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AGAPE LESSON 40
THE HARLOT
Put together by Bongie Kuzwayo
[Proverbs7v1—27] My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you. (2) Keep my
commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye. (3) Bind them on your fingers; write them
on the tablet of your heart. (4) Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and to understanding your next of
kin, (5) that they may keep you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with
her words. (6) For at the window of my house looked through my lettuce, (7) and saw among the
simple, I perceived among the youths, a young man devoid of understanding, passing along the
street near her corner; and he took a path to her house (9) in the twilight, in the evening. In the black
and dark night. (10) And there a woman met him, with the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. (11)
She was loud and rebellious; her feet would not stay at home. (12) At times she was outside, at
times in the open square lurking at every corner. She caught him and kissed him; with an impudent
face she said to him: (14) “I have peace offerings with me, today I have paid my vows. (15) So, I came
out to meet you, diligently seeking your face, and I have found you. (16) I have spread my bed with
tapestry, coloured coverings of Egyptian linen. (17) I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and
cinnamon. (18) Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. (19)
For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; (20) he has taken a bag of money
with him, and will come home on the appointed day.” (21) With her enticing speech, she caused him
to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him. (22) Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to
the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, (23) till an arrow struck his liver, as a bird
hastens to the snare, he did not know it would cost his life. (25) Do not let your heart turn aside to
her, do not stray into her paths; (26) for she has cast down many wounded, and all who were slain by
her were strong men. (27) Her house is a way to hell, descending to the chambers of death.
Definition of a harlot = a prostitute.
Harlot in the Bible = Babylon the Great, commonly known as the Whore of Babylon. Harlot in the
Bible refers to both symbolic female figure and a place of evil mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
Her full title is stated in Revelation17v5 as Mystery Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and
the abominations of the earth. Revelation17v18 states that the woman is actually a representation
of the great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.
Woman in Scripture symbolises the church.
[Revelation21v9—10] Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven
last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the Lamb’s
wife.” (10) And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the
great city, the Holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.
[Jeremiah6v2] I have likened the daughter of Zion to a lovely and delicate woman.
[Revelation21v2—3] Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven
from God prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband. (3) And I heard a loud voice from heaven
saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His
people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.”
Features of the young man:
• He is simple (foolish) – innocent.
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• He is young – not of full age (immature)
• Devoid of understanding (undiscerning, unsuspecting). This one represents those believers
who cannot detect error because there is not enough deposit of the word of God within
them. They are not clued to spot evil. These are men and women who find themselves in a
cruel world, in the lion’s den. [Hebrews5v14] But solid food belongs to those who are of full
age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and
evil.
• Among the youths (is associations are immature like him), not with the older and wiser.
• Yields to flattery – he feels wanted (v15) With her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
with her flattering lips she seduced him. She is skilful in communication and uses flattery to
seduce. [Psalm5v9] For there is no faithfulness in their mouth, their inward part is
destruction, their throat in an open tomb, they flatter with their tongue.
The words of Paul – [1Thessalonians2v3—6] For our exhortation did not come from error nor
uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. (4) But, as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the
gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. (5) Or neither at any
time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness – God is witness. (6) Nor
did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as
apostles of Christ.
• Because of spiritual blindness, he is caught in a snare (like a bird)
Features of the harlot:
• She is immoral.
• Has a crafty heart. She is cunning like the serpent who seduced Eve in the garden in Eden.
[Genesi3v1] Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord
God had made.
• Has attire of a harlot (fake), and a crafty heart. Her attire is very short and disgracefully
revealing; is meant to seduce. Her make-up is exaggerated and her smile is fake.
• Her corner. This church has usurped Christ’s position, who is the Cornerstone joining the
Gentile and the Jew, making them one. Corner is a place of decision. She has totally blocked
the view of Christ; people cannot see God in this church. [Isaiah6v1] When King Uzziah died, I
saw the Lord, sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.
• Twilight. In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night. This church operates with
partial illumination (half- truth). She preys on people who have some knowledge of the
word (just bread and milk). She operates in the night so that her ugliness cannot be seen. She
moves the unschooled believer from partial illumination to darkness.
• She is loud and rebellious. She makes her presence felt, making sure everybody notices her.
She shuts out the still-small-voice.
• Her feet would not stay at home. Lurking in every corner. This church is ever on the hunt for
souls; and busy with many programmes, keeping believers very busy doing nothing of worth.
• Impudent face = very undermining attitude.
• Actions visas words
• Worldliness (v16) I have spread my bed with tapestry, coloured coverings of Egyptian linen.
She has covering of Egyptian linen, and not fine linen. Fine linen is the righteous acts of the
saints (Revelation19v8). Egypt is a symbol of worldliness. This church is covered with worldly
philosophies that are pleasing to the one unschooled in the word of God and ways of
righteousness.
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• False anointing (v17) I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
[Exodus30v23—25] “Also, take for yourself quality spices – 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half
as much Sweet-smelling cinnamon (250 shekels), 250 Sweet-smelling cane, (24) 500 shekels
of Cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of Olive oil. (25) And you shall
make from these a holy anointing oil, an anointment according to the art of the perfumer: It
shall be a holy anointing oil. The bed (worship) of the harlot is perfumed with half the
ingredients of the holy anointing. This is not intimacy but counterfeit. Anointing here lacks
cassia which is a purgative (an internal cleansing agent) = does not have power to sanctify.
Calamus is also missing, which is an aromatic root. Paul associates sacrificial giving with
aroma. [Philippians4v18] Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from
Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice,
well-pleasing to God. The counterfeit anointing inspires fleshly indulgence and NOT sacrifice.
Olive oil is also missing which brings about bonding which is a life-giving sustenance.
• Love without truth (v18) Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us delight
ourselves with love. This church will intoxicate you with love (without truth) in excess, time
of entertainment. This becomes her powerful tool of manipulation. At your deepest need she
is quick to lay hands on you and promise you empty miracles. You feel obliged to pay with
your soul. This relationship is immoral and sentimental; will not bring glory to God.
• Glory has departed (ICHABOD). Jesus is absent from this church, like the pool of Bethesda
that was next to the sheep Gate (Christ) – NOT in the in-Christ position (John5v2).
• Failure of detoxification (v23) Till an arrow struck his liver. The poison went direct to the liver
because this is where detoxification takes place. It could not get to the heart. The word of
God goes to the heart. As a bird hastens to the snare, he did not know it would cost his life.
Failure of the liver will cause swelling of the brain; and because of built up of pressure, the
result is disorientation and confusion. The person becomes jaundiced (yellow appearance like
gold). This is now sickness due to a failure of not cleansing.
[Proverbs6v23—26] For the commandment is a lamp, and law a light; reproofs of instructions are the
way of life, (24) to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of the seductress. (25)
Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let he allure you with her eyelids. (26) For by means of
a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread; and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life.
[Proverbs 5v3—6] For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil;
(4) but in the end she is bitter than wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. (5) Her feet go down to
death, her steps lay hold of hell. (6) Lest you ponder her path of life—her ways are unstable; you do
not know them.
[Proverbs 2v10–17] When wisdom enters your heart and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, (11)
discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, (12) to deliver you from the way of evil,
from the man who speaks perverse things, (13) from those who leave the path of uprightness to walk
in the ways of darkness; (14) to rejoice in doing evil, and delight in the perversity of the wicked; (15)
whose ways are crooked, and who are devious in their paths; (16) to deliver you from the immoral
woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words, (17) who forsakes the companion of her
youth, and forgets the covenant of her God.
AGAPE LESSON 40