The Fastest Way to Destroy a Family Legacy

Building a strong family is essential for building a family legacy for future generations, therefore an attack on the family destroys the very foundation for that legacy. Proverbs chapter five addresses the threat of the strange woman and adultery. This was a very great danger to young men when it was written 3000 years ago and it remains a great threat to young men today especially in the sexually charged culture in which we live. Verse two makes it clear that the young man’s actions and words must always be discrete, in other words they must not encourage inappropriate advances. This kind of woman can know all the tricks for seducing; especially young men who are inexperienced at resisting her charms – and she presents herself as charming, pleasant and desirable. Here the father seeks to make it clear that the ultimate destination is bitterness and death; very different from the pleasant appearance of the path. One of the peculiar dangers for young men is to think that they are clever, know it all and are invincible. But take it from the older, wiser father, according to verse six you will not be able to figure her out or out maneuver her. The only safe course is to stay away from that kind of woman and avoid indiscrete words and actions that would encourage that kind of advance. In Genesis 39 Joseph was put in this very situation by his master’s wife. She tried to seduce him and even grabbed his clothes. Joseph’s only recourse was to run from her as fast as he could. That is the example of Joseph, the instruction here in verse eight and the instruction in 2 Timothy 2:22.

“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

The danger is not just out there in this other woman. The danger is also within our own hearts. Do we desire the strange woman? Do we encourage lustful thoughts? Often we are our own worst enemy and that is also why the older and wiser father warns the son to run. The answer in controlling our own heart, thoughts and desires according to 2 Timothy is not to say to ourselves, “I must not think about her, I must not think about that,” but rather to fill our mind with the good things of the kingdom of God like righteousness, faith, charity, peace, and a pure heart.”