Proverbs 23:25-28
May your father and your mother have joy; may she who bore you rejoice. Give me your heart, my son, and let your eyes observe my ways; for a prostitute is like a deep pit; a harlot is like a narrow well. Indeed, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.
When I was 8 or 10 years old, my dad decided we were going to get some apple trees. It was a big deal for our family. At least I remember it being a big deal. We were going to grow our own apples and be able to make apple pie, apple sauce, apple cider, apple juice, apple butter – pretty much all the awesome stuff that comes from apples. Our town was known for the Apple Festival, so having apples was a pretty good idea.
I remember it being a big deal because we didn’t necessarily have a ton of money. So I’m guessing the cost of buying the trees wasn’t easy. And the hope of having apples for free was great. So, my dad gave me the task of digging the holes that the tree would be planted in. I’m pretty sure he told me to dig them 3 feet deep. So, one day, I got to the task of digging the holes for our soon to be orchard. In my memory, I remember working on it all day, in the blazing hot sun, nearly dying from heat exhaustion.
It wasn’t easy digging either. We had clay soil, and it was hard to dig up. But I dug the holes. I dug them deep enough that it wasn’t easy for me to climb out of them. If I had dug them much deeper, I’d be coming up in a Chinaman’s basement. That, or I was digging my own grave from which there was no escape. I was sure I would have done what my dad had wanted.
Of course, when Dad got home, the huge holes that I had nearly exchanged my life to dig weren’t quite as big as he had anticipated. So, he dug them even bigger. Wider and deeper. Deeper and wider. And I remember him standing deep in the hole and having to climb out. There was no way I would have been able to dig a hole that deep. And even if it was possible, I wouldn’t have been able to get out.
But, when you’re messing with sin. It’s really easy to dig yourself into a really deep hole. Especially when you’re messing with sin on par with prostitutes and harlots. That’s a deep, deep pit my friend. It’s deep and narrow. When you get down in that pit, it’s nearly impossible to climb out. You will find yourself in need of someone to come and pull you out.
In this case, make your Dad proud by staying away from the pit all together. This is not a tree whose fruit you want to bear. Because the hole you’re digging might just in fact turn out to be your final resting place.
