Straightforward

Greetings everyone. Let’s turn to the book of Proverbs chapter 5 and continue with our Bible Study through this tremendous book—this book that’s inspired by God, this book that is full of tremendous instructions and guidelines and directions, inspired scriptures on how to live our lives as Christians and how to live our lives in a happy and successful way.

Today, we’re going to go through chapter 5 of the book of Proverbs. In this chapter, we will see warnings about wrong relationships, and then we’ll see encouragement about a right marriage relationship. So, as we have seen in going through this book of Proverbs, there are a lot of excellent instructions on how to live life, excellent instructions that refer to nearly every facet of life. And today, we’re going to see that there are instructions in this chapter that have to do with marriage. And if we follow these instructions, we will achieve excellent results in our marriages.

Let’s go ahead and get started now in Proverbs 5:1:

1 My son, attend unto my wisdom,—

Or pay attention to my wisdom. This is a Father saying this to His son. This is God saying it to His children. This is the Bible talking to all of us.

1 —attend unto my wisdom,—

pay attention to it

1 —and incline your ear to my understanding:

This is wisdom and understanding that comes from an impeccable, infallible source—God Himself.

2 That you may regard discretion, and that your lips may keep knowledge.

In other words, your conduct will be right and therefore you will be blessed. Verse 3—and now we see repeated warnings about wrong relationships, wrong sexual relationships, that are rampant in society today. Proverbs 5:3:

3 For the lips of a strange woman—

meaning an immoral woman

3 —drop as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

So a beautiful woman or a handsome man—because the principle here refers to either men or women having wrong desires, wrong thoughts, wrong actions, immoral relationships, and these are warnings against that and the problems and pain and suffering and penalties that will follow when engaged in.

Of course in our society today, this applies to literal fornication and adultery, but it also applies to immoral thoughts. It applies to pornography in any form, in literature, in movies, on the computer, on the television. It applies to filthy actions and filthy thoughts and filthy language. All of this is lumped together here in terms of immorality in relationships, and ties right back into the seventh commandment, which says, “You shall not commit adultery.” But also immorality is contained in that seventh commandment. You shall not commit immorality of any kind. So we’re warned against that.

Now, it might seem inviting, it might seem pleasurable, it might seem tempting, it might seem irresistible to our human flesh, but we pay dearly if we go ahead and follow through on those desires, rather than stop them immediately and move in the other direction.

Notice it says here in Proverbs 5:4:

4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two–edged sword.

Or a better translation: But in the end she is, or he is, bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two–edged sword. Now, wormwood is a type of root that stinks. It’s very strong, even poisonous, and so what starts off seeming very wonderful and very pleasurable and “fun,” ends up inevitably being just as bitter as a poisonous root or a stinking plant.

4 —sharp as a two–edged sword.

When someone has a sword, and of course in this day and time, 3,000 years ago, a lethal weapon was the sword. And a sword that had one edge was very powerful, and to be dreaded. But a sword that had two sharp edges was doubly powerful and to be dreaded. So someone wielding a two–edged sword can wreak tremendous pain and suffering and death, and that’s what an innocent—“seemingly innocent”—relationship with an immoral person ends up being—very, very painful, and even leads to death.

Notice what it says here in chapter 5 and verse 5:

5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

That’s right, and take a look at what’s happening today in our society, in these immoral, sexual relationships. There are all kinds of sexually transmissible diseases, all kinds of terrible pain and suffering. And quite often when these diseases are passed on, even though they can “be controlled” some time, they never go away and they begin to breakdown the body and begin to create painful results.

Now, of course, a person who repents and changes and yields and surrenders and commits himself to God, God can then help them with these diseases and even has the power to heal. But what a risk to take, and what a terrible, painful penalty to put up with, just for a few moments of fleeting physical pleasure. And then, of course, there are deadly diseases that go along with immorality, such as AIDS.

And so it does talk about death here as a result of this kind of relationships. But this death can mean literal death because of jealousy and because of anger on the part of other people who might be involved with this person. But it also, as we’ll see a little bit later, can mean that the bodies of the individuals involved, because of diseases that result from these kind of immoral relationships, can begin to just breakdown and even die a very painful, ignominious death because of such things as AIDS.

