Deceitful Temptations

Perhaps no creature is more associated with honey than the bear. The North American Bear Center reminds us that “honey is mostly sugar.” Overflowing with sugar, honey becomes irresistible to bears and other animals.

This appeal helps us understand why honey can symbolize the attraction of temptations. From a human perspective, we are tempted by things that offer benefits that seem irresistible. Like the pleasures promised by an “adulteress.”

The Hebrew word here means “strange” or “stranger,” and suggests the excitement that can accompany something new and different. These pleasures can seem to drip like honey—just like the appeal of honey to a bear.

But the Bible urges us to think about the consequences of our choices. Temptations might seem to promise new and exciting experiences. But the end result is bitterness, not endless pleasures. They cut deep into our hearts and minds, leading us not toward life but death.

These principles apply to every form of temptation. Pride or power. Bad habits or the pleasures of the flesh. Gluttony or selfishness. In fact, anything that displeases God.

The Bible urges us to avoid the things that tempt us and stay away from situations where we’re prone to be tempted. We need to remember that the promises of temptation can seem alluring, only to realize that, after we yield, we have been deceived: “You groan at your final end, when your flesh and your body are consumed.”

In your life, don’t be confused by the seductive promises of “honey.” When you are tempted, call upon God. Confess His Word. And remember that He is with you. He is faithful and “will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13). You can live in victory!