We must not covet the beauty of the adulteress in our hearts.

[Proverbs 6:20-35]

Do you know the term "seven grounds for divorce"? After last week's Wednesday prayer meeting, I posted a reflection on my personal Facebook regarding "the seven evils that God hates," based on Proverbs 6:16-19. A pastor commented, saying it reminded him of the concept of "seven grounds for divorce" from the Joseon Dynasty. Curious, I researched the term online and discovered that the "seven grounds for divorce" refer to the seven faults in Chinese, Korean, and other Confucian cultures that allowed a husband to expel his wife. These reasons are: disobedience to her parents-in-law (不順父母), having no sons (無子), immorality (不貞), jealousy (嫉妬), having a bad disease (惡疾), excessive talking (口說), and stealing (竊盜) (internet). While I do not agree with the idea that a husband should be allowed to divorce his wife for these seven reasons, I did find myself reflecting on the third reason, "immorality," since the Bible itself allows divorce in cases of adultery.

I also came across an article online that stated Korea was ranked as the country with the highest number of "lustful" crimes, so I read that article (internet). According to a BBC global study on the seven deadly sins, Australia is ranked as the country with the most crimes. The "seven deadly sins" here refer to traditional vices: pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust. Australia received the highest scores in lust, greed, and pride, making it the country with the most sins globally. The U.S. ranked first in gluttony, Iceland in pride and sloth, Mexico in greed, and Korea was ranked as the country with the highest level of lust.

In today's passage, Proverbs 6:25, King Solomon says: "Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes." Here, Solomon is advising us: "Do not covet the beauty of the adulteress in your heart, and do not allow her seductive glances to take over your mind." I want to focus on this warning and learn the lessons that God has for us today.

First, what is the beauty of the adulteress that Solomon speaks of?

It is "outward adornment." In 1 Peter 3:3, we read: "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes." The beauty of the adulteress is based on her appearance, which draws the attention of men because it is outwardly alluring. She embellishes herself in a way that captivates the male gaze, often appealing to their carnal desires.

I once read in an online news article about the country of Cameroon in West Africa, where some mothers, in order to prevent their daughters from being raped and becoming pregnant, burn their daughters' breasts with hot iron rods or stones to remove their sexual characteristics. The article claimed that 1 in 4 girls in Cameroon undergoes this painful procedure (internet). The reason for such extreme measures seems to be related to the fact that men instinctively focus on women's breasts, which triggers sexual fantasies and desires (internet). In another online article, I read that according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), the most common plastic surgery procedures are liposuction followed by breast augmentation, with eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty also ranking high (internet).

King Solomon warns us in Proverbs 5:20, saying: "Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man's wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?" We, as men, should find joy in the wife of our youth, always be content with her embrace, and cherish her love (Proverbs 5:18-19). However, the adulteress entices men with her outward beauty, particularly targeting married men who do not cherish their wives' love, leading them to embrace the adulteress's bosom.

The adulteress not only attracts with her appearance but also with her smooth, flattering tongue (Proverbs 5:3), which manipulates and seduces men. Her words are very effective in tempting men sexually, especially those who do not consider their wives as beautiful as a doe or a graceful gazelle (Proverbs 5:19) and are not content with their wives' love.

In addition to her appearance and seductive tongue, the adulteress's eyelids (Proverbs 6:25) also captivate many men's hearts, leading them into temptation. How do the adulteress's eyes seduce men? Her eyes cast seductive glances (flirting eyes), drawing men in (Walvoord). Many men are irresistibly attracted by the coquettish glances of the adulteress.

In Proverbs 31:30, which we all know well, King Solomon says: "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." Solomon says that the beauty of a woman who does not fear God is vain. In other words, the beauty of a woman who does not fear God is temporary and will quickly vanish (reference: Psalm 37:20). Therefore, the apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 3:4: "But let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." In the eyes of God, a woman's beauty is "the hidden person," that is, the inner person, not the outer person. The beauty of the outer person is temporary and will perish, but the beauty of the inner person is incorruptible. Peter urges women to seek this incorruptible inner beauty, a gentle and quiet spirit. Why does Peter give this advice? The reason is that "this is very precious in the sight of God" (v. 4). Brothers and sisters, the woman who is valuable in God's eyes and whom God praises is the woman who fears the Lord and seeks the incorruptible inner beauty as God's daughter. Therefore, the daughters of God should not be women who are praised by others for their outward appearance, like Queen Vashti (Esther 1:1), only to eventually trust in their beauty and commit the sin of immorality with many people (Ezekiel 16:15). Of course, the sons of God should also not fall into the temptation of women who trust in their outward appearance to seduce them. We must remember that the beauty of such women is vain (Proverbs 31:30).

