Intoxication in the Bedroom

Proverbs 5:15-23

Sexual relations as husband and wife are supposed to be exciting and satisfying. Studies have found that those who report their sexual encounters as being the most satisfying are not the short-lived casual relationships, but between a husband and wife in a committed marriage. This of course is not what Hollywood has portrayed. They portray the one night quickie as the preferred sexual encounter.

Our writer uses the imagery of water to portray sexual relations. He says that we ought to drink from our own store of water. A cistern catches rainwater, usually within your own property for private, home use. Think of a cistern as a rain barrel attached to the downspout of you house. It catches the water that naturally falls, and is there ready for enjoyment. In a dry desert climate, a cistern would keep you alive.

Sexual intimacy in marriage is a private joy between husband and wife. As he addresses his son, he focuses his attentions on his wife’s beauty, wanting him to stay focused on her. She is to be cherished and honored. She will intoxicate him, if he allows her to.

Some may read these words and get the impression that he is “using” his wife. Nothing could be further from the truth. Wives want to be the center of their husband’s attentions. They don’t want his eyes or thoughts wandering off to other women. They want to feel that they are wanted, special. In all my years, I have never met a couple that was satisfied with an “open” marriage. Jealousy always arose. Dissatisfaction, anger, and hurt soon followed.

And now for the crosshairs, this same reaction happens when porn is allowed to enter a relationship. It may bring a momentary spark, but when the spark fades, all that is left is a charred, blackened spot. The same holds true for all the other sinful intrusions into the bedroom. Husband and wife. Period. Work to satisfy each other. Keep it pure.

Why? Because the LORD sees it all (v21). We might think it is innocent fun, but it goes against the Designer’s plans. It would be like a dentist using a pickaxe to fill a cavity, or a bulldozer to do a manicure. The tools just don’t fit the job.

Sex is designed to be between a husband and wife, man and woman, ‘til death do us part. Other combinations just are just awkward and ultimately don’t match with our status as one created in the image of the Holy God.

Remember, read verses 19-20 again. Love can be intoxicating. Enjoy.

Squirrel

Proverbs 3:21-26

I can be easily distracted, rabbit, as I walk through life. Some of it has to do with my ADHD tendencies. I have spent my adult life trying to focus. Like the character in the movie “Up” my life is filled with interesting distractions. That dog gets pulled aside in an instant by the smallest things. Sound familiar?

Our text today validates our universal tendency to get distracted from important things. The writer tells his reader to keep wisdom right in the center of his view. Just like texting and driving is dangerous, so navigating life without keeping wisdom as our anchor point is dangerous. We need to have it always right at our finger tips, right in our immediate surroundings. He uses the image of the necklace again.

So how long do I have to be distracted in order to get in trouble? With texting it only takes a second to make a fatal mistake. The proverb doesn’t say how long. It does say that keeping wisdom central will keep us safe. We won’t need to worry about enemies coming at night. Wisdom will give us warning so that we won’t be taken by surprise.

These sound like some pretty remarkable benefits. Why would anyone not listen to wisdom? Well, to be quite honest, because we don’t get to do what we want at the moment we want to. Wisdom will get in the way of our freedom, freedom to make stupid choices! We won’t be able to go our own way.

As Westerners, we value freedom above even making good decisions. If a decision inhibits freedom, we would rather make the wrong choice. And as a result, we are pretty messed up as a culture. We allow the porn industry access into every mobile device because we don’t want to impinge on the rights of those who exploit women and children. Porn has no redeeming value, but we stand side by side with the greatest perversions in the name of freedom.

In the name of freedom we beat up marriage as an institution because we are unwilling to declare that single parenting is not as healthy as having a mom and dad. So as a result we have 70% single parent births in some large sectors of our population leading to poverty that travels through generations. All this because we aren’t willing to hold men and women responsible for their sexual activities. Freedom!

Wisdom will guide if we are willing to heed its voice of instruction.