Provérbios 5
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Provérbios 5
Wiersbe writes that "When a husband and wife are faithful to the Lord and to each other, and when they obey Scriptures like 1Cor 7:1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and Ep 5:22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, neither of them will look for satisfaction anywhere else. If they love each other and seek to please each other and the Lord, their relationship will be one of deepening joy and satisfaction; they won't look around for "the greener grass." George Lawson - Pr 5:20, 21. Is it a pleasure to men to affront their Judge, and to provoke the vengeance of an Almighty arm? Will they prefer these poor, and spiritless, and unsatisfying pleasures which he forbids, to those pure delights which are licensed by his goodness? Remember, sinners, that God is present in your close retreats of wickedness! You see him not, because you are blind, but your stupidity cannot banish an omnipresent Deity; your bars and bolts cannot exclude him who fills heaven and earth. Darkness hideth not from him of whom it is said, “The day is thine, the night also is thine.” Why should men dare to affront Jehovah, their Maker and their Judge, by doing that in his presence, which they would be ashamed to do in the presence of a child? God will not be mocked. He will punish the wanton glance, and the lascivious thought. Where, then, shall they appear who indulge themselves in acts of criminality? Will a thief steal in the presence of the judge, and yet hope to escape vengeance? And shall abandoned sinners flatter themselves with the thought of escaping the damnation of hell, from Him who will come to judgment, and will be a swift witness against adulterers (Mal. 3:5. Heb. 13:4)? Sinners think that they will repent, after having for a while enjoyed the pleasures of sin,—pitiable delusion! (Lawson's Exposition of Proverbs - Spurgeon said "A thoroughly sound and useful commentary. Lawson wrote popularly and vigorously.") Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He watches all his paths. Eyes of the LORD (see below) - Pr 15:3; 2Chr 16:9; Job 31:4; 34:21; Ps 11:4; 17:3; 139:1-12; Je 16:17; Jer 17:10; Jer 23:24; 32:19; Ho 7:2; Heb 4:13+; Rev 2:18,23 Proverbs 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries GOD'S OMNIPRESENCE - COMFORTING & CONVICTING For - Always pause and ponder this strategic term of explanation - Ask (and attempt to answer) at least one simple question - "What is the writer explaining?" Remember that when you find a "for" at the beginning of a verse, it is usually (not 100% - check the context = Keep Context King) a term of explanation. In Proverbs 5-7 there a several "for's" for you to pause and ponder. (Pr 5:3, 20, 21, Pr 6:23, 26, 34, Pr 7:6, 19, 26). As an aside there are over 9000 occurrences of for in the NASB, which should give you many opportunities to practice (and make "perfect") the discipline of interrogating the Biblical text (See interrogate with the 5W/H questions). As believers we should love the comforting attribute of God's omnipresence, for as Isaac Watts said so poetically… Within thy circling power I stand; On every side I find Thy hand; Awake, asleep, at home, abroad, I am surrounded still with God.
Provérbios 5
Wiersbe says that upon... hearing the Seventh Commandment, many people in contemporary society smile nonchalantly and ask, "What's wrong with premarital or extramarital sex, or any other kind, for that matter?" After all, they argue, many people indulge in these things and seem to get away with it. Furthermore, these activities are more acceptable today than they were in Solomon's day; why make a big issue out of it? "Life is a game in which the rules are constantly changing," says a contemporary writer; "nothing spoils a game more than those who take it seriously."[ Quentin Crisp wrote this in Manners from Heaven, chapter 7]. So, the verdict's in: sex is fun, so don't take it too seriously... Sexual sin is one of the main themes of numerous movies, TV programs, novels, and short stories; yet popularity is no test of right and wrong. Many things that the law says are legal, the Bible says are evil, and there won't be a jury sitting at the White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11, 12, 13, 14, 15-notes; Rev 21:27-note; Rev 22:15-note). Wisdom and understanding are mentioned together in the context of a God glorifying marriage... By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 And by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. (Pr 24:3,4) My wisdom - Remember that you are giving ear to the one of whom God Himself said Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. (1Ki 3:12) Wisdom (02451) (chokmah - see word study or hokmah) as used in this context describes the ability to see something from God’s viewpoint. Wisdom is “God’s character in the many practical affairs of life.” We can get information "on line" but wisdom is from "on high" (through His Word)! God's wisdom is not theoretical knowledge but is that which is worked out in a proper discernment between good and evil or right and wrong. Fools may acquire encyclopedic information, but they cannot attain wisdom because they fail to take God into account. Wisdom is not acquired by a mechanical formula but in the final analysis through a right relationship with God (Pr 9:10, Jas 3:15, 16, 17, 18). In the present context, God's wisdom helps guard the heart and mind of a man against the wiles of an adulteress. The preciousness of wisdom is seen in the following verses - Job 28:16, Ps 105:22 Pr 3:13, 14; 5:1; 7:4; 8:11; 14:24; 16:16; 19:8; 24:7; 24:14; Eccl 2:13; 7:11; 7:19; 8:1; 9:16; 9:18; 10:10. Matthew Henry has this wise statement on wisdom... It is better to get wisdom than gold. Gold is another's, wisdom is our own; gold is for the body and time, wisdom for the soul and eternity. John Calvin said that... Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. Vance Havner - If you lack knowledge, go to school. If you lack wisdom, get on your knees! Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is the proper use of knowledge. Wisdom from Wiersbe - God created sex not only for reproduction but also for enjoyment, and he didn't put the 'marriage wall' around sex to rob us of pleasure but to increase pleasure and protect it. Understanding (08394)(tebunah from bin = to discern) refers to insight or knowledge which is superior to the mere gathering of data. Understanding is the capacity for discerning a right course of action when presented with various sources of input and various options. Understanding in Baker's Evangelical Dictionary There are 42 uses of tebuna/tebunah primarily in the "Wisdom" literature - Ex 31:3; 35:31; 36:1; Deut. 32:28; 1Ki 4:29; 7:14; Job 12:12, 13; 26:12; 32:11; Ps 49:3; 78:72; 136:5; 147:5; Pr. 2:2, 3, 6, 11; 3:13, 19; 5:1; 8:1; 10:23; 11:12; 14:29; 15:21; 17:27; 18:2; 19:8; 20:5; 21:30; 24:3; 28:16; Is 40:14, 28; 44:19; Je 10:12; 51:15; Ezek 28:4; Hos. 13:2; Ob 1:7, 8. Here are all the uses on Proverbs... (Prov 2:2) Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; (Prov 2:3) For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; (Prov 2:6) For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Prov 2:11) Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you, (Prov 3:13) How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. (Prov 3:19) The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens. (Prov 5:1) My son, give attention to my wisdom, Incline your ear to my understanding; (Prov 8:1) Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice? (Prov 10:23) Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool, And so is wisdom to a man of understanding. (Prov 11:12) He who despises his neighbor lacks sense, But a man of understanding keeps silent. (Prov 14:29) He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly. (Prov 15:21) Folly is joy to him who lacks sense, But a man of understanding walks straight. (Prov 17:27) He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. (Prov 18:2) A fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind. (Prov 19:8) He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good. (Prov 20:5) A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out. (Prov 21:30) There is no wisdom and no understanding And no counsel against the LORD. (Prov 24:3) By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; (Prov 28:16) A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding, But he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days. Understanding implies a mental grasp of the nature and significance of something, along with discernment and good judgment. In short, it is common sense and not the mere accumulation and possession of knowledge ("head knowledge"). Think of understanding as the ability to "put the pieces together" and make sense out of it all! Paul prays for the Colossian saints a prayer that relates to Solomon's words that we would all do well to pray for one another... For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, (why? what difference should this make in my Christian life?) 10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (note how knowledge obeyed not only leads to fruit that endures but also leads to increasing knowledge of God! cp Ps 16:11 How great is that reward? cp similar thought on the relationship of knowing and doing in Jn 7:17) ; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. (Col 1:9-12 - see notes) I like how the great British preacher and hymn writer (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross) Isaac Watts defined understanding... By understanding I mean that faculty whereby we are enabled to apprehend the objects of knowledge, generals or particulars, absent or present, and to judge of their truth or falsehood, good or evil. The 1828 Webster's Dictionary says that understanding is - The faculty of the human mind by which it apprehends the real state of things presented to it, or by which it receives or comprehends the ideas which others express and intend to communicate. The understanding is called also the intellectual faculty. It is the faculty by means of which we obtain a great part of our knowledge. Today in the Word - The state of sexual morality in America is not good. The number of unmarried couples living together has increased at least tenfold since 1960. Casual sex, “hook-ups,” and “friends with benefits” are more popular than ever. Against this background, the call of Proverbs 5 to faithfulness in marriage is more timely than ever! God has designed the marriage relationship to be exclusive and fulfilling (vv. 15–20). That is, marriage is one man and one woman, for life (Gen. 2:23–24). A man should be satisfied with his own wife and not led astray by the deceiving pleasures of adultery. The imagery in these verses is clearly sexual, as in the Song of Songs. Being satisfied with your wife’s breasts is as erotic as it sounds (Pr 5:19). The sexual intimacy described in these verses is ultimately relational intimacy, “never to be shared with strangers” (Pr 5:17; cf. 1 Cor. 7:3–5). The temptation to sexual immorality promises much but is empty in the end (Pr 5:1–14). “The lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall” (Pr 5:3–4). A person of discretion is not fooled. The seductress’s path is crooked and leads only to ruin and destruction. To chase after her is to abandon wisdom and self-discipline. Self-control