Secondly, why does King Solomon tell us not to desire the beauty of an adulterous woman in our hearts?

Let’s look at Proverbs 6:26: "For by means of a harlot, a man is reduced to a crust of bread; and an adulterous woman will prey upon his precious life." What does this mean? It means that if we desire the beauty of an evil (Proverbs 6:24) and immoral (Proverbs 6:26) woman, and we let her seductive gaze draw us in, we will eventually go bankrupt and even lose our lives (Park Yun-seon). How many men are losing their wealth by seeking the beauty of a prostitute and courting her? Look at Proverbs 29:3: "He who loves wisdom makes his father rejoice; but he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth." I recall a conversation I had with a tow truck driver recently when my car broke down. After his divorce, he met several women, and he said that beautiful women with good figures often asked him to buy things for them. He said that nowadays, such women seem to be interested in men only for their money. While the driver may not have been committing adultery by dating other women after his divorce, I suggested he consider remarrying and starting a family.

In Proverbs 6:30-31, Solomon says that the sin of adultery with a married woman is greater than the sin of theft, and when a thief is caught, "he must repay sevenfold; he may have to give up all the substance of his house." What does this mean? It means that when paying for the sin of adultery, a person may have to give up everything he owns. Sexual infidelity can lead to bankruptcy, both spiritually and materially. What should we do?

Right now, many men (and women as well) are playing with fire in a very dangerous way. In other words, many men and women (whether single or married) are "carrying fire in their bosom" and "walking on hot coals," as Proverbs 6:27-28 says. If someone carries fire in their bosom, their clothes will surely be burned, and if they walk on hot coals, their feet will inevitably be burned. Today, many sexual relationships are happening outside of marriage. In short, many men and women are committing the sin of adultery. That is why King Solomon says in Proverbs 6:29, and 32-33, that the person who sleeps with someone else’s wife or commits adultery with a woman is like this: "So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent... He who commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul, and will receive wounds and dishonor, and his reproach will not be wiped away." The Bible tells us that when we commit adultery, not only will we suffer wounds and dishonor that cannot be erased, but we will destroy ourselves. And when a man commits adultery with another man's wife, the husband will be jealous and angry, considering the man who has committed adultery as his enemy and will not forgive him (v. 34). Even if the adulterer offers compensation, "however much it is," (v. 35), the husband will refuse to accept it and will seek revenge.

What should we do?

Thirdly, what should we do to avoid coveting the beauty of the adulterous woman in our hearts?

Let's look at today's passage, Proverbs 6:20-24:
"My son, keep your father's command, and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Bind them always on your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will speak to you. For the command is a lamp, and the teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulterous woman."
To avoid coveting the beauty of the adulterous woman in our hearts, in short, we must desire God's Word in our hearts. Therefore, King Solomon advises us to always keep God's commandments and laws in our hearts, to guard them, and not to turn away from them (see 3:1-3; 7:1-3). The reason is that God's Word will not only guide us and protect us, but it will also speak to us (v. 22). In other words, God's command is a lamp that will guide us, a light that will protect us from the powers of darkness, and God's commandments and laws give us "the corrections of discipline" (the way of life). Therefore, if we do not depart from God's commandments and laws, but instead, always keep them in our hearts and obey them, His Word will protect us and prevent us from falling into the trap of the evil woman or the adulterous woman's seductive words.

What should we do? We should not covet worldly beauty in our hearts. In Isaiah 53:2, the Bible says that the Messiah, Jesus, had "no beauty" that would attract people to Him. Today, it seems that many Christians are seeking beauty that is attractive in the eyes of the world, just like the world. Surely, the Apostle Peter says, "Your adornment should not be external—braiding the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God" (1 Peter 3:3-4). However, it seems that many Christians are not seeking the beauty that is precious in the eyes of God (v. 4). What, then, is the beauty that is valuable in the eyes of God? To avoid coveting the beauty of the adulterous woman, we should desire and pursue the beauty of God.

When I think about God's beauty, Psalm 27:4 comes to mind:
"One thing I have asked of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple."
As I live in this wilderness-like world, like the psalmist, my one earnest request to God is to enter His house, behold His beauty, and dwell with Him forever. During my time on this earth, I should not only desire and pursue God's beauty but also reflect it through my life and death. What is the beauty of God? I humbly receive the words of Isaiah 35:1-2:
"The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the rose; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the excellency of our God."
Friends, a life that desires and pursues God's beauty is a life that desires and seeks God's glory. In other words, as we live in this wilderness-like world, if we live for the glory of God, we can reflect His beauty. I pray that, like Jesus, you and I will humbly fulfill God's will, obeying His Word even to the point of death, so that God's glory and beauty may be revealed in this world.