece of bread:

and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

 

Repeatedly in the book of Proverbs,

the tongue and flattery of the strange woman is described.

 

It seems to be a trait ingrained in women.

It is part of our sin nature -

the knowledge and ability to get what we want from men.

Need an example.

You have watched "daddy's little girl" give "the look" and get her way.

It is a hard practice to leave behind.

It is easy to flatter hubby to get my way ...

to make his favorite meal or dessert ...

to start the tears ...

all ways of manipulating.

Can you see it present in your life?

 

And yet, those are traits of the strange woman -

the woman to be avoided.

She does what she has to, says what she has to to get her way ...

... even at the expense of another.

She cares nothing for the life left in shambles or the poverty she causes.

 

Really that is all that flattery is ...

saying what I feel I need to in order to get MY way ...

even if it brings the other person to a poor position.

Possibly putting my family in a tough financial position because

I want a new outfit ...

I need time away ...

I can't say "no" to self in the store.

 

Once again we are reminded of the fire that a tongue can start (James 3)

Better it is to hold that tongue and avoid the devastation that it causes.