Bible Materials

MAN'S WAYS ARE IN FULL VIEW OF THE LORD

by   12/29/2017   Proverbs 5:1~23

Message


So far, we have learned four chapters of the Proverbs. Chapter 1 taught the purpose of the Proverbs. Particularly, we learned that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. Chapter 2 showed that we should become an active wisdom seeker to find treasures of wisdom. In chapter 3, we learned that wisdom is "trust in the LORD with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding". Chapter 4 taught that we should gain wisdom and guard our heart, which is well spring of life. Wisdom gives supreme benefits. One of many benefits is the protection from adultery which was briefly mentioned in chapter 2:16-18. Chapter 5 will give us instruction about how to guard our hearts from adultery more in detail. Solomon gives us insight and direction on what to do while we live in sexually immoral atmosphere. Part I. Keep to a path far from the adulteress V1-2, Solomon exhorted his son to pay attention to his words "My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge." He eagerly wanted his son to have discretion and knowledge. We know the importance of discernment. However, it is easy to live thoughtlessly without discerning what is right and wrong. It is like children going outside -20 degree without wearing proper winter clothes. What did Solomon want him to have discernment about? It is adultery. He wrote them in three parts: temptation stage, yielding to temptation and the consequences. V3 describes the strong temptation of adultery well. V3 "For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil;" At that time, Baal was the typical idol. Its temple had priestess who were also prostitutes. They allured man to worship Baal. So, the adulteress could be the Baal priestess or an adulterous woman who was a wife of another man. In general, it is also understandable that she symbolizes all kinds of sexual immorality. Solomon described that her lips drip honey and her speech is smother than oil. As we know, honey and oil are elements to revitalize us. This description explains how much sweet the temptation is. The adulteress tempts visually and audibly, seemingly giving us sweet satisfaction. One famous Christian classic book "The Pilgrimage’s Progress" written by John Bunyan also described such temptation. This book contains the journey of a man named Christian from the City of Destruction where he lived to the Celestial City. On the journey, he met Faithful who also went to the same place. Faithful talked about his experience of temptation. This was their conversation. Faithful said "I ran into a woman named Wanton, who wanted to do me no good." Christian said "It’s a good thing you escaped her. Even Joseph was sorely tempted by her, and he also was able to get away, but it almost cost him his life. But what did she do to you?" Faithful said "You cannot imagine how seductive and flattering she was. She was tempting me to come with her, promising everything that I could possibly want. " Christian said "Surely you did not lay with her?" Faithful said "No, no. I didn’t desecrate myself. I remembered the old proverb, "Her steps lay hold of hell." So I shut my eyes, because I didn’t want to be enchanted by her looks. Then she started screaming at me, and I went on my way." Faithful also shared another experience. "When I arrived in the hill named "Difficulty" I met the old man whose name is Adam living in a city named "Deceit". He nicely asked me "Can you work for me? I promise that as reward, you can marry my three daughters. Her names are Lust of the Eyes, Lust of the Flesh, and Pride of Life". Then, one thought came to my mind "Whenever he got me to his home, he would sell me as a slave." So, I did not come near the door of his house. " As illustrated in the book, the adulteress strongly allures us by provoking our lustful desires. Like Faithfulness, we are also strongly tempted in our difficult times like stressful times. But what will happen when we follow the sweet temptation? V4-5 says "but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave." When we yield to temptation, it gives us bitterness of guilty sense and big wounds in our soul. She wounds in many parts of our life and also negatively impacts on family, career, relationship etc. Ecclesiastes 7:26a also says "I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare." Rev 21:8 says that the sexually immoral will be placed in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. V6 also says "She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not." Adultery secures momentary pleasures but is nothing to do with the way of life. Her path was crooked and in other translation wandered aimlessly. So those who are caught by her lose aim of life. Young men who are addicted to fornication go far from what they really need to get. For example, Samson was the strongest man, ever stronger than any one. But when he followed his flesh desire and went to enjoy with Delilah, he completely fell. He was greatly wounded and lost all his strength, becoming a miserable slave. Knowing this danger of the adulteress and weakness of man, Solomon urgently told his sons again to pay attention to him in V7 "Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say." In V8, he urged his sons to overcome the temptation "Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house," The best way of overcoming such temptation is to run from it. 1 Corinthians 6:18 also says "flee from sexual immorality." The door of her house should not be near as if it is a quarantined house, infected with