and a spirit open to correction are key to resisting this kind of temptation (Pr 5:12–14, 23). The bottom line is that God sees all and is not deceived (Pr 5:21–23). Sinful ways are a snare and end in death. Foolishness and a lack of self-discipline lead one away from the path of life. APPLY THE WORD - One Christian book on marriage is The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God, by Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller (Dutton, 2011). The introduction states that this book is for both married and unmarried people, because all Christians need to understand what the Bible teaches on this important subject. Mark Copeland's Executable Outlines - Proverbs... INTRODUCTION 1. Earlier in his discourses on wisdom, Solomon warned of being delivered from an immoral woman... a. The seductress who flatters with her words - Pr 2:16 b. Who forsakes her husband and forgets her covenant with God - Pr 2:17 c. Whose home and paths leads to death - Pr 2:18-19 2. Similar warnings are repeated in these discourses of Solomon ... a. In chapters five, six, and seven b. Such repetition implies that the danger is great c. It was a serious problem in Solomon’s day, certainly no less today [In chapter five, we read of “The Peril Of Adultery”. Beginning with a call to pay attention (Pr 5:1- 2), we are warned about...] I. THE PROMISE OF ADULTERY A. THE FALSE PROMISE... 1. It sounds and feels good at first - Pr 5:3 2. For such enticement involves flattery - cf. Pr 2:16; 6:24; 7:21 3. And forbidden fruit is always tempting - e.g., Gen 3:6 -- Adultery promises much, but what does it deliver? B. THE REAL PROMISE... 1. The end of adultery is sharp bitterness - Pr 5:4 2. The real promise is death followed by condemnation - Pr 5:5; cf. He 13:4 3. Thus the ways of adultery are unstable, unknowable - Pr 5:6-- Adultery delivers, but not what it promises! [To appreciate what adultery really delivers, we are next told of...] II. THE PRICE OF ADULTERY A. IT COSTS YOUR WEALTH... 1. Solomon pleads with his children to stay away from the immoral woman - Pr 5:7-8 2. His first reason: “Lest you give your honor to others...” - Pr 5:9a 3. He reiterates: “Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, And your labors go to the house of a foreigner.” - Pr 5:10-- Alimony and child support can eat away at your finances B. IT COSTS YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH... 1. Solomon’s second reason: “...and your years to the cruel one.” - Pr 5:9b 2. He adds: “And you mourn at last, when your flesh and body are consumed.” - Pr 5:11 3. Bacterial STDs (e.g., Chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea) are often brought on by immorality 4. Viral STDs (e.g., genital herpes, Hepatitis B, AIDS) are incurable-- Sexually transmitted diseases can eat away at your body C. IT COSTS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH... 1. You will be filled with self-recrimination: “How I hated instruction, and my heart despised correction! I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!” - Pr 5:12-13 2. You will not forget what your parents, teachers, preachers, and true friends told you 3. As you recall the violent affects of divorce on your spouse (and on your children who will likely suffer the worst), you will berate your stupidity! - cf. Mal 2:16 -- Your conscience can eat away at your peace of mind D. IT COSTS YOUR REPUTATION... 1. As suggested by these words: “I was on the verge of total ruin, in the midst of the assembly and congregation.” - Pr 5:14 2. People do not take lightly the sin of adultery - cf. Pr 6:27-35 3. Can a person be trusted who would lie to their spouse? -- Your unfaithfulness can eat away at your reputation [Adultery destroys one’s wealth, body, soul, and reputation. Forgiveness is possible (1 Co 6:9-11), but many affects of adultery continue throughout one’s life. Much better, therefore, to take to heart...] III. THE PREVENTION OF ADULTERY A. LOVE YOUR SPOUSE... 1. Rejoice with the wife of your youth; be enraptured by her love - Pr 5:15-19; cf. Ecc 9:9 a. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church - Ep 5:25,28 b. Wives, learn to love your husbands - Ti 2:3-4 2. Why be enraptured by an adulteress (adulterer) and seductress (seducer)? - Pr 5:20 a. One’s true character is revealed by their immorality b. If they commit adultery with you, they are likely to commit adultery against you! -- Enraptured love is commanded, which means it can be learned (and relearned) B. LOVE YOUR LORD... 1. The Lord is omniscient, and sins will have their effect - Pr 5:21-23 a. He sees all - Pr 15:3 b. God will judge fornicators and adulterers - He 13:4 c. When one sins against the Lord, their sins will be exposed - Num 32:23 2. How much better to love the Lord, and be loyal to Him a. He looks for those loyal to Him - cf. 2 Chr 16:9; Mt 22:37 b. Joseph’s devotion to God prevented him from being tempted - cf. Gen 39:7-10 c. The Lord blessed Joseph because of his faithfulness - cf. Gen 39:21; 41:50-52 -- Those who love the Lord foremost, love their spouses forever! CONCLUSION 1. The promise of adultery is deceptive... a. It promises pleasure b. It really promises death and condemnation 2. The price of adultery is terrible... a. Which too many learn by sad experience b. Which all can avoid by heeding God’s Word 3. The prevention of adultery is possible when our love is in the right place... a. Loving the Lord with all our heart b. Loving our spouses with God’s blessing Heed the wisdom of Solomon regarding “The Peril Of Adultery”, and we will not destroy our lives with misdirected affection...! Proverbs 5:2 That you may observe discretion and your lips may reserve knowledge. Pr 10:21; 15:2,7; 16:23; 20:15; Psalms 45:2; 71:15; 119:13; Song of Solomon 4:11; Malachi 2:6,7 That you may exercise proper discrimination and discretion and your lips may guard and keep knowledge and the wise answer [to temptation]. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) Warren Wiersbe says God did not "put the "marriage wall" around sex to rob us of pleasure but to increase pleasure and protect it. In this chapter, Solomon explains the disappointments that come when people violate God's loving laws of sexual purity. Bridges - Man's own strength, the restraint of education or self-discipline, is powerless, as the green withes to bind the giant. (Jdg 16:9.) Engrafted wisdom is the only effectual safe-guard. This heavenly influence teaches us, both to regard discretion for the covering of our souls, and to keep knowledge for the warning of our fellow-sinners. (Pr 2:10, 11, 16; 6:20, 24; 7:1-5. Ps 17:4; 119:9, 11.) (Proverbs 5 Exposition) Discretion (04209) (mezimmah) is used 8 times in Proverbs and 4 times is used with the meaning of discretion or prudence (Pr 1:4, 2:11, 3:21, 5:2). Note especially Pr 2:11 ("discretion will watch over you") which pictures discretion as a guard who goes with us wherever we go to protect us from danger. That you may observe discretion - The word "that" identifies this as an introduction by Solomon to the virtuous consequence of Pr 5:1. Solomon's point is that discretion, the ability to make responsible decisions and judge critically what is correct and proper, is intimately related to giving attention to Biblical wisdom and understanding. As Matthew
Provérbios 5
Wiersbe comments that "Temptation always includes hopeful promises; otherwise, people would never take the devil's bait. For a time, it seems like these promises have been fulfilled, and sinners bask in the sunshine of pleasant experiences and false assurances. This is what family counselor J. Allan Petersen calls, "the myth of the greener grass." [from The Myth of the Greener Grass, by J. Allan Petersen (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale, 1983), is one of the best books from a biblical point of view on understanding and preventing extramarital affairs and healing marriages that have been violated by them. As every pastor knows, more of this kind of sin goes on in local churches than we dare openly admit.] People who commit sexual sins think their problems are solved ("She understands me so much better than my wife does!") and that life will get better and better. But disobedience to God's laws always brings sad consequences and sinners eventually pay dearly for their brief moments of pleasure. George Lawson - Pr 5:8. But what need is there for so much preciseness? May not a man be permitted to talk with her, merely by way of amusement? Is it unlawful to drink a glass in her house, and to satisfy our curiosity by observing what passes in it, and by what arts she contrives to seduce those who are less established in virtue than ourselves? Yes; it is unlawful to have the least correspondence with her. By the requirements of the ceremonial law, no man was to be in the same house with a leper. The moral law forbids us to enter into a house full of the leprosy of sin. Her house is full of snares, and her hands are as bands (that which binds or confines!). The devil glances in her smiles, and lurks in her dress and in her motions. He is there, ready to discharge at you his fiery darts of temptation (Eph 6:16, cf Ge 4:5-7); and to aid his efforts, you have much combustible matter about you. Dare you then promise yourself that the fire of licentious passion shall not be kindled, and blown up into a flame that you cannot quench (James 1:15-17). The devil will tempt you enough without your own help. To tempt is his business. As you love your life and your own soul, give him no assistance in the work of destruction. (Lawson's Exposition of Proverbs - Spurgeon said "A thoroughly sound and useful commentary. Lawson wrote popularly and vigorously.") Proverbs 5:9 Or you will give your vigor to others and your years to the cruel one; Pr 6:29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35; Ge 38:23, 24, 25, 26; Jdg 16:19, 20, 21; Neh 13:26; Ho 4:13,14 The Amplified renders it = Pr 5:9 Lest you give your honor (ESV) to others and your years to those without mercy. Bridges - (Pr 5:9-14) Such is the picture of sin—its "pleasure but for a season," "its wages death eternal." (Heb 11:25, Ro 6:23) Every sin unrepented here will bring its perpetual torment in eternity. Impenitence does not put away its sorrow. It only delays it to mourn at the last, when mercy shall have fled away forever (Pr 1:24-30), and nothing will remain, but the piercing cry of the accusing conscience—"Son! remember." (Lk 16:25) There are no infidels in eternity, and but few on a death-bed. Sinner—the path of life is now open to thee. Ponder it anxiously—prayerfully. The light of the word, and the teaching of the Spirit guide thee to it. (Proverbs 5 Exposition) What happens if you go near the fires of temptation (the door of her house)? Solomon says it will cost you vigor in your life and take years off your life. Vigor (01935) (hod) means splendor, majesty, dignity or vigor. These meanings lead to different translations of the one who fails to heed the warning, one translation stating that this person will lose honor, reputation and respect (certainly true in the evangelical community when a pastor falls) or that one gives away his active strength of body and mind (which is also certainly the experience of those who fall prey to an adulteress.) Pastor Steven Cole relates the sad saga of a pastor friend who experienced loss of vigor and how God used this tragedy to awaken him (Pastor Cole) to the dangers of sexual immorality.
