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Sin Always Hides Itself, Masquerading as Something Innocent – (Proverbs 30:18-20)

Sin Always Hides Itself, Masquerading as Something Innocent – (Proverbs 30:18-20)

Daily Proverbs

There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yes, four which I do not understand: The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man with a virgin. This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, "I have done no wickedness."

Daily Bible Study
These passages present us with a riddle of sorts for the reader to understand. Agur is talking about hypocrisy and hiding bad behavior, or hiding sin. He first gives us four "good" comparison which illustrate a natural progression or a moving forward in life. In addition, they also leave no trail or evidence they were there.  The first is an eagle flying in the air, leaves no trail, next a serpent slithering across a rock leaves no evidence it was there. They are God's creation carrying out their intended purpose in life. Likewise a ship in the midst of the ocean leaves no trail and a husband and wife show no evidence of wrongdoing. The phrase, "man with a virgin," was a Jewish idiom which referred to a newlywed couple just married and on what we would call their honeymoon.

And just as these things appear natural and leave no mark of sin, so to the adulterous woman hides her sin in everyday life, not knowing that God not only see's our actions, but also the desires and intents behind our actions. Moreover, in a larger context, these passages are referring to the nature of sin. Sin will always operate in the dark, hiding from the light of day, masquerading as something innocent in order to fool observers. Sin works in rebellion toward God, and for the destruction of those who embrace it. It does this to prevent exposing itself for the wickedness it truly is. Moreover, sin loves to hide out of sight, in order to entice others and grow in its destructive behavior. Sin's desire is for our complete destruction and separation from God for all eternity, and in order to accomplish that, sin will hide itself in order to grow more powerful and destructive.