Proverbs spends quite a bit of time speaking to men about the lack of wisdom in committing adultery. It hit me again just as I sat down to write about chapter 5 that David was Solomon’s father. It is no wonder that Solomon was so passionate about warning men against the adulteress. Bathsheba turned his father into a adulterer and murderer.
In fact, in Proverbs 5:8 it says “Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house,” I think it’s just fascinating when you think back to how David was enticed because he saw Bathsheba on her roof from his own home. Solomon is saying stay faarrr from her house.
I think for men today that is applicable in many different ways. Yes, it’s wise to stay physically far from her door but also I believe if you are enticed by a particular woman to stay faarrr from her altogether. Quit going to the gym at the same time, quit going to lunch with her, quit emailing her and yes, unfriend her on Facebook. It is not wise to allow yourself to be tempted.
Solomon specifically addresses men in Proverb 5 but from someone who wrote a book on an emotional affair, I’m telling you it’s verrry wise for us women to stay faaarrrr from men that we think might entice us to be unfaithful.
Another set of verses that I just have to hit on while we’re on chapter 5 is verse 15.
Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.
The first time I read that I was like, what the heck? Why in a chapter about adultery are we talking about a well?
Then it hit me, ohhh, ohhhhhhhhhh!! He’s talking about sex here. The next set of verses utilize a metaphor. The woman is a well, or a spring.
Drink water from your own cistern,
running water from your own well.
Should your springs overflow in the streets,
your streams of water in the public squares?
Let them be yours alone,
never to be shared with strangers.
May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
A loving doe, a graceful deer—
may her breasts satisfy you always,
may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
So here’s Amy’s translation
Have sex with your wife.
Should your wife be having sex with anyone else?
No way! Only have sex with your wife and don’t share her.
May your wife be blessed and y’all have fun having sex.
I hope you are always satisfied with your wife, especially her breasts, and love her always, and if you are not I hope you decide to go for the Bust Boosters instead of surgery.
Solomon’s translation is way prettier, yes? No wonder the Bible speaks in metaphors.
But seriously. Having sex with your spouse and enjoying it is WISE.
And wives, there is a takeaway here for us. Solomon tells men to be captivated with us physically. So what is wise for us? Let him. We have to allow our husbands the freedom to be satisfied, captivated, intoxicated with our bodies. It’s so easy to push him off, to say later and to hold back. But it is WISE for men to have eyes only for us and also WISE for us to allow him to act like that love drunk teenager every once in a while.
So yeah. My family and friends have probably bailed on this post and Google is having a field day but I hope you take this seriously and drink a lot of water this weekend, if you know what I mean. *cough, cough*
I like this very much. As a couple that does not have the option of sex all the time (we use natural family planning) we have to seek other ways to express intimacy at times, but the general message applies to all of us. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, I think the important thing is that you have the desire to satisfy one another when the timing allows and even when it doesn’t
This cracked me up. I love your interpretation. A really good book that I recently read is “Sheet Music” (it has a sub-title but I can’t remember it right this second) by Kevin Leman. It’s really funny but he gives a lot of good stuff. Mainly, sex is good! And men need to figure out what their wives want (and know that may change EVERY TIME) and women need to just do it and quit being embarrassed about their bodies and imperfections and heck, you will have a great time doing it.
I haven’t heard of that one. Going to put it on my wish list!
He gives away a lot of free kindle downloads for his books; you just have to catch it at the right time. It’s a great book for both the husband and the wife.