disease. V9-10 describes the heavy consequences of sins. "you give your best to others and your years to one who is cruel, strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich another man’s house." Your best or your honor in other translation, your years, your wealth, your toil will be gone meaninglessly. You lose everything and your life is completely ruined. It shows that you should pay the huge cost for the sin during your lifetime. Have you heard about Bathsheba syndrome? This term was coined by two professors from the University of Toledo when they studied the moral corruption of those who are powerful. They researched sudden fall of people with great position due to their ethical failures including sexual immorality. We frequently heard immoral scandals of sports stars, celebrities, politicians and their sudden loss of position, honor, relationship. Adultery indeed devastates any one’s life. V 11-12 says the last moment of those who sinned. It says "At the end of your life, you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent, and you say, "How I hasted discipline! How my heart spurned correction! I would not obey my teachers or listen to my instructors. I have come to the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly." It would be great if we see our last moment in the sense of victory, looking forward to receiving reward from heaven such as Paul who said "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day..." (2 Tim 4:7-8). However, the sinner will have full of regret only. Particularly, he will painfully rue the time when he did not respect discipline. It does show that discipline is truly vital in our life. People deeply realize the importance of regular exercise and good diet when they lose a good health. Patients with lung cancer regret their habit of heavy smoking. Likewise, how valuable discipline is in our life to make us walk in a right way! Whom does discipline need for? It is for ourselves. Proverb 15:32 says that he who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. At the end of your life, which one could be our last testimony? We must truly value godly discipline through hearing and following the word of God. May God help you and me to run away from temptation of adulterous sins. Part II. Rejoice in the wife of your youth After giving warning to his son, Solomon described about marriage. Why did he talk about marriage? It is because marriage is the very system where love relationship between man and woman should be realized. In V15-19, marriage life was described in poetic expression. V15 says the preciousness of marriage. "Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well." Here, your own cistern and well are your wife or marriage. At that time of Solomon, cistern and well are a very important source for living in the desert. Having my own well is a great privilege and blessing. So is your wife and marriage. Marriage is a legal system between man and woman which help them enjoy lawful pleasures. Through marriage, husband and wife can have true satisfaction. They can have their own well, giving them not only joy internally but also fruit externally which is children. V16-17 emphasizes the purity of marriage. "Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?" Here, there are several interpretations about springs and streams such as man’s fertility, children, and wife. But whatever we take for understanding, we can conclude that marriage should be kept pure. For example, when we see them as children, this rhetorical question is that your children should not be seen in the streets, meaning that children through other women should not be made. In KJV, this verse is written differently "Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, [and] rivers of waters in the streets." showing that many of your children should be seen in the street as blessing. The contradiction of different expression can be resolved when we read V16 together with V17 which says "Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers." So we can understand that you should faithful to marriage and produce children through your own wife alone. V18-19 is Solomon’s blessing and prayer for the beautiful marriage life. "May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth." The blessing is primarily understood as having children. But it could be more than that. Husband should make his wife feel blessed through rejoicing in her faithfully. He should love her dearly and so does wife as said in V19 "A loving doe, a graceful deer--may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love." Wife was described as a loving doe, a graceful deer. This express sounds more pertinent to young wife. But in verse 18, wife was described as "the wife of his youth", which means the wife when he married at his young ag. So after having 10, 20, 30+ years anniversary, wife is still husband’s loving doe and graceful deer. This romantic expression was not made based on appearance but the true beauty of wife, love and grace. Sometimes, husband and wife suffer because of their own difference. There is a book "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus." emphasizing their differences. I also experienced it. When I just married my loving doe, I found that she did not like a person who eat rice with chopsticks while I mostly used them instead of spoon. Even I used chopsticks for having soup. In her personality, she likes to talk while I am more reserved. In our marriage vow, she was asked "do you love your husband whether he does not talk any single word for a whole day?" She said "Yes". Since