“And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.” (Ecclesiates 7:26)
Death is bitter because its arrival signals great loss. The sin of fornication is more bitter than death because when we engage in it we lose more than our physical life, we lose our life with God. After his episode with Bathsheba, David understands the damage he has done to his relationship with God. “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight …” (Psalm 51:4) He cries out for his intimacy with God to be restored. “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.” (Psalm 51:11)
What do we want? True intimacy with God or false intimacy with human beings? We cannot have both. The devils and uncleans spirits of this world savor the things that are of men, not the things of God. They promise to spread a table before us and feed us with the sweetest of fare. They love that we would provoke our God to jealousy. But the word of God is sure:
“Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?” (1 Corinthians 10:21,22)
In the Lord’s presence there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. (Ps. 16:11) The pleasures of sin are but for a season. (Heb. 11:25) We must make a choice. What matters to us more – pleasing God or pleasing ourselves? The answer to this question will determine whose company we will keep, and whose secrets we will know.
What will it profit us to know every created thing but be a stranger to God? To know Him is life eternal.