We can learn a lot from chapter 5 of the book of Proverbs. This chapter speaks about the adulteress woman and how she can easily snare a man if he does not listen to wisdom and avoid her.
What does this have to do with pornography addiction? The adulteress woman in this chapter can be replaced with pornography itself. Follow me and see if this parallel is definitely valid.
1. My son, give attention to my wisdom, incline your ear to my understanding; 2. That you may observe discretion and your lips may reserve knowledge.
First off, Solomon advises his son to listen to him and gain wisdom. Pay attention to what I am about to tell you this is important! Solomon is trying to warn his son from the point of view of experience perhaps.
3. For the lips of an adulteress drip honey and smoother than oil is her speech
The adulteress speaks words that are sweet and smooth. She has a sensual proposition. Pornography speaks to us the same way doesn’t it? Pornography says: “Come and take a peek, I am ready for you and have all the pleasure you are looking for, You will get a break from your boring world just for a while.” That scantily dressed attractive woman from the photo calls out to you to take break and enter her world.
4. But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
When all the sensual fun is over, you are left with the bitter reality of what you just did. You are full of shame and regret. “I can’t believe I was so stupid to fall again” It hurts like a two edged sword – It does severe damage. It damages your integrity, your marriage, and other ways in which you will find out about later. You can’t play with it without getting hurt.
5. Her feet go down to death, her steps take hold of Sheol. 6. She does not ponder the path of life; her ways are unstable, she does not know.
Pornography and the adulteress are lost and on the way to Hell. They both live for today and do not consider the consequences of their actions. Those lost in the sin of pornography live for that high that pornography gives them. Some of them are unaware of where it will lead them both in consequences in this life and in eternal life.
7. Now then, my sons, listen to me and do not depart from the words of my mouth. 8. Keep your way far from her and do not go near the door of her house,
Solomon warns them to do what he says and do not even go near the adulteress! Stay far from her! Pornography should be kept away from – far away. How many times did you ‘play around the edges’ as I did and ‘only’ look at lingerie or half nudes?? Then what happened? You, just like me were drawn into all out pornography. Solomon was wise to say stay far away. You can’t play around the edges! She is a master seducer and you are weak.
9. Or you will give your vigor to others and your years to the cruel one; 10. And strangers will be filled with your strength and your hard-earned goods will go to the house of an alien; 11. And you groan at your final end, when your flesh and your body are consumed; 12. And you say, “How I have hated instruction! and my heart spurned reproof! 13. “I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to my instructors! 14. “I was almost in utter ruin in the midst of the assembly and congregation
The price we pay for giving into an adulteress and pornography is with our time, material goods and our souls! Pornography steals our time. How many times did you sit down to look at some only to come to your senses 4 hours later? It steals our time in this way and also with the way it preoccupies our waking thoughts too. Pornography will steal your material goods because it makes you less productive and are dumping money into buying pornography. Pornography will steal your soul. What a statement. Very sobering. Pornography can turn you into a monster if you let it. Ted Bundy feasted on a steady diet of porn and he admitted to its influence on his life.
Drink water from your own cistern and fresh water from your own well. 16. Should your springs be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets? 17. Let them be yours alone and not for strangers with you. 18. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19. As a loving hind and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; be exhilarated always with her love. 20. For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress and embrace the bosom of a foreigner?
Solomon advises us to draw water from our own well. Don’t get your sexual satisfaction from a stranger. Don’t give yourself to anyone but your wife. Your wife and you should exclusively be the only sexual satisfaction for each other. Pornography seems like it satisfies, but it really is empty. You may go to porn for intimacy, but it is a false intimacy. You are still hungry after using pornography, it just doesn’t satisfy.
21. For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He watches all his paths. 22. His own iniquities will capture the wicked, and he will be held with the cords of his sin. 23. He will die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he will go astray
Finally, Solomon reminds us of the reality of the Lord watching our every move and the consequences of our sin. Would you watch pornography with someone else in the room that would not approve? Well, the Lord sees us at all times! He watches all our paths! Every time you watch pornography, the Lord knows what you are doing. Our sin will bind us and we will pay for them. No one watches porn anonymously and without consequence!
Proverbs chapter five was given as a challenge for our accountability group to read everyday for a week. It is a great example to remind us of why we need to live pure lives. Pornography is the enemy and it seeks us out. It tries to trip us up and bring us down with itself. We need to stay far away from pornography and not even play near the edges. We in no way are allowed to see any nudity other than that of our wives. Pornography robs us of our time and resources. It will put us to shame and will steal away our souls. Focus your sexual desires on your wife and enjoy her as she was meant to be for you. Pornography will not satisfy you, it only takes from you. Remember that the eyes of the Lord are everywhere and are watching you. The Lord will reveal the secrets and all things done in private. If you do not repent and stop using pornography, you will suffer the consequences. No one sins without consequences.
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