7 Biblical Warning Signs of a Forbidden Relationship

In Proverbs 7:5, it talks about avoiding “the forbidden woman.” This is referring to adultery. In fact, all of Proverbs 7 is about avoiding adultery.

However, this passage of Scripture provides us with many principles that will help us avoid “forbidden” relationships in general, not just adulterous relationships.

Therefore, by studying Proverbs 7, we can see at least 7 warning signs God gives to help us avoid forbidden relationships.

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1. When You Would Have to Ignore the Scriptures to Justify Being with Someone, This Is a Sign God Is Warning You About a Forbidden Relationship (Proverbs 7:1-5)

Proverbs 7:1-5, “My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’ and call insight your intimate friend, to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words.”

Do you remember what you ate for dinner two nights ago? Can you recall what video you watched on YouTube two hours ago? What was the sermon about last Sunday? If it’s hard for you to answer these types of questions, you are not alone! Humans are not great at remembering things.

This is why God repeatedly warns us to always be in the word. We can’t read it once and think we will remember it. In fact, our sinful nature uses this truth against us. If we want to do something sinful, like be in a relationship we know is forbidden by God, we will subtly start ignoring our Bible reading time so we will “forget” what’s right and feel better about our bad choice.

So if you are reading the Scriptures less to make yourself feel better about a relationship you know is not God’s will, see this as a warning from the Lord. You want to be with the type of person that makes you want to read the Bible more.

2. When You Meet Someone Through an Unwise Decision, This Is Often a Sign God Is Warning You About a Forbidden Relationship

Proverbs 7:6-9, “For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness.”

This man was in a place he shouldn’t have been, at a time that was unwise, and thus he met a woman he should never have met.

Nothing good is going to happen by going to that sinful party with your old friends. You’re not going to meet a godly spouse at the bar in 1am. Avoid unwise people, places, and things.

Like this “young man lacking sense”, we too can make bad choice that lead us to meet people we would never have met otherwise.

3. If You Have to Ignore All the Classic Signs of a Worldly Person to Ease Your Conscience to Be with This Person, God Is Warning You About a Forbidden Relationship

Proverbs 7:10-12, “And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait.”

We can certainly judge people in a sinful way by assuming we know their motives (Matthew 7:1). However, there is another form of judgment in Scripture that is not sinful (Matthew 7:5). We are supposed to assess people’s outward choices (Matthew 7:20, 2 Timothy 3:9).

If someone is dressing in a worldly way, if they are speaking in a worldly way, and if they are doing worldly things, it would be foolish of you to think they are not worldly. You’re not being rude or judgmental. You are being wise and practicing discernment.

4. If This Person Is Seeking Short-term Pleasure and Doesn’t Care About the Consequences, God Is Warning You to Avoid a Forbidden Relationship

Proverbs 7:13-18, “She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, ‘I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love.”

Notice that she said, “let us take our fill of love till morning.” She was upfront about her intentions. She wanted to sin with this man in the short term. Shew knew her husband would be back eventually.

Likewise, there are people out there who are just looking to have a good time in the now. They really don’t care about you at all. They are just looking for someone to sin with. Don’t think someone like this will change. Once they are done using you, you will be left to deal with the consequences of your sin without them.

5. If This Person Is Trying to Get You Mixed Up in Their Problems with Someone Else, God Is Warning You to Avoid a Forbidden Relationship

Proverbs 7:19-20, “For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.”

This woman was having marriage problems. She was then trying to involve this young man in her issues with her husband.

Likewise, if someone is constantly talking about their hatred towards someone else, avoid them. Eventually you will gain new enemies that have nothing to do with you. Don’t be a rebound relationship. If someone is not healed from their past, their wounds will wound you. Hurt people end up hurting other people.

6. If You’re Letting This Person Ware You Down, God Is Warning You About a Forbidden Relationship

Proverbs 7:21-23, “With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.”

Many times we know we can’t be with someone, but since we are lonely and like the attention, we dabble. We let them call us. We let them text. We tell them we aren’t interested but we keep responding when they reach out; instead of closing the door, we keep letting them talk to us. If you do this long enough, eventually you will do the very thing you said you would never do with this person.

7. If You’re Tempted to Think that You Are the Exception, God Is Warning You About a Forbidden Relationship

Proverbs 7:24-27, “And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.”

There’s nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). We all like to think we are the exceptions to God warnings, but we never are. Never deceive yourself (1 Corinthians 15:33). We all reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-8).

When you mess with a forbidden relationship, you will always get burned.

And if you’re someone who’s felt stuck when it comes to meeting the right person God may have for you, I encourage you to check out AGW University. This biblical content might help you make the changes you need to make to be in a healthy relationship.

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