Provérbios 5
Wiersbe writes that the man who fails to heed Solomon's advice "discovers that the woman's husband is a cruel man who demands that he pay for what he's done, so the adulterer ends up giving his strength to others and toiling away to pay his debt. Instead of luxury, the sinner has misery; instead of riches, poverty; instead of success, ruin; and instead of a good reputation, the name of an adulterer. He looks back and wishes he had listened to his parents and his spiritual instructors, but his wishes can't change his wretched situation. Yes, God in His grace will forgive his sins if he repents, but God in His government sees to it that he reaps what he sows. Matthew
Provérbios 5:1-14
Wiersbe says that upon... hearing the Seventh Commandment, many people in contemporary society smile nonchalantly and ask, "What's wrong with premarital or extramarital sex, or any other kind, for that matter?" After all, they argue, many people indulge in these things and seem to get away with it. Furthermore, these activities are more acceptable today than they were in Solomon's day; why make a big issue out of it? "Life is a game in which the rules are constantly changing," says a contemporary writer; "nothing spoils a game more than those who take it seriously."[ Quentin Crisp wrote this in Manners from Heaven, chapter 7]. So, the verdict's in: sex is fun, so don't take it too seriously... Sexual sin is one of the main themes of numerous movies, TV programs, novels, and short stories; yet popularity is no test of right and wrong. Many things that the law says are legal, the Bible says are evil, and there won't be a jury sitting at the White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11, 12, 13, 14, 15-notes; Rev 21:27-note; Rev 22:15-note). Wisdom and understanding are mentioned together in the context of a God glorifying marriage... By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 And by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. (Pr 24:3,4) My wisdom - Remember that you are giving ear to the one of whom God Himself said Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. (1Ki 3:12) Wisdom (02451) (chokmah - see word study or hokmah) as used in this context describes the ability to see something from God’s viewpoint. Wisdom is “God’s character in the many practical affairs of life.” We can get information "on line" but wisdom is from "on high" (through His Word)! God's wisdom is not theoretical knowledge but is that which is worked out in a proper discernment between good and evil or right and wrong. Fools may acquire encyclopedic information, but they cannot attain wisdom because they fail to take God into account. Wisdom is not acquired by a mechanical formula but in the final analysis through a right relationship with God (Pr 9:10, Jas 3:15, 16, 17, 18). In the present context, God's wisdom helps guard the heart and mind of a man against the wiles of an adulteress. The preciousness of wisdom is seen in the following verses - Job 28:16, Ps 105:22 Pr 3:13, 14; 5:1; 7:4; 8:11; 14:24; 16:16; 19:8; 24:7; 24:14; Eccl 2:13; 7:11; 7:19; 8:1; 9:16; 9:18; 10:10. Matthew Henry has this wise statement on wisdom... It is better to get wisdom than gold. Gold is another's, wisdom is our own; gold is for the body and time, wisdom for the soul and eternity. John Calvin said that... Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. Vance Havner - If you lack knowledge, go to school. If you lack wisdom, get on your knees! Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is the proper use of knowledge. Wisdom from Wiersbe - God created sex not only for reproduction but also for enjoyment, and he didn't put the 'marriage wall' around sex to rob us of pleasure but to increase pleasure and protect it. Understanding (08394)(tebunah from bin = to discern) refers to insight or knowledge which is superior to the mere gathering of data. Understanding is the capacity for discerning a right course of action when presented with various sources of input and various options. Understanding in Baker's Evangelical Dictionary There are 42 uses of tebuna/tebunah primarily in the "Wisdom" literature - Ex 31:3; 35:31; 36:1; Deut. 32:28; 1Ki 4:29; 7:14; Job 12:12, 13; 26:12; 32:11; Ps 49:3; 78:72; 136:5; 147:5; Pr. 2:2, 3, 6, 11; 3:13, 19; 5:1; 8:1; 10:23; 11:12; 14:29; 15:21; 17:27; 18:2; 19:8; 20:5; 21:30; 24:3; 28:16; Is 40:14, 28; 44:19; Je 10:12; 51:15; Ezek 28:4; Hos. 13:2; Ob 1:7, 8. Here are all the uses on Proverbs... (Prov 2:2) Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; (Prov 2:3) For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; (Prov 2:6) For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Prov 2:11) Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you, (Prov 3:13) How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. (Prov 3:19) The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens. (Prov 5:1) My son, give attention to my wisdom, Incline your ear to my understanding; (Prov 8:1) Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice? (Prov 10:23) Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool, And so is wisdom to a man of understanding. (Prov 11:12) He who despises his neighbor lacks sense, But a man of understanding keeps silent. (Prov 14:29) He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly. (Prov 15:21) Folly is joy to him who lacks sense, But a man of understanding walks straight. (Prov 17:27) He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. (Prov 18:2) A fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind. (Prov 19:8) He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good. (Prov 20:5) A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out. (Prov 21:30) There is no wisdom and no understanding And no counsel against the LORD. (Prov 24:3) By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; (Prov 28:16) A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding, But he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days. Understanding implies a mental grasp of the nature and significance of