From the repeated use of “my son” in the early part of Proverbs, I get the impression this great king wrote these for his boys, sharing his wisdom on how to live.
From the middle of Proverbs 6 through chapter 7, there are forty-seven verses dealing with sex. Sex is a powerful drug, but I often liken it to a land-mine. It has its purpose and place, but outside those bounds, it is oh so dangerous. Solomon’s warning here is not about healthy sex between husband and wife, but marriage outside that bond.
Of this illicit sex Solomon writes: “Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?” They are rhetorical questions. The answer to both is “no.”
Though the words are addressed to men, they are applicable to women as well. Sex is dangerous, and no one suffers more from recreational sex than women. The primary purpose of sex is procreation. Have sex often enough and mistakes will happen. The next thing you know, a child is coming. Your life will be changed forever – and not for the better. Cases of depression are higher among women who have had multiple partners. And why? Because men think about sex differently. For men, it’s about pleasure. For women, it’s about intimacy. Those facts will never change. And so, women who toy with sex are destined to find themselves unfulfilled, frustrated, and used.
Unfulfilled and frustrated are also the results of illicit sex for men – but for different reasons. Solomon details those in chapter 7.