September 7 – Proverbs 5:15-23
Main Focus: Sexual Fulfillment
Proverbs 5 invites us into a conversation many of us didn’t have with our fathers and in it we see the heart of God for us, a good father loving on us and warning us of sexual folly in vv.1-14 and pointing us towards a vision of sexual fulfillment in the context of marriage (vv.15-23) All the warnings in the Bible about sex are designed around the idea that sex is good and the warnings there are to protect something that is powerful and fragile – it is not designed to suppress freedom.
The wife in vv.15-18 is pictured as the source of water in these images of “cistern,” “well,” “springs,” “streams,” and “fountain,” which is clear both in the repeated phrase from your own cistern/well and the conjunction of “your fountain” and the wife of your youth. The meaning of verse 16 calls us to imagine how he would feel if his wife were to commit adultery (Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets?) and to follow the principle of doing unto others what you would have done to you, i.e., be faithful to her as he wishes her to be faithful to him.
Proverbs calls unabashedly for seeking fulfillment in the sexual intimacy of marriage (Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight . . . be intoxicated) as the relational context where these desires are rightly fostered for the enjoyment (rejoice in the wife of your youth) and good (Let your fountain be blessed) of both husband and wife. To“be intoxicated,” means being “swept away” with delight in one’s wife.
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD (v.21) provides the grounds for the instruction of the chapter and acts as a reminder of the promises of God’s blessing if one stays on the good path. It also provides warning if one’s path is heading toward an end consistent with its nature. Being led astray by the forbidden woman can result in being held fast in sin and thus in a life that lays hold of the path leading to death.
Discussion questions
– According to Proverbs 5, how does Solomon contrast the consequences of forbidden sexual relationships with the blessings of marital faithfulness? What images and metaphors does he use to illustrate his points?
– In what ways does Proverbs 5 emphasize that sexual sin is not just a private matter but one that affects a person’s honor, resources, and future? How does this align with what we see in our world today?
– How does our culture’s view of sex compare with the wisdom of Proverbs 5? In what ways have you personally felt the tension between these two perspectives?
– What emotions arise as you reflect on how sexual sin has affected your own life or the lives of those around you? How does God’s grace, as seen in Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well (John 4), bring hope in the midst of brokenness?
– What practical steps can you take to “keep your way far” from temptation, as Solomon advises in Proverbs 5:8? What boundaries might need to be in place for you?
– How can the church better support a biblical sexual ethic while also extending grace to those who have strayed? What role can you play in fostering a culture that reflects both truth and love in this area?