So we have to ponder this. We have to think about this. We have to consider this and we have to avoid it and not even get close to it because it’s a dead end street.

6 —Ponder the path of her feet,—–

lest you begin thinking about that, just be careful and think about this.

6 —Her ways are moveable,—

or unstable

6 —that you cannot know them.

There’s no stability there. There’s no anchor there. There’s no foundation there. There’s no set of principles and virtues and values that is followed. It’s just like an untethered ship that just blows with the wind, this immoral person. And a little bit of liquor, a little bit of drugs, or a little bit of emotional cranking up, and first thing you know horrible things begin happening and once it’s over, then the penalty sets in because broken laws bring penalties that are unavoidable. Those penalties start setting in and the result of those penalties show the person, “Look. What you did was not worth this. And yet, it’s too late. Because you did it, and you can’t “un–ring” the bell, and you can’t rewind the tape. You stepped over the line, and now here’s what is going to happen as a result of that.” So the best thing to do, as God says right here—and this is what the warning is about—is don’t ever even go down that path.

7 Hear me now therefore, O you children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

Listen to this. Pay attention to this. Experience is the most painful teacher. Instruction, that’s the best teacher. If we will be instructed, if we will be teachable, if we will be guided by God’s way, we don’t have to experience the pain and the penalty that comes from wrong actions. But rather, we can avoid those wrong actions and therefore avoid those penalties. So He says here, “Listen, pay attention.”

8 Remove your way far from her,—

or him

8 —and come not near the door of her house:

Now, as we go through this book of Proverbs, we want to tie it in with other scriptures in the Bible because God inspired the whole Bible. It’s interwoven. It complements each other, all parts of the Bible does. Here a little, there a little, line upon line. It’s all inspired by God and canonized and put together, and it’s a complete book of how to live life and how to relate to God and neighbor. So it’s interesting how some of these books are written thousands of years apart from one another, and yet they fit together like a hand in glove, and they are interwoven and interlocked in terms of the principles and the teachings that they bring out.

For instance, let’s go to Matthew 5:27, then we’ll go to other scriptures tied in with Proverbs 5:8:

8 Remove your way far from her, and come not near the door of her house:

Notice here in Matthew 5:27, explains this even further. It says, Matthew 5:27:

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery:

fornication, immorality

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Or looks upon a man to lust after him. So, in other words, we can’t even begin thinking these things because as we begin thinking these things, then actions will follow and first thing you know we have lusted. And first thing you know we have then gotten involved in these terrible immoral acts, and we’ll suffer the penalty.

James points this out. So now let’s go to James 1. Here’s how this process works. James 1:12:

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried,—

or proved

12 —he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God:—

God just doesn’t do that.

13 —for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man:

That’s not where the temptation comes from. God does try and test us, but He does not tempt us.

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished,—

sin when it is full grown

15 —brings forth death.

16 Do not err,—

do not be deceived

16 —my beloved brethren.

And that’s the process. So we start by looking, or considering or thinking, about wrong immoral people or acts, and then that begins to ripen into a clear thought or plan, which begins to ripen into action, which then ends up with sin being committed and then penalties as a result of that sin.

So what we’re being told in these verses and in the book of Proverbs is: Don’t ever let that process get started. That’s the point. That’s the warning. That’s the instruction from God.

Now we read about that warning and that instruction several places in the Bible. One is found over here in I Corinthians 6:18:

18 Flee fornication.—

So if every man or woman, young person, began to be tempted or began to find themselves having wrong thoughts, just decided this: Rather than continue along this path of wrong thinking, rather than continue along this path of wrong planning, I’m just simply going to get out of here. I’m going to flee. I’m going to go the other way. I’m getting up and walking out of this movie that’s beginning to get dirty. I’m going to turn the television off because of this filth that’s beginning to come on here. I’m not going to that place on the computer because I know what will be there. I’m not going to pick up that book or that magazine. I’m not going to engage in any kind of conversation with that person. I’m going on by. I’m going the other way. I’ll even run if I have to.

