Proverbs 5

"He Dies for Lack of Discipline"

"He dies for lack of discipline."

We were warned earlier in 3:11, "do not despise the LORD's discipline."

Discipline can be either verbal or physical.

In 1:2 we were told that the proverbs are to help us "know wisdom and discipline"

(or instruction).

Sometimes discipline takes a verbal form: rebuke, admonition, etc.

Other times it has a more corporeal form!

With our children the goal of discipline is that they might learn the right way-

that they might heed our instruction and turn away from folly.

That is our heavenly Father's goal of discipline with us.

He has made his son perfect through suffering-

he has brought Jesus to maturity through training him.

Now he is working that work in you!

Proverbs 5-7 consists of four speeches from the father to his son.

We look tonight at the first.

1. Opening Call to Listen (5:1-6)

that your lips may guard knowledge:

not that you may keep it to yourself,

but that you may be a wise guardian of knowledge-

who knows when to speak and when to be silent.

But why is it so important that you listen?

What are you guarding knowledge for?

Because the day will come when you will need it.

The day will come when "the forbidden woman" (or "unchaste wife")

will seek to entice you.

Remember Joseph?

Potiphar's wife sought to entice him (Genesis 39:8-9).

How did he respond?

His lips guarded knowledge, and he spoke truly to her:

"My master...has put everything that he has in my charge.

He is not greater in this house than I am,

nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself

because you are his wife.

How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?"

The father now introduces his son to Folly.

He explains to his son, someday you will meet Potiphar's wife.

Folly is here portrayed as a woman offering easy sex.

Her seductive speech is smooth and sweet,

but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,

sharp as a two-edged sword.

(More literally, "a sword of mouths"--

in other words, the mouth that drips honey will prove a deathtrap)

In the end, there is nothing smooth or sweet about her.

[and if you are seeing double meanings in the text, don't be surprised-they are there!]

Her steps follow the path to Sheol.

Her steps lay hold of the grave.

All who go with her will end up with her!

And the reason for her deathly march

is that she does not watch the path of life,

her ways wander and she does not know it.

She does not know the path of life, nor does she even realize that she is on the path of death.

She wanders aimlessly in moral darkness, simply looking for "a good time"

"fulfillment," or her own selfish pleasure.

She has no home, no future and lacks any moral compass.

The unchaste wife exists on the internet, on television, and quite possibly in your neighborhood,

or in your workplace.

But her way is the way of death

Verses 7-14 explain the folly of adultery, both economically and socially,

Verses 15-20 set forth the positive direction,

and verses 21-23 explain the eternal consequences of adultery.

2. The Folly of Adultery (5:7-14)

While the father addresses his "sons" in verse 7, the verbs remain singular,

leading Bruce Waltke to suggest that "sons" is not referring to a group of sons,

but to a succession of sons-from father to son to grandson....to the reader,

who is being included in this spiritual succession.

Whereas the words of the forbidden woman's mouth are the way of death,

the "words of my mouth" are the way to life.

Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house

This is good advice.

Whenever folly is calling to you,

stay away from her door.

One of my seminary professors told the story of a man addicted to pornography-

who kept going back to the same store.

One of the first things his counselor told him to do was to avoid that street,

even if it meant going miles out of his way.

Do not go near the door of her house.

Lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, (9)

lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner (10)

The idea is that when others find out (because others will find out!)

then the adulteress's family could enslave you (some sort of extortion may be in view).

While the social situation may have changed, the statement is still true:

alimony, child support, broken homes, hurt, jealousy, venereal disease-

these are the results of the forbidden woman.

And so, the father says to his son,

if you choose this path, then you will say at the end of your life,

when your flesh and body are consumed,

"How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!

I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.

I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation."

Having expended your strength for that which was not yours,

you will finally learn the lesson you could have learned easily had you listened!

And that lesson will be learned publicly.

Adultery brings shame and disgrace before the assembled congregation.

The LORD disciplines those he loves.

Do you love his discipline?

Then listen to his instruction!

Well, if Proverbs 1-9 is all about how to learn wisdom so that you can walk before God

on the way of life,

then what should we learn from Proverbs 5?

Proverbs 5 offers us a very practical glimpse at the 2 ways.

When you fall into sin, you acknowledge that the problem is yourself.

(Note that the profligate does not blame the forbidden woman)

"How I hated discipline."

Don't go trying to blame other people or your situation.

There is always a way out-if you are willing to take it!

But as you repent, there are two steps:

1) turning away from sin (do not go near the door of her house)

2) turning to righteousness

3. The Wisdom of Marriage (5:15-20)

This second part is found in verses 15-20

(Read)

Once again, the euphemisms and double meanings are quite intentional!

There is a proper sexual relationship-

and indeed there is a proper joy and delight in that relation.

And, the father insists, this joy and delight only comes to its full expression in marriage.

The proper refreshment for the heat of passion is the cool water of your own cistern.

Verse 19 says that her breasts are to (literally) fill you at all times with delight

(the word actually means to "drench" or make saturated!).

At all times and in all ways you are to be intoxicated with her love (or caresses).

This word "intoxicated" is used three times in the last five verses.

It literally means to go astray unconsciously-which usually means while intoxicated,

but it can also be used of straying sheep meandering off.

It is not an inherently negative term.

But you are to be intoxicated always in her love.

Immediately after saying this in verse 19,

the father asks, "why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman?"

Why should you stray after another woman,

and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?

In light of the conjugal bliss with your blessed wife,

why on earth would you want to seek involvement with an adulteress?

It is the height-or shouldn't we rather say depth-of folly

to pursue adulterous rather than married love.

4. The Fatal Conclusion for the One Who Does Not Listen (5:21-23)

So far the focus has been on the economic, social, and personal dangers of adultery.

We have been told about the great delight and benefit of married love.

But the father will not leave us there.

For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths.

The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.

He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.

Now we see that same word, "intoxicated" or "led astray"

but this time used to refer to the fool who dies for lack of discipline.

All your ways are before the eyes of the LORD.

You cannot hide from him.

But also noticed how God's judgment works.

God does not come after you with a thunderbolt.

He allows you to design your own trap.

You cannot blame God for bringing unfair judgment against you;

you will find that you yourself forged your own bonds.

"He is held fast in the cords of his sin"

Thus, he dies for lack of discipline.

I have stayed focused on adultery because that is the theme of Proverbs 5.

But if you are sitting there saying, "well that's not a problem for me!!"

Then I have a few words for you as well!

Folly wears many guises,

and there are many ways to go astray at her beckoning!

There is a sense in which every chapter in Proverbs has the same conclusion:

God the Father is seeking to train his son to be wise and faithful.

Jesus is that Son.

He is the wise son who never turned aside to folly's charms.

All the smooth talking in the world could not deter him from his bride.

And we are that bride.

We are that blessed wife in whom Jesus is delighted.

I know that some of you have struggled with this.

But we are the bride of Christ.

Not individually, but corporately.

But everything that is expressed in married lovemaking

is properly seen in Jesus's relationship with us.

He finds you entirely satisfying,

and has no desire for foreign women.

Therefore, as one who is in Christ,

you may rest satisfied and content in him.