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Wednesday 11 September 2013

Proverbs 5 - Sex

We now begin a series of "warnings". Wisdom involves both knowing the right things to do and knowing what to avoid. The first warning is against adultery, and I don't think it is pushing things too far to take this as a warning against all forms of sexual sin. Most people would have been married in those days so any sexual sin would most probably have been adultery. 
I have just googled "discretion" and one of the definitions is "The freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation". If we sin sexually we can be sure that one thing we will lose is freedom. Suddenly life becomes much more complicated, lies and deception start to rule. Sexual temptation may seem sweet but if we give in it will turn into a bitter poison. God created sex for one situation alone, marriage between a man and a woman. It is a very powerful thing and the marriage relationship is the only one that can contain it. Within marriage sex is creative and upbuilding, in all other situations it is utterly destructive. And those who are tempting others do not know what they are doing, they too are on the road to destruction.
So we must be careful to avoid sexual temptation. We need to steer far clear of it for it can easily draw us in.  If we do fall we lose dignity and honour. In the end we will regret it if we do not receive and learn from discipline.
Now this is not an anti-sex talk. Wisdom then urges the man to find sexual pleasure from his wife. Indeed it speaks highly of her beauty, and it expresses the wish that a man might find delight in his wife's breasts at all times (interestingly the Message translation doesn't even mention breasts). Can't say I have heard too many sermons on this verse, but the Bible really does have a very different perspective on sex to what most people think.
Finally, this chapter closes with a warning that all that we do is done in the full sight of God. We think some things are done in secret, but in reality all is done in full view of the Lord.

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