What is temptation? The harlot in Proverbs 7 personifies temptation. The harlot pursues the foolish young man like temptation pursues us. The foolish young man should have resisted the harlot like we should resist temptation. Studying her helps us understand how temptation works and better equips us to resist.

Table of contentsFoolish People Are Outmatched Against TemptationThe Harlot in Proverbs 7 Personifies TemptationTemptation Is AggressiveTemptation Makes Itself Sound GoodJustifying Giving InTemptation Appeals to Our PrideBalak Appealed to Balam's PrideWhy Would Temptation Want to Appeal to Our Pride?Temptation Appeals to Our SensesTemptation Appeals Most Often to Our SightLook to the Great High Priest

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What is temptation? The harlot in Proverbs 7 personifies temptation. The harlot pursues the foolish young man like temptation pursues us. The foolish young man should have resisted the harlot like we should resist temptation. Studying her helps us understand how temptation works and better equips us to resist.

We like showdowns. When I say the word, our minds probably go to Westerns with two cowboys staring each other down while they stand on a dirt road in the middle of a small town with a saloon on one side, a bank on the other, and a few other buildings scattered about. A tumbleweed rolls by, and we hear the familiar whistling sound while we wait to see who draws first.

There are many famous showdowns in fiction outside of Westerns. For example, Achilles and Hector’s fight in the Illiad. My favorite showdown is Gandalf’s fight with the Balrog in the Lord of the Rings.

There are also famous showdowns in Scripture. The first few chapters of 2 Samuel record the conflict between the House of Saul and the House of David. Saul’s forces, led by Abner, ran into David’s forces, led by Joab:

2 Samuel 2:12 Abner and the servants of Saul and Joab and the servants of David met by the pool of Gibeon…one on one side…and the other on the other side. Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15 Then they arose…16 And each caught HIS OPPONENT BY THE HEAD AND THRUST HIS SWORD IN HIS OPPONENT'S SIDE, SO THEY FELL DOWN TOGETHER…17 And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

Some other showdowns in Scripture are David and Goliath, Elijah and the prophets of Baal, and Jesus in the wilderness with the devil. I could go one step further and say Jesus’ earthly ministry was a showdown between the kingdom of God that Jesus rules over and the kingdom of darkness that Satan rules over.

Foolish People Are Outmatched Against Temptation

Proverbs 7 contains another showdown: the foolish young man against the harlot. The foolish young man’s description:

Proverbs 7:7 and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense

The young man is “Simple” and “Lacking sense,” which are both ways of saying he is foolish and lacking wisdom. The NKJV says he’s "devoid of understanding," the NASB says he’s "naïve," and the Amplified says he’s "gullible." His opponent:

Proverbs 7:10 And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.

The showdown is about to begin, but let me make one point about the foolish young man. It says the harlot “meets him.” He had to reach this point. He wouldn't be in this situation if he hadn’t taken all the previous compromising steps: going to her corner, taking the road to her house, and doing this at night when he thought nobody would see.

We can’t help being tempted. Even Jesus was tempted. But we can avoid putting ourselves in tempting situations:

Don’t grab your phone or look at your computer at the wrong time.

Don’t be alone with that person of the opposite sex.

Don’t go to that bar or club.

We saw how the foolish young man is described.