Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
William Arnot observed, “A painter lays down a dark ground to lean his picture on, and thereby brings its beauty out.” This is what is happening here. The pleasures of marriage and family are painted in the brightest colours nature provides. The Holy Spirit passes from warnings against lust to commend chastity and marital fidelity, “Against the unholy passion to be shunned (Pr. 5:1-14), is set the holy-love to be cherished (Pr. 5:15-21).
The Lustful Way is Shamefully Exploitive. Since the Fall, conscience merely acts as a monitor. It teaches us to perform in good faith, as being right, that which we do; but it does not of itself supply an independent rule of right. “Doing as well as we know how” is not enough, unless we know what is right and do it. God never tells us merely to do our best, or act according to our knowledge. It is our duty to know what is right, and to do it. We are responsible for knowing prior to doing. It is the admitted refusal to obey the best instruction of godly teachers that is in view of these verses. Guilt is the God-given warning of wrong contemplated or committed. Self-will silences what’s left of a seared conscience. This leads to grief, loss and shame. Here, Solomon describes these emotions.
The Lustful way is Senselessly Destructive. These verses give, in vivid detail, the anguish an adulterer brings upon himself by yielding to lust. Our Blessed Lord warned that even a lustful look can lead to sin. Here again the appeal is given: Listen! Don’t forget! Note that it is plural, O my children, my sons, my daughters (Pr. 4:1)! The appeal is addressed to all, for few can say with Paul, None of these things move me (Acts 20:24).
Her end, is literally her afterwards, for surely there is an end (Pr. 23:18). Proverbs uses this word frequently in order that we may not forget that everything has a finale for good or ill. Don’t be deceived by beginnings; it’s the end that counts (Pr. 5:11; Num. 24:20; 1 Tim. 4:1). However sugary beginning with her may be, the end will surely be sour for all.
A “Morality in the Media” booklet states, in part, “The traffic in pornography and obscenity has reached frightening proportions in this country. The smallest cities and towns have been invaded by it… It pours in through the mails, TV, the Internet.” This is “America, the good,” whose Presidents still refer to God and the Bible as its foundation!
Chapters 5 through 7 are a warning against adultery (except 6:1-19). Matthew Henry say some take these verses figuratively as referring to spiritual adultery, that is, false doctrine, which corrupts men’s minds and affections. The primary scope, however, is to warn against ‘seventh-commandment’ sins, to which both youth and adults are so prone. These temptations are so violent, so many, and so destructive to the soul. We would gladly skip these verses, but it would be to our loss and peril. Let us not forget, as Martin Luther puts it, that “there is no estate to which Satan is more opposed to as marriage.”
You recall, we are to keep the heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (v.23). Either, out of your heart a poisonous stream is flowing (Mt. 15:19), or rivers of living (life-giving) waters (Jn. 7:38). From this Citadel flows the springs of life or death.
Keep thy heart with all diligence! Here is a paradox! We are commanded to do what we cannot, for no one can keep his own heart. “The greatest difficulty in conversion is to win the heart to God, and after conversion to keep it with Him” (Flavel). It is God’s work, but “our efforts are His instrumentality. He implants an active principle, and sustains the unceasing exercise” (Bridges). We know thoughts shape our character and conduct. Paul’s appeal in Romans 12:1-2 is to every faithful soldier on the Bulwarks.
In these verses that follow, there is, what Derek Kidner calls “a kind of medical inspection symbolised by the heart, mouth, eyes and feet,” but we prefer to treat it as a battle for the heart and soul of man.
Behind this familiar appeal sounds the echoing voice of God. Obviously we are dealing with more than human Wisdom here. This is nothing but the Voice of Heaven.