As we begin this series, please be mindful that topics discussed are mature in content. I know some of you share the devotional’s with your children or grandchildren.
Proverbs 5:15-19:
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well. (This refers to one’s spouse.)
16 Should your springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water in the streets? (This refers to man’s sperm and children from an affair.)
17 Let them be for yourself alone (with your spouse),
and not for strangers with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
and rejoice in the wife of your youth (This speaks to the longevity that marriage is supposed to be.),
19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;
be thou ravished always in her love.
Thank you for your comments on this series. Undoubtedly, hearing another voice on this subject, rather than what the television idol has to say, is refreshing. Such is truth to our soul. It is not always easy to implement, but as you read the progression from last week’s to this week’s verses, who does not want Verse 19 to be part of their marriage? For Verse 19 to be true, however, all of the above verses must also be in practice. We are not just talking about sex on a physical level, but sex in the mind—fantasies as we call them—must end, along with viewing explicit material. Without addressing the “whole man,” your “physical waters” may be “your own,” but they can be “scattered abroad” in your mind. Jesus was questioned on the topic of infidelity, and his comment shocked the religious leaders of his day, as I am sure it will rock some of our boats as well. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (vice versa for the ladies) (Matthew 5:27-28). This verse draws a straight line and raises the bar considerably. There is a saying: “You can look but don’t touch.” This does not work with Jesus, and it should not be acceptable to us. To look (lust) will in time lead to touch.
Christianity is not a smorgasbord where we can pick and choose what we want to believe or obey and justify or ignore the rest. That is like saying you are 95 percent virgin—you either are or you are not. This washed-out version of Christianity is the reason many of us have not the power of the Holy Spirit within us. We have compromised our faith, or we were never truly “Born Again.” Remember, God is not forcing us to go His way. We are free to choose. Christianity is by invitation. There is no one coercing us to believe; however, once we publically claim the name of Christ, then by our own profession, the “obligation” to let the truth live through us is there. Is this to say that we have to walk a perfect line? No, a thousand times no, but it does mean that both heart and mind, to the best of our understanding, have yielded (surrendered) to the truth we know. Our rightful response, therefore, is to grow our faith, and just like anything else we want to get good at, it requires time and practice. If we view faith like a college class and the Holy Spirit as the teacher, then we need to show up for “class” (personal devotions) with Bible in hand and a readied heart and mind to learn. You will learn, and change will become evident. If this foundation of study is not built into us—that it is God’s Grace that CHANGES US as we give Him time—then all of what we are discussing will be set upon sand. In time, as we try to walk the walk of faith by our own strength, our foundation will crumble. For the temptation to be unfaithful, be it in mind or in body, is beyond the strength of one’s will. We must become “supernatural” by living in the grace and fullness of the Lord.
“Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be thou ravished always in her love.” The language in this is very intimate. The word “fountain” is symbolic of the man’s penis; to be “blessed” is to confine its use to one’s wife, physically and mentally; “a lovely deer, a graceful doe” refers to the enticement of the woman’s beauty in marital love; and “let her breasts fill (satisfy) you at all times” means to be drenched, soaked, or to drink to one’s fill (definitions for satisfied). It gets better: “Be thou ravished always in her love.” Ravished means: “to become intoxicated, to reel, to be under the influence.” This is strong language, extremely sexual and fully charged with all the heights of human emotion a man or woman has been created to have. There is such a misconception that God is a puritan in His approach to sex. It is as if He says, “You can have sex to have children, but shame on you if you have it beyond that.” As proven by these scriptures, that is so far from the truth; however, as mentioned earlier, for this to occur, the other verses must be active in our lives. By active, I do not mean perfect. Active means that there is an agreement in us that they are right, and by God’s grace, we are working through our humanness till God’s Grace overcomes our weaknesses.
May this study be an encouragement to us but also a strong warning that the enemy is always trying to counterfeit God’s way. If beauty and sex were a “stand-alone act,” why do all the sexual icons of our day marry and remarry? Apparently, sex alone is not strong enough to keep two people from divorcing. We must go deeper, beyond skin, and those of you who have good marriages understand that a lot goes into a relationship so that intimacy is what it was meant to be. Forgiveness is fundamental; kindness should be routine; and loving friendship needs to be the bond that moves us forward with sex as the reward for it all. In this context, no extramarital affair can compete. The heart is full. There is no room or need to look outside of one’s marriage, but it takes work, and first and foremost an active faith, where routine times in the scriptures and prayer renews one’s faith. Even if our marriages don’t fit these verses, and there could be multiple reasons as to why, be encouraged that as you remain faithful to the Lord, this is the goal and direction He wants for your marriage. Hang in there! Give your concerns to God in prayer and trust him and thank him. The following is an encouraging verse found in Psalms 50:23: “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly, I will show the salvation of God.”
Father God,
This is a lot of truth, and it will take time to process, but let’s start at the beginning, making sure of our salvation, or a least admitting to ourselves that we have not fully surrendered to you and start prayerfully working through those obstacles. You love us regardless, and You purchased our salvation “while we were yet sinners.” How much more are we invited to come before you and work out the obstacles that keep us from fully trusting you? Let us not fear a God who spread out his arms, abandoning all power and majesty, to demonstrate his undying love for us by receiving our punishment for sin. Rather, if we are to fear, let us fear not coming to such love. Thank You and Amen.
Walk forward into God’s Grace – Arthur