something, along with discernment and good judgment. In short, it is common sense and not the mere accumulation and possession of knowledge ("head knowledge"). Think of understanding as the ability to "put the pieces together" and make sense out of it all! Paul prays for the Colossian saints a prayer that relates to Solomon's words that we would all do well to pray for one another... For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, (why? what difference should this make in my Christian life?) 10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (note how knowledge obeyed not only leads to fruit that endures but also leads to increasing knowledge of God! cp Ps 16:11 How great is that reward? cp similar thought on the relationship of knowing and doing in Jn 7:17) ; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. (Col 1:9-12 - see notes) I like how the great British preacher and hymn writer (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross) Isaac Watts defined understanding... By understanding I mean that faculty whereby we are enabled to apprehend the objects of knowledge, generals or particulars, absent or present, and to judge of their truth or falsehood, good or evil. The 1828 Webster's Dictionary says that understanding is - The faculty of the human mind by which it apprehends the real state of things presented to it, or by which it receives or comprehends the ideas which others express and intend to communicate. The understanding is called also the intellectual faculty. It is the faculty by means of which we obtain a great part of our knowledge. Today in the Word - The state of sexual morality in America is not good. The number of unmarried couples living together has increased at least tenfold since 1960. Casual sex, “hook-ups,” and “friends with benefits” are more popular than ever. Against this background, the call of Proverbs 5 to faithfulness in marriage is more timely than ever! God has designed the marriage relationship to be exclusive and fulfilling (vv. 15–20). That is, marriage is one man and one woman, for life (Gen. 2:23–24). A man should be satisfied with his own wife and not led astray by the deceiving pleasures of adultery. The imagery in these verses is clearly sexual, as in the Song of Songs. Being satisfied with your wife’s breasts is as erotic as it sounds (Pr 5:19). The sexual intimacy described in these verses is ultimately relational intimacy, “never to be shared with strangers” (Pr 5:17; cf. 1 Cor. 7:3–5). The temptation to sexual immorality promises much but is empty in the end (Pr 5:1–14). “The lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall” (Pr 5:3–4). A person of discretion is not fooled. The seductress’s path is crooked and leads only to ruin and destruction. To chase after her is to abandon wisdom and self-discipline. Self-control and a spirit open to correction are key to resisting this kind of temptation (Pr 5:12–14, 23). The bottom line is that God sees all and is not deceived (Pr 5:21–23). Sinful ways are a snare and end in death. Foolishness and a lack of self-discipline lead one away from the path of life. APPLY THE WORD - One Christian book on marriage is The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God, by Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller (Dutton, 2011). The introduction states that this book is for both married and unmarried people, because all Christians need to understand what the Bible teaches on this important subject. Mark Copeland's Executable Outlines - Proverbs... INTRODUCTION 1. Earlier in his discourses on wisdom, Solomon warned of being delivered from an immoral woman... a. The seductress who flatters with her words - Pr 2:16 b. Who forsakes her husband and forgets her covenant with God - Pr 2:17 c. Whose home and paths leads to death - Pr 2:18-19 2. Similar warnings are repeated in these discourses of Solomon ... a. In chapters five, six, and seven b. Such repetition implies that the danger is great c. It was a serious problem in Solomon’s day, certainly no less today [In chapter five, we read of “The Peril Of Adultery”. Beginning with a call to pay attention (Pr 5:1- 2), we are warned about...] I. THE PROMISE OF ADULTERY A. THE FALSE PROMISE... 1. It sounds and feels good at first - Pr 5:3 2. For such enticement involves flattery - cf. Pr 2:16; 6:24; 7:21 3. And forbidden fruit is always tempting - e.g., Gen 3:6 -- Adultery promises much, but what does it deliver? B. THE REAL PROMISE... 1. The end of adultery is sharp bitterness - Pr 5:4 2. The real promise is death followed by condemnation - Pr 5:5; cf. He 13:4 3. Thus the ways of adultery are unstable, unknowable - Pr 5:6-- Adultery delivers, but not what it promises! [To appreciate what adultery really delivers, we are next told of...] II. THE PRICE OF ADULTERY A. IT COSTS YOUR WEALTH... 1. Solomon pleads with his children to stay away from the immoral woman - Pr 5:7-8 2. His first reason: “Lest you give your honor to others...” - Pr 5:9a 3. He reiterates: “Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, And your labors go to the house of a foreigner.” - Pr 5:10-- Alimony and child support can eat away at your finances B. IT COSTS YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH... 1. Solomon’s second reason: “...and your years to the cruel one.” - Pr 5:9b 2. He adds: “And you mourn at last, when your flesh and body are consumed.” - Pr 5:11 3. Bacterial STDs (e.g., Chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea) are often brought on by immorality 4. Viral STDs (e.g., genital herpes, Hepatitis B, AIDS) are incurable-- Sexually transmitted diseases can eat away at your body C. IT COSTS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH... 1. You will be filled with self-recrimination: “How I hated instruction, and my heart despised correction! I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!” - Pr 5:12-13 2. You will not forget what your parents, teachers, preachers, and true friends told you 3. As you recall the violent affects of divorce on your spouse (and on your children who will likely suffer the worst), you will berate your stupidity! - cf. Mal 2:16 -- Your conscience can eat away at your peace of mind D. IT COSTS YOUR REPUTATION... 