Proverbs 7

Scripture - Observation - Application - Prayer

This chapter of proverbs is quite straightforward. The writer (who I think is in fact Solomon) tells the reader to "say to wisdom, 'You are my sister,' and to insight, 'You are my relative'" so that they will not be led astray by a seductive and adulterous women. He describes a young man with no sense going to meet a woman. She says that she's prepared everything for them to make love all night. She kisses him boldly and, after reminding him that her husband is well out of the picture, promptly has the young man eating out of her hand.

How often do you see this in movies?

An attractive woman, dressed in expensive and sexy clothing, going out to catch a man and dominate him through sex. But is she really that attractive after all? How about a handsome man, with a slick suit on, luring women into bed with talk of how beautiful they are and how they'd be so good together. Is he actually handsome? Any movie/television programme that you watch in the evening will be riddled with sex outside of marriage, of people having affairs, of break-ups and flings and divorce and melt-downs. Yet somehow this is entices us and pulls us in. The scandal of these horrible and destructive things is glorified and we lap it up by watching our regular TV show.

I'm stuck on this one, so let me know what you think. Should we watch programmes that we know contain behaviours that are so obviously sin? That go against the bible? Where people are constantly being used and hurt, and barely any relationship in the limelight - fictional or in reality - is actually functioning and healthy? What about programmes or movies that glorify killing and violence? I can barely watch R16 horror or thriller movies, let alone R18 ones like Saw, without being so disturbed that I feel sick and have nightmares for ages afterward. But I'm not squeamish. I'm absolutely fine with getting my hands dirty dissecting animals at university or watching surgeries on TV. In fact, it takes quite a bit of yuckiness to gross me out. What is it,then, that disturbs me so much?

How about crime or police shows, where the story is so formulaic. One or two people die each episode but there's no real looking into how the relatives feel or how the community is affected. So much death and sadness and violence glossed over by jokes and witty dialogue. Is this acceptable? If not, what can be done about it? It's obvious that programmes like CSI and Castle bring in the money. Why would the producers/TV networks/actors stop just because some people disagree with their product? (Let me know what you think by commenting below.)

The application is simply to do what Solomon said. Even though he was talking specifically to young men about avoiding adultery, I still think that trying to be so familiar with wisdom and insight that you call them family is a good idea!

So my prayer is for God to give me wisdom and insight. I believe that He will guide me if I ask and listen. Lord, help me to choose wisely when it comes to what I let myself watch so I don't get sucked into the temptations that are displayed on my TV screen every night. Thank you for your great love. Amen.

[Read Proverbs 7: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%207&version=NIV]