then, there have been times when she was very sorry for my such personality. But my graceful deer has bore me thus far. V19b says "may you ever be captivated by her love" Husband should be captivated by her devoted and pure love that bears his weakness going through difficulties of life together. This kind of love and satisfaction is found and promoted through marriage. So, in V20 Solomon said again "Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife?" Relationship outside marriage is not love. He should not be deceived. Part III. Man’s ways are in full view of the LORD In V21, Solomon tells why one must avoid adultery and keep marriage. "For a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths." This declaration gives us a warning and explains why adultery is sin. The adulterer thinks that nobody knows about his sin. Job 24:15 says "The eye of the adulterer watches for dusk; he thinks, "No eye will see me," and he keeps his face concealed." Our ways are in full view of the LORD. Here, Solomon used the LORD instead God. Who is the LORD? According to the book of Genesis, the LORD is the one who created man and woman. He established marriage system between man and woman. He judged people at Noah’s time for their sins including broken value of marriage. He destroyed Sodom and Gomorra as the city was corrupted morally and homosexually was prevalent. He also gave us ten commandments including "You shall not commit adultery." "You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.". In some countries including Canada, adultery is not criminal offense. Sexual immorality is also legally protected. But the most important thing we should remember that God sees. The LORD is not blind or has a partial view. In his full view, he examines all our paths. So, nothing is hidden from him. He knew the secret adultery of King David. Hence, no excuses of our sins can be made before his judgment. When we drive, if we see a police car, we are more careful. One time, while I was driving a bit fast, all of sudden a police car appeared and followed me. I did not know but the police saw my speeding with a nice camera. I got an expensive ticket. Since then, I became more careful. Compared to a traffic penalty, God’s judgment for our sins are dreadfully heavy. Although we may not be aware of him, he always sees us in his full view. This is the reason why we should accept the warning about sexual immortality seriously. Thinking further on this verse, it also gives us encouragement to live in a right way. Since the LORD sees our paths, he can also lead us to the path of life. We should know that although there is judgment on the adulterous sins, God is not happy with the result of his children being punished. Ezekiel 33:11 says "I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?" God’s desire for us is that we examine our ways and repent before him. Some may think "Does God still love me despite my grave sins of adultery? He knew all my shameful sins. Does he still love me?" We can find answers from the bible. When you read the book of Hosea, God’s love is well revealed. He said to Hosea to marry an adulterous woman. It was a striking command since he was a devoted servant of God. But he obeyed and married her and had children. However, later she followed other man and left home. But God told Hosea to get her back. So, he went and brought her back home by paying a price for her. This story vividly showed God’s unfailing love to the adulterous Israelites who deserted him and followed idols. Adultery is a grave and shameful sin. But God still accepts any adulterous sinner who comes back to him. In the book of Joshua, we know the story of Rahab who was a prostitute in Jericho. She should be the first one who would be punished when Israelites conquered the city. But she was saved when she believed in God and stood on his side. In John 8, an adulterous woman was caught and brought before Jesus. She could be stoned to death. Amazingly, Jesus forgave the woman and gave her new life. What does it tell us? Jesus’ forgiveness is greater than our crimson like sins. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." However, V11 declares an amazing thing. "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." There is no other way for us to exit our adulterous life and its consequence but only through Jesus. In this chapter, we learned about the marriage. But the most important marriage in our life is actually marriage with Jesus. We all are sinners. But he made us his bride. He became our true husband. He made us his own. For that, he paid the price. He sees us as a loving doe and graceful deer. Someone commented that the wife is the church and the breast of church is the gospel, giving him full satisfaction. When we hold onto the gospel which proclaim Jesus’ death for our sins, we can find real joy and love in Jesus. How wonderful it is that Jesus sees us the object of his full love! May God help each of us to be captivated by this love and overcome false and cheap love coming out of our sinful desires. V22 "The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast." Sexual immorality is often advocated as freedom, but it is sin holding us fast and leading us to death. V23 says "He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly." He rejected godly discipline. It was his great folly. In conclusion, we live in a time flooded with adulterous things. May God help each of us to live before God who gives us judgment and salvation. May God also bless us to raise godly families in this generation.



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