1. As suggested by these words: “I was on the verge of total ruin, in the midst of the assembly and congregation.” - Pr 5:14 2. People do not take lightly the sin of adultery - cf. Pr 6:27-35 3. Can a person be trusted who would lie to their spouse? -- Your unfaithfulness can eat away at your reputation [Adultery destroys one’s wealth, body, soul, and reputation. Forgiveness is possible (1 Co 6:9-11), but many affects of adultery continue throughout one’s life. Much better, therefore, to take to heart...] III. THE PREVENTION OF ADULTERY A. LOVE YOUR SPOUSE... 1. Rejoice with the wife of your youth; be enraptured by her love - Pr 5:15-19; cf. Ecc 9:9 a. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church - Ep 5:25,28 b. Wives, learn to love your husbands - Ti 2:3-4 2. Why be enraptured by an adulteress (adulterer) and seductress (seducer)? - Pr 5:20 a. One’s true character is revealed by their immorality b. If they commit adultery with you, they are likely to commit adultery against you! -- Enraptured love is commanded, which means it can be learned (and relearned) B. LOVE YOUR LORD... 1. The Lord is omniscient, and sins will have their effect - Pr 5:21-23 a. He sees all - Pr 15:3 b. God will judge fornicators and adulterers - He 13:4 c. When one sins against the Lord, their sins will be exposed - Num 32:23 2. How much better to love the Lord, and be loyal to Him a. He looks for those loyal to Him - cf. 2 Chr 16:9; Mt 22:37 b. Joseph’s devotion to God prevented him from being tempted - cf. Gen 39:7-10 c. The Lord blessed Joseph because of his faithfulness - cf. Gen 39:21; 41:50-52 -- Those who love the Lord foremost, love their spouses forever! CONCLUSION 1. The promise of adultery is deceptive... a. It promises pleasure b. It really promises death and condemnation 2. The price of adultery is terrible... a. Which too many learn by sad experience b. Which all can avoid by heeding God’s Word 3. The prevention of adultery is possible when our love is in the right place... a. Loving the Lord with all our heart b. Loving our spouses with God’s blessing Heed the wisdom of Solomon regarding “The Peril Of Adultery”, and we will not destroy our lives with misdirected affection...! Proverbs 5:2 That you may observe discretion and your lips may reserve knowledge. Pr 10:21; 15:2,7; 16:23; 20:15; Psalms 45:2; 71:15; 119:13; Song of Solomon 4:11; Malachi 2:6,7 That you may exercise proper discrimination and discretion and your lips may guard and keep knowledge and the wise answer [to temptation]. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) Warren Wiersbe says God did not "put the "marriage wall" around sex to rob us of pleasure but to increase pleasure and protect it. In this chapter, Solomon explains the disappointments that come when people violate God's loving laws of sexual purity. Bridges - Man's own strength, the restraint of education or self-discipline, is powerless, as the green withes to bind the giant. (Jdg 16:9.) Engrafted wisdom is the only effectual safe-guard. This heavenly influence teaches us, both to regard discretion for the covering of our souls, and to keep knowledge for the warning of our fellow-sinners. (Pr 2:10, 11, 16; 6:20, 24; 7:1-5. Ps 17:4; 119:9, 11.) (Proverbs 5 Exposition) Discretion (04209) (mezimmah) is used 8 times in Proverbs and 4 times is used with the meaning of discretion or prudence (Pr 1:4, 2:11, 3:21, 5:2). Note especially Pr 2:11 ("discretion will watch over you") which pictures discretion as a guard who goes with us wherever we go to protect us from danger. That you may observe discretion - The word "that" identifies this as an introduction by Solomon to the virtuous consequence of Pr 5:1. Solomon's point is that discretion, the ability to make responsible decisions and judge critically what is correct and proper, is intimately related to giving attention to Biblical wisdom and understanding. As Matthew
Provérbios 5:1-14
Wiersbe comments that "Temptation always includes hopeful promises; otherwise, people would never take the devil's bait. For a time, it seems like these promises have been fulfilled, and sinners bask in the sunshine of pleasant experiences and false assurances. This is what family counselor J. Allan Petersen calls, "the myth of the greener grass." [from The Myth of the Greener Grass, by J. Allan Petersen (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale, 1983), is one of the best books from a biblical point of view on understanding and preventing extramarital affairs and healing marriages that have been violated by them. As every pastor knows, more of this kind of sin goes on in local churches than we dare openly admit.] People who commit sexual sins think their problems are solved ("She understands me so much better than my wife does!") and that life will get better and better. But disobedience to God's laws always brings sad consequences and sinners eventually pay dearly for their brief moments of pleasure. George Lawson - Pr 5:8. But what need is there for so much preciseness? May not a man be permitted to talk with her, merely by way of amusement? Is it unlawful to drink a glass in her house, and to satisfy our curiosity by observing what passes in it, and by what arts she contrives to seduce those who are less established in virtue than ourselves? Yes; it is unlawful to have the least correspondence with her. By the requirements of the ceremonial law, no man was to be in the same house with a leper. The moral law forbids us to enter into a house full of the leprosy of sin. Her house is full of snares, and her hands are as bands (that which binds or confines!). The devil glances in her smiles, and lurks in her dress and in her motions. He is there, ready to discharge at you his fiery darts of temptation (Eph 6:16, cf Ge 4:5-7); and to aid his efforts, you have much combustible matter about you. Dare you then promise yourself that the fire of licentious passion shall not be kindled, and blown up into a flame that you cannot quench (James 1:15-17). The devil will tempt you enough without your own help. To tempt is his business. As you love your life and your own soul, give him no assistance in the work of destruction. (Lawson's Exposition of Proverbs - Spurgeon said "A thoroughly sound and useful commentary. Lawson wrote popularly and vigorously.") Proverbs 5:9 Or you will give your vigor to others and your years to the cruel one; Pr 6:29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35; Ge 38:23, 24, 25, 26; Jdg 16:19, 20, 21; Neh 13:26; Ho 4:13,14 The Amplified renders it = Pr 5:9 Lest you give your honor (ESV) to others and your years to those without mercy. Bridges - (Pr 5:9-14) Such is the picture of sin—its "pleasure but for a season," "its wages death eternal." (Heb 11:25, Ro 6:23) Every sin unrepented here will bring its perpetual torment in eternity. Impenitence does not put away its sorrow. It only delays it to mourn at the last, when mercy shall have fled away forever (Pr 1:24-30), and nothing will remain, but the piercing cry of the accusing conscience—"Son! remember." (Lk 16:25) There are no infidels in eternity, and but few on a death-bed. Sinner—the path of life is now open to thee. Ponder it anxiously—prayerfully. The light of the word, and the teaching of the Spirit guide thee to it. (Proverbs 5 Exposition) What happens if you go near the fires of temptation (the door of her house)? Solomon says it will cost you vigor in your life and take years off your life. Vigor (01935) (hod) means splendor, majesty, dignity or vigor. These meanings lead to different translations of the one who fails to heed the warning, one translation stating that this person will lose honor, reputation and respect (certainly true in the evangelical community when a pastor falls) or that one gives away his active strength of body and mind (which is also certainly the experience of those who fall prey to an adulteress.) Pastor Steven Cole relates the sad saga of a pastor friend who experienced loss of vigor and how God used this tragedy to awaken him (Pastor Cole) to the dangers of sexual immorality.
Provérbios 5:1-14
Wiersbe writes that the man who fails to heed Solomon's advice "discovers that the woman's husband is a cruel man who demands that he pay for what he's done, so the adulterer ends up giving his strength to others and toiling away to pay his debt. Instead of luxury, the sinner has misery; instead of riches, poverty; instead of success, ruin; and instead of a good reputation, the name of an adulterer. He looks back and wishes he had listened to his parents and his spiritual instructors, but his wishes can't change his wretched situation. Yes, God in His grace will forgive his sins if he repents, but God in His government sees to it that he reaps what he sows. Matthew
Provérbios 5:15-23
Wiersbe writes that "When a husband and wife are faithful to the Lord and to each other, and when they obey Scriptures like 1Cor 7:1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and Ep 5:22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, neither of them will look for satisfaction anywhere else. If they love each other and seek to please each other and the Lord, their relationship will be one of deepening joy and satisfaction; they won't look around for "the greener grass." George Lawson - Pr 5:20, 21. Is it a pleasure to men to affront their Judge, and to provoke the vengeance of an Almighty arm? Will they prefer these poor, and spiritless, and unsatisfying pleasures which he forbids, to those pure delights which are licensed by his goodness? Remember, sinners, that God is present in your close retreats of wickedness! You see him not, because you are blind, but your stupidity cannot banish an omnipresent Deity; your bars and bolts cannot exclude him who fills heaven and earth. Darkness hideth not from him of whom it is said, “The day is thine, the night also is thine.” Why should men dare to affront Jehovah, their Maker and their Judge, by doing that in his presence, which they would be ashamed to do in the presence of a child? God will not be mocked. He will punish the wanton glance, and the lascivious thought. Where, then, shall they appear who indulge themselves in acts of criminality? Will a thief steal in the presence of the judge, and yet hope to escape vengeance? And shall abandoned sinners flatter themselves with the thought of escaping the damnation of hell, from Him who will come to judgment, and will be a swift witness against adulterers (Mal. 3:5. Heb. 13:4)? Sinners think that they will repent, after having for a while enjoyed the pleasures of sin,—pitiable delusion! (Lawson's Exposition of Proverbs - Spurgeon said "A thoroughly sound and useful commentary. Lawson wrote popularly and vigorously.") Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He watches all his paths. Eyes of the LORD (see below) - Pr 15:3; 2Chr 16:9; Job 31:4; 34:21; Ps 11:4; 17:3; 139:1-12; Je 16:17; Jer 17:10; Jer 23:24; 32:19; Ho 7:2; Heb 4:13+; Rev 2:18,23 Proverbs 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries GOD'S OMNIPRESENCE - COMFORTING & CONVICTING For - Always pause and ponder this strategic term of explanation - Ask (and attempt to answer) at least one simple question - "What is the writer explaining?" Remember that when you find a "for" at the beginning of a verse, it is usually (not 100% - check the context = Keep Context King) a term of explanation. In Proverbs 5-7 there a several "for's" for you to pause and ponder. (Pr 5:3, 20, 21, Pr 6:23, 26, 34, Pr 7:6, 19, 26). As an aside there are over 9000 occurrences of for in the NASB, which should give you many opportunities to practice (and make "perfect") the discipline of interrogating the Biblical text (See interrogate with the 5W/H questions). As believers we should love the comforting attribute of God's omnipresence, for as Isaac Watts said so poetically… Within thy circling power I stand; On every side I find Thy hand; Awake, asleep, at home, abroad, I am surrounded still with God.