Daily Bible Study

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Day 14 Proverbs 5 Proverbs 5:1 My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: 2 That thou may regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. 3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: 4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. 6 Lest thou should ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou can not know them. 7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. 8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: 9 Lest thou give thine honor unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: 10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labors be in the house of a stranger; 11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, 12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; 13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me! 14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. 15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. 16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. 17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee. 18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. 19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. 20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? 21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his goings. 22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be held with the cords of his sins. 23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray. Fidelity is a problem in today’s society. Marriage is something only considered after a man and woman have lived with each other for a number of years, and then it might not be considered at all. Divorce statistics are about 50%. Men and women have this idea that it’s okay to live with someone and then change partners when life gets a little tough for them, and they move on to another partner. It’s almost like a game of musical chairs. The problem with that is due to so much change in relationships, sexually transmitted disease runs rampant in today’s society. It must have been a problem in Solomon’s day as well. After admonishing his son to stay away from people who will lead him astray, he goes on to admonish him about prostitutes who will lead him away from his marriage bed. Solomon told his son the signs to look for in a strange woman. 1. She was a smooth talker 2. She would cut him as a two-edged sword 3. Her end led to Hell 4. She would gain his wealth Instead he admonished his son to be faithful to the wife of his youth, and let her satisfy him and no one else. Solomon also told him that God weighed the actions of every person and those who led others astray found their eternal destiny in Hell. What would happen if marriage today lasted until death us do part and there wasn’t any option for divorce? What would happen if prostitutes were punished as criminals for leading men away from their wives? And not just women, but male prostitutes as well? What would your life be like it you had to tough it out and not jump ship at the first hint of trouble? When God handed down the law to Moses, he allowed for divorce because the hearts of men were wicked. Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees on that issue. Matthew 19:3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8 He said unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery: and whoso marries her which is put away doth commit adultery. God’s law is very strict when it comes to marriage. There isn’t room for divorce except in one case – fornication or adultery. Jesus further warned that anyone who married a woman who had been divorced due to adultery, also committed adultery. Marriage was for life. Paul also had something to say on the issue of marriage and divorce. 1 Corinthians 7:10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. 12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believes not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 13 And the woman which hath a husband that believes not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. 15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 16 For what know thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? Or how know thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? As Christians, we have been given one loop hole, if you will, regarding marriage and divorce. If an unbeliever marries a believer and wants a divorce they are allowed. But if they decide to work it out and stay together, then they are to remain together. Solomon admonished his son in only one aspect of marriage – stay true to your wife and don’t go astray to strange women. He would suffer the consequences of his actions. As Christians, we too will suffer the consequences of our actions if we allow our flesh to control us and not the Word of God. We are to remain faithful to our spouse and to God. In that way God will bless us and the path in front of us will lead to eternal life. Satan’s mission for all Christians is to destroy the marriage. He succeeds when men and women let their flesh guide them and not the Word of God. John 10:10 The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Jesus offers us abundant life. When we take hold of God’s Word and the promises contained in it, and live out our lives with the husband or wife of our youth, God will bless us. Let’s pray: Father, help me remain faithful to the person you provided for me as my life partner. Keep my eyes from straying where they have no business going, so that I will receive your blessings on my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 20 September 2016 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay