What does Proverbs 5:3 teach about the dangers of seductive speech?

Setting the Scene in Proverbs 5

- Proverbs 5 opens with a father urging his son to heed wisdom that safeguards purity.

- Verse 3 introduces the immediate threat: enticing, morally forbidden speech.

---

Word Pictures in Verse 3

- “The lips of the forbidden woman drip honey” (Proverbs 5:3)

• Honey suggests sweetness, pleasure, and natural appeal.

- “Her speech is smoother than oil”

• Oil connotes soothing ease, creating the impression that yielding will cost nothing.

- Scripture paints seductive talk as deliberately pleasant and disarming, masking its true intent.

---

Why Sweetness and Smoothness Are Dangerous

- False Security: Smooth words lower defenses (compare Proverbs 7:21).

- Deception: Pleasant tones hide destructive motives (Proverbs 2:16-19).

- Progressive Ensnarement: Once attention is captured, temptation intensifies (James 1:14-15).

---

Progression: From Words to Ruin

1. Attraction—sweet lips.

2. Persuasion—smooth talk.

3. Surrender—when heart and body follow ears (Proverbs 7:22-23).

4. Aftermath—bitterness and death (Proverbs 5:4-5).

---

Call to Guard Our Hearts and Ears

- “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23).

- Guarding the heart begins with guarding what reaches it through words (Psalm 1:1).

---

Practical Steps for Resistance

• Flee compromising settings (2 Timothy 2:22).

• Fill the mind with truth that exposes flattery (Psalm 119:11).

• Maintain accountability with godly friends (Hebrews 3:13).

• Speak wholesome words that build up rather than entice (Ephesians 4:29).

---

Christ-Centered Motivation

- Christ’s sacrifice calls believers to honor their bodies and speech (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

- Walking by the Spirit empowers believers to reject honey-coated lies and live in freedom (Galatians 5:16-17).