Bitter as Wormwood
Proverbs 5:1-6
There is no shortage of ways to get scammed today. You have to admit, these con artists are very clever. They pick up on trends, fears, and areas of confusion and figure out ways to deceive others for their own personal gain. Of course, this is not new. Technology has changed how it’s done but deception has been with us since the serpent in the garden of Eden.
When I was a student living in Chicago in the late 70’s I found myself in need of a watch. Of course, as a student funds were low, so I needed to finagle a deal. About a mile from where I lived was a part of Chicago called Old Town which in those days was known for interesting activities. There was almost always someone there selling something.
I must have had a T-shirt on that said sucker from Nebraska because we were only a few blocks into the Old Town neighborhood when a gentleman rolled up to me on roller skates. He was colorfully dressed with lots of items to sell. I asked about a wristwatch, and he quickly produced several out of thin air. There was one clearly worth several hundred dollars that he was willing to let go for $30. Being from Nebraska I was pretty street smart, so I acted all cool and offered him $20. Deal! I guess I showed him.
It worked great for a day or two then stopped working. I took it to a friend of mine who was a jeweler. He laughed, popped it open and showed me the broken guts of the watch. Was it hot? Nope. He said these watches were made for scammers and never lasted more than a few days. Wow, who could’ve seen that coming. A 19-year-old from Nebraska scammed by an experienced Chicago rip-off artist.
Perhaps the most effective scam artist in the book of Proverbs is the strange woman. We first met her in week 10. The Hebrew word used for her is often translated adulteress, but the actual Hebrew is strange woman. It refers to any sexual activity outside of God’s intent, behavior that is strange to God’s purpose or intent.
The Proverb describes her like this: For the lips of an adulteress (strange woman) drip honey and smoother than oil is her speech. In the ancient culture there was nothing sweeter than honey. She’s deceitful. She lures in the unsuspecting fool with promises of pleasure and delight. But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps take hold of Sheol. She does not ponder the path of life; Her ways are unstable, and she does not know it. The wormwood was a shrub. The roots contained a bitter oil that was lethal in larger doses. Rather than sweet honey she turns out to be a bitter memory. She’s the ultimate con artist.
The issue here is not whether the scammer is a man or a woman. The father is talking to his son in this Proverb, so the deceiver is a woman. Of course, we understand it could just as easily be a strange man luring a woman into his web of lies.
Recently a show aired on the History Channel called Secrets of Playboy. According to the commercials they are uncovering the shocking stories of abuse in the Playboy world. To me the only thing shocking is that this is shocking to anyone. What did they think was going on there? How could anyone be so naïve as to not realize the whole Playboy dynasty was built on abusing and exploiting women? I must admit, I find the sudden awareness and outrage of the exploitation of women in Hollywood a hard pill to swallow. How could people not have known this was happening. Are we really that clueless?
As a pastor these stories are all too real to me. The strange woman is busy and highly effective. The devastation is real. The sexual revolution promised more but what people have experienced is less, far less. We’ve taken God’s gift and trashed it and now we don’t know how to get the tiger back in the cage. I couldn’t count the number of people that have sat in my office and wept when the honey turned out to be wormwood.
It all sounds so good. The strange woman is convincing. But in the end her feet go down to death. Her victims are left to wallow in their shame and disillusionment. This is not what she promised. Surprise. My heart breaks for young people today who are bored with sex before they get out of puberty. They have no idea what they’ve given up or given away. Sadly, so often their parents can’t help them because they are battling their own sexual demons. They are tasting their own wormwood. What a mess.
So where do we go from here? Maybe you’ve been deceived by the strange woman. Maybe you’ve tasted of the wormwood. Trust me, you’re not alone. There’s no going back so there is no point in dwelling on past failures or locking yourself up in the darkroom. It’s never too late to make changes.
Let’s focus on today. Thankfully God’s grace is sufficient, and He stands ready to forgive any sin. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Believe it.
For today, what needs to change for you? What is necessary for you to walk uprightly before God? What steps do you need to take to face this area of your life and surrender it to God? Beating yourself up is not necessary. Locking yourself in the darkroom is not productive. The strange woman is running a scam. Let’s call it what it is. Take whatever practical steps you need to this week to break free from the bondage of sin and experience the joy of your salvation. Talk to someone. Get help. No more secrets. There are better days ahead for those who choose the path of skillful living.