Compare Job 20:12 with Proverbs 5:3-4 on sin's allure and outcome. Setting the Scene “Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue,” “For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword.” Sin’s Sweet Beginning • Both passages picture sin as immediately pleasing—“sweet,” “honey,” “smoother than oil.” • The sweetness is not imaginary; Scripture states it as fact. Temptation can feel genuinely delightful at first. • The image of “hiding under the tongue” (Job) and “drip honey” (Proverbs) stresses a savoring, a willful lingering over the pleasure. The Hidden Poison • Job 20:12 hints that evil is hidden, biding its time within. • Proverbs 5:3-4 makes the outcome explicit—“bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword.” • The transition from sweetness to bitterness is sudden and certain; the pleasant taste masks lethal consequences. Shared Themes • Appeal—both texts acknowledge real attraction. • Deception—what looks and tastes good conceals harm. • Inevitability—once tasted, the bitter end arrives; the sweetness never lasts. • Moral certainty—the passages leave no doubt: sin pays back with suffering. Complementary Scriptures • James 1:14-15—desire conceives sin, sin brings forth death. • Romans 6:23—the wages of sin is death. • Galatians 6:7-8—sow to the flesh, reap corruption; sow to the Spirit, reap eternal life. • Psalm 34:8—“Taste and see that the LORD is good” offers the safe alternative to sin’s counterfeit sweetness. Application for Daily Life • Recognize early allure. When something seems “sweet,” weigh it against God’s Word immediately. • Refuse concealment. Hiding sin “under the tongue” keeps its poison close; exposing temptation to light dismantles its power (Ephesians 5:11-13). • Remember the end. Train the mind to fast-forward from the honeyed moment to the bitter aftertaste. • Choose the better taste. Fill the heart with the surpassing sweetness of obedience—“How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103). |
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