Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20110605.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Proverbs: Motivating Teens And Adults To Align With God's Fixed Moral Order
Part II: Explaining The Value Of Heeding God's Fixed Moral Order, Proverbs 1:8-9:18
J. Motivating Maturing Teens To Handle Human Sexuality Very Carefully
(Proverbs 5:1-23)
  1. Introduction
    1. Human sexuality is a potent force: the Song of Solomon 8:7 in the context of lovemaking between a bride and groom claims many waters cannot quench it. Thus, its abuse is ruinous and its proper use is edifying.
    2. Accordingly, Solomon gave instruction to his maturing son on handling his sexuality in Proverbs 5:1-23, a passage applicable especially to young, maturing adults, but also for adults of all ages (as follows):
  2. Motivating Maturing Teens To Handle Human Sexuality Very Carefully, Proverbs 5:1-23.
    1. In Proverbs 5:1-2, Solomon called his son to be attentive to his words of wisdom, to keep discretion and to guard knowledge about the charge he was about to make.
    2. That charge in Proverbs 5:3-6 was for Solomon's son to identify the woman who is immoral so as to avoid her, a lesson that is also applicable to a daughter who needs to avoid the immoral man (as follows):
      1. Warning Sign One: though the words of the immoral party "drip honey" (ESV) and are "smoother than oil," i. e., they are full of enticing, easily applied ideas on sexual gratification (Pr. 5:3a,b), the party in the end is harsh, destructive and dangerous to one's life (Pr. 5:4-5), and this great discrepancy between her or his alluring speech and dreadful end behavior is a warning sign. (cf. Genesis 39:7, 10, 11-20)
      2. Warning Sign Two: an immoral party does not ponder her or his path, Prov. 5:6a NIV. (Gen. 39:7-9a)
      3. Warning Sign Three: an immoral party is unaware that her or his path errs, Pr. 5:6b NIV. (Gen. 39:9b)
    3. Solomon then advised how to respond to an immoral person's advance, Proverbs 5:7-8: once the immoral party is identified, one must avoid her or him, for an immoral party is powerfully equipped to influence others to self-destruct in sin, so avoiding her or him is absolutely necessary, Pr. 5:7-8. (Genesis 39:11-12)
    4. The horrible effects of being led by the immoral party into sin are listed in Proverbs 5:9-14 to motivate Solomon's son to heed his advice on identifying and avoiding the immoral party (as follows):
      1. Sexual immorality causes one to lose his strength to others, Proverbs 5:9a NIV.
      2. Sexual immorality will enslave the years of one's life to cruel people, Proverbs 5:9b NIV.
      3. Sexual immorality will cause one to lose all his wealth and get in debt to others, Proverbs 5:10 NIV.
      4. Finally, sexual immorality will cause one to suffer physical ruin and remorse over failing to heed discipline, correction and teaching as he faces humiliation and public ruin, Proverbs 5:11-14 NIV.
    5. However, human sexuality is itself a healthy force as God Himself created it (Gen. 1:27-28), so Solomon explained that his son should always meet all of his sexual needs within upright marriage, Prov. 5:15-19:
      1. Proverbs 5:16 should be in the form of a rhetorical question as in the NIV to ask why one's fountains and rivers should flow in the streets. Thus, Proverbs 5:15-16 NIV contrasts the blessing of private sexual gratification in marriage (meeting one's "t hirst" from his own "cistern" and "well", verse 15) opposite resorting to immorality (drinking water from springs that overflow into a city street, verse 16): springs that overflow into the city street pick up contaminants, irritate city residents and publicly humiliate the springs' owner precisely like immorality affects those who get involved in it!
      2. Proverbs 5:17-19 explains sexual fulfillment is always to occur in one's original, private marriage: opposite the world's idea, gaining gratification by one's original spouse is always possible.
    6. Solomon again warned about immorality to motivate his son to follow his advice, Proverbs 5:20-23:
      1. Asking rhetorically why his son should commit immorality (Prov. 5:20), Solomon noted God sees all a man does, and ponders all his ways with the implication that God will judge him, Prov. 5:21. Thus, it is foolish for anyone to have a secret affair or even to gratify his needs by pornography, Matt. 5:27-28!
      2. Also, the immoral actions of a man ensnare him, binding him fast, and he ends up dying prematurely for a lack of discipline because the folly of immorality has led him astray into ruin, Proverbs 5:22-23.
Lesson: Human sexuality is a potent force that if abused is very destructive and if used rightly is a great blessing, so Solomon directed that human sexuality be handled in marriage with great, righteous care.

Application: May we realize the potency of human sexuality and handle it with great, upright care.