You know, if a person would do that in situations where this starts to crop up, think of the blessings that would come their way. They would avoid disease. They would avoid pain. They would avoid emotional trauma. They would avoid all kinds of complications in their lives and in the lives of other people. They would avoid hurting other people in this manner. They would go on down the road and live life free of all of that, including possible death. That’s the warning and that’s the instruction.

18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body.

Immorality is sin and it does hurt other people, but it also hurts our own body. A law is broken and pain follows, sometimes even death. Now the question is, will we hear God through His word? Will we listen to Him? Will we pay attention to Him? Does it mean anything to us when God tells us these things? Are we going to put the brakes on if we’re already going in this way? Or if we’re involved in this, are we going to turn and walk out the door and move on down the road and free ourselves of this? Those are the questions. That’s the admonition. That’s the choices and decisions that only we as individuals can make.

So let’s go back now to Proverbs 5:8:

8 Remove your way far from her, and come not near the door of her house:

Don’t even go in that direction. Don’t even go around those people. Don’t even go to that movie. Don’t even go to that website.

9 Lest you give your honor—

your vigor

9 —unto others, and your years unto the cruel:

Just fritter away and throw away all of the best years of your life is the warning.

10 Lest strangers be filled with your wealth;—

and with your strength and possessions

10 —and your labors be in the house of a stranger;

Throw everything away. This has happened many times. Whole families destroyed because of lust that conceives and brings forth sin and then penalties, and everybody suffers as a result of it. Just for a few fleeting moments of physical gratification, comparatively speaking. Now, we need to consider these points and we need to realize that we’re not forced to do any of this. We have choices. We have decisions. We can decide not to do it. We can decide to go in the other direction and flee this, and then not suffer all of these pains and all of these sorrows and all of this tragedy and complications in our lives and in the lives of others, and then not lose all of the good things that God has given us, including friendships and family, and including possessions.

11 And you mourn at the last, when your flesh and your body are consumed,

See, disease actually will consume a person quite often who gets involved in this immoral activity.

12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

I wish I had listened. I wish I had been teachable. I wish I had responded and not had to experience this to see that it was wrong, but be taught this to see it is wrong and then take action to get away from it.

13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,—

whether they be parents, friends, ministers, God’s word

13 —not inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

A better translation is: I was on the verge of total ruin, God inspired Solomon to write. So we can be on the verge of total ruin and even give the appearance that we’re in a very good situation or we’re even doing what God says, and yet we know that in our private lives we’re on the verge of total ruin. If we can come to our senses and see that, we can do something about that.

We can repent. We can cry out to God for help and deliverance, and then we can start moving in the right direction and He will intervene. He will help us. He will deliver us and we will start going down the right path, and then end up in the right place, that place of serving God and living His way. So that’s a section of chapter 5 that we need to study and think about and take heed to because it will help us avoid a tremendous amount of grief.

Now let’s shift gears and go to Proverbs 5:15. Notice these wonderful instructions here about living life God’s way in our relationships with our wives and husbands, in our marriages.

15 Drink waters out of your own cistern, and running waters out of your own well.

That’s simply an admonition to be faithful and loyal to your mate—to get all of the wonderful, and receive all of the wonderful, things that come from a happy marriage and a happy relationship, a moral relationship, a good clean marital relationship lived God’s way where God is involved in the marriage.

16 Let your fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. =

17 Let them be only your own, and not strangers' with you.

That’s referring to offspring. That’s referring to children. So you don’t go somewhere else to get strange water, strange love, strange affection. You stay faithful and loyal to your mate, and that’s where you have the love and the affection, the warmth of marriage. What’s the result of that? Joy and happiness and wonderful children that are your children that go out into life and set a good example that a happy family produces.

17 Let them be only your own, and not strangers' with you.

There are children today who don’t even know who their father is, because there’s so much immorality going on. Well, God says, “Don’t let that happen.”

18 Let your fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of your youth.

Marriage should be one of happiness and joy and rejoicing. There’ll be trials and tests and things to work through. But generally speaking, happiness should be the rule of the day in a marriage where God is directly in the picture, and loyalty towards one mate is how life is lived by both husband and wife.

