Praying the Proverbs: Lesson 2: The Trollop and The Scoffer

A. WHO IS THE TROLLOP?
1. Webster, “A slovenly, dirty woman, a sexually promiscuous woman, a prostitute.”

2. Trollop came from troll. “To fish by moving the line in water working it up and down, or trailing behind a boat.” A troll is used to catch fish, a trollop catches men.

3. Synonyms: slut, hussy, adulteress, fornicator, high school girls call this one a “ho.”

4. A trollop never thinks about:
a. Her spiritual condition.
b. What will happen to her body or soul.
c. The man she seduces is being led inevitably to destruction (2:18- 19; 6:26; 7:22-23; 9:18).

5. A trollop dresses seductively (7:10) and entices with outward beauty (2:16-17). “Do not lust after her in your heart” (5:6, ELT).

6. Three things tempt a man. “For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (I John 2:16).
a. Lust of flesh: Trollop wants to satisfy a man’s physical appetite.
“She throws her arms around him and kissed him . . . come let us fill our love till morning” (Prov. 7:13, 18, ELT).
b. Lust of eyes: “The woman approaches him, dressed seductively” (7:10, ELT).
c. Pride of life: “The trollop appeals to the male ego, so she flatters.
“She seduced him with her pretty speech. With her flattering she enticed him” (7:21, ELT).
d. She makes him feel like “NUMBER ONE” but the trollop has won, he is in her bondage.

7. How the trollop tempts:
a. Tempts to stray from the path of God (7:16-17).
b. Come to her bed (7:16).
c. To experience “prohibitive dreams” (7:18).
d. That their sexual escapade is religiously safe (7:14).
e. That they won’t be interrupted, “For my husband is not at home, he has gone on a long journey” (7:19).
Seven Ways the Trollop Temps
• Flattery, (2:16; 6:24; 7:5; 21:2)
• Sweet talk, (5:3)
• Outward beauty, (6:25)
• Flirts with the eyes, (6:25)
• Sexually revealing dress, (7:10)
• Offers place for sex, (7:12-13)
• Speaks openly of sex, (7:16-18)

8. The trollop does not give a man:
a. Love
b. Companionship
c. Nor will she make a good wife

Results of Visiting a Trollop
• Wrath of betrayed husband, (6:34-35)
• Loss of finances, (6:31)
• Guilt, (6:29)
• Physical destruction, (7:22)
• Spiritual destruction, (7:22)

9. The balance of power between the sexes.
a. The woman knows what a man wants and how to use her body to get what she wants from him.
b. A man seldom understands the conditions and consequences of a tryst.
c. Men don’t understand women like a woman understands a man.
d. A man can be a pawn in the hands of a trollop.

B. THE SCOFFER
1. Webster, “To treat or address with derision.” The scoffer is arrogant, negative, contemptuous, and mocks.
2. The scoffer’s problem is pride, arrogance, and self-centeredness. “A proud and haughty man – scoffer is his name” (21:24, ELT).
a. He thinks his actions and advice are better than anyone else’s.
b. He thinks he is better and everyone else is wrong.
c. His perfectionist nature blinds him by pride.

3. A scoffer has difficulty learning anything. “A scoffer does not have one who corrects him, nor will he go to the wise” (15:12).

4. A scoffer thinks he is wise. “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (26:12).

5. A scoffer creates trouble for himself. “Scoffers get the whole city mad at himself” (29:8, ELT).

6. Don’t let scoffers ruin your life.