19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe;—

just talking about deer and graceful animals

19 —let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

Clean sexual relationship within the marriage is actually a type of the intense love between Jesus Christ and the church. It’s clean. It’s right. It’s private. It’s loyal. It’s faithfulness, and God created it and it’s good. But when it’s taken outside the marriage, it’s ugly and horrible and miserable and produces terrible results and pain and suffering for everyone involved sooner or later.

20 And why wilt you, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

Why would you even think about that when you have all of that with your wife and with your husband, and in your marriage? There’s no reason to and should not be done.

21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his goings.

God knows everything. Nothing is hidden from Him. He knows when we do the right things and will bless us. He knows when we do the wrong things and there will be punishment, and if we repent, He’ll forgive us. But He knows, that’s the point. We can’t hide anything from Him nor should we even try.

22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

Now I want to turn to Numbers 32 because human beings can rationalize and think, “Oh well, I’ll get away with this. Nobody will find out about it. Nobody will know.” Forgetting that God knows everything and sooner or later, others will find out too, if it’s not repented of and if it’s not stopped.

Notice here in Numbers 32:23:

23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Eternal:—

and look at this

23 —and be sure your sin will find you out.

And it will happen every time sooner or later, unless we quit, unless we repent, and unless it’s forgiven, and sometimes even then it comes out. So the best thing to do is not even get engaged in it in the first place, this matter of sin and immorality. But rather, make sure that we’re obeying God and when we make mistakes, repent and change. And make sure that we’re being faithful and loyal in our marriages, and faithful and loyal in our families, and faithful and loyal to God because here’s what happens—Proverbs 5:22:

22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

Just trapped, just bound with the cords of his sin. Can’t escape it, the penalty is there. It won’t go away. It will not be gotten by. We will not be able to avoid it. It’s going to happen. That penalty will be there every single time, and repeatedly, if we don’t repent. So the best thing to do is not go that direction in the first place.

23 He shall die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

So I hope we will follow God’s admonition. I hope we will take in God’s guidance. I hope we will listen to God’s instructions and with His help follow them, and the blessings and the joy and the peace that comes will be ours. Rather than being enticed by the temptations of this society and Satan’s ways, and pay a horrible price and even bring others down with us. So let’s heed and let’s obey. With God’s help, really make sure that we are walking with Him in all facets of our lives, including our family and including our marriage.

So next time, we’ll pick it up in the Bible Study with Proverbs chapter 6.

This is Charles Bryce with the Enduring Church of God.

26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.

27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove your foot from evil.

In other words, focus on the goal ahead and then keep moving toward that goal. Don’t be distracted or diverted. Don’t let your eye get caught on this person or that thing over there and begin to stray over there because we end up going where we look if we look long enough.

So if we look straight ahead, and we focus on the Kingdom of God, and we concentrate on our relationship with God, and we follow the right path that God has laid down for us, and we stay on that path—because we meditate about it, we think about it, we consider who we are, what we are, where we’re going, where we need to go, how we’re going to get there, and cry out to God to give us the help to get there, and live our lives focused on that goal—then God will help us achieve that goal.

Let’s turn to a couple of other scriptures very quickly. Matthew 6:33:

33 But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

That should be our primary goal, and helping others have that as their primary goal. And then over here in Luke 11:34, we read:

34 The light of the body is the eye:—

In other words, that’s the lamp, that’s the door into the mind.

34 —therefore when your eye is single,—

or good and clear and focused

34 —your whole body also is full of light;—

Luke 11:34, these are the words of Jesus Christ:

34 —but when your eye is evil,—

or bad, then

34 —your body also is full of darkness.

So we must be careful to guard the door of our mind. To be careful about what we let in through our five senses, and in particular through our eyes and through our ears, and to make sure that we ponder the path of our feet and ponder what we fill our minds with so that our thoughts then will be right thoughts, and our actions will be right actions, and we will keep moving toward our goal, guided by God’s spirit, deciding and choosing based on wisdom, and following wherever Christ leads.

So we’ll stop there in Proverbs 4:27 and pick it up with chapter 5 next time. We hope you’ll continue to share this Bible Study with us.

This is Charles Bryce with the Enduring Church of God.