Sexual temptation and immorality are so commonplace in our world. They've permeated our culture, our entertainment, even our churches. Today, on Turning Point, Dr. David Jeremiah explains that it wasn't much different in Solomon's Day. and shares the wisdom of avoiding immorality.
From Powerful Principles from Proverbs, here's David to introduce Power Up Purity. Proverbs About PURITY And thank you for joining us. This may seem to be a subject that you're not interested in, but if you just look around your friends and loved ones, there's hardly any environment that you can talk about where this does not become an issue. What does the Bible say about this, and how do we find this truth? We've selected the Proverbs from this book of Solomon's writings, and we've put them together in this lesson, and we're going to talk about them today and again on Monday.
We do want you to get a copy of the study guide because it helps you. Find all the verses. If you're listening on the radio, sometimes you don't have a way to write down the scriptures, or you're in the car, it's not possible to take notes. But this gives you the background of all these materials that we're talking about and the verses where these truths are found in this incredible book we know as the book of Proverbs. And I hope you will take advantage of that and get that study guide for your own use and maybe have a study with some of your friends from the book of Proverbs.
Here we go today with this lesson. Here's part one of Power of Purity. Proverbs for the Pure. We live in a day when immorality seems to be. The popular discussion in almost every venue.
Where it seems as if There's no place where It is not accepted. Christians argue For their Immorality. Politicians openly and flagrantly express their immorality. Talk show hosts make it the brunt of their jokes. It filters down.
It has an impact. It touches all of us whether we know it's happening or not. And yet, the Word of God is very clear, and the book of Proverbs, especially, deals with the issues. that affect us in this society in which we live. There are several extended passages.
In the book of Proverbs, in the early part of the book. Where we see a father trying to warn his son. About the problems that await him if he is not careful. problems of immorality. At this place in the book of Proverbs, it becomes quite apparent that the source of the instruction is the Ten Commandments.
The message in Proverbs is an exposition. Of the seventh commandment found in Exodus 20 and verse 14. You shall not commit adultery. It affects not only Immorality within a marital relationship, but immorality before any relationship.
Solomon, who is the human author of most of the proverbs. Is remembering what happened to his father David. And he's knowing the tendency of his own feeble heart. And he's watching the addiction of his own sons. And he does all he can do to shout out the warnings concerning the dangers of playing with the fire of immorality.
The first words come in the second chapter. Beginning in verse 16. And I want you to note that Solomon said all these things, and I'm going to read them to you.
Somebody's going to say, you shouldn't talk about this in church.
Well, if we shouldn't talk about it in church, it shouldn't be in the Bible then, right? I want to make sure you see this is in the Bible. That's why I want you to look down at your Bibles. And read what I'm going to read beginning in the second chapter. in the sixteenth verse.
To deliver you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words. Who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God. For her house leads down to death, and her paths to the dead. None who go to her return. nor do they regain the paths of life.
Now turn over to the fifth chapter. My son Pay attention to my wisdom, and lend your ear to my understanding. that you may preserve discretion, and your lips may keep knowledge. For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. But in the end, she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell. Lest you ponder her path of life, her ways are unstable, you do not know them. Therefore, hear me now, my children. And do not depart from the words of my mouth. Remove your way far from her.
Do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your honor to others and your years to the cruel one, lest aliens be filled with your wealth. and your labors go to the house of a foreigner. Turn over to chapter 6 and verse 24. To keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids, for by the means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread.
and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. Can a man take fire to his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be seared?
So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife, Whoever touches her shall not be innocent. People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold. He may have to give up all the substance of his house. Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding.
He who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away. For jealousy is a husband's fury, Therefore, he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will accept no recompense, nor will he be appeased. Though you give him Many gifts.
These are the proverbs. about immorality. These passages teach us that it's easier to avoid the pitfalls of sin. If we avoid the path of temptation. Almost all of secular living today is tainted by the lure to impurity.
Most advertising today is slanted in that direction. We use Sexual temptation to sell Everything. Everything, even things that you cannot even remotely connect with it, we sell with sexual. Impurity. In some of the translations of the passages that I have read, the word immoral woman.
is translated by the term strange woman.
Now, that's not talking about a woman. Who's strange? First of all, The term strange woman in Israel referred to all those who were outside of the covenant of Israel, who followed the ways of Baal and other gods. And practice the religion of the nations around them. Any such woman would be a strange woman to the man of God.
And in Israel, there were some who had forsaken their own commitments to God. Who had once walked with Jehovah but had walked away from him. And such a woman who would do such a thing would be considered by a man of God as a stranger. This description is also used on occasion for those women in Israel who were unfaithful to their own husbands, who had broken their vows to the Lord. And so, whenever you read that in the book of Proverbs, you're talking about one of those three things: either someone who is a Baal-worshiper or an idolater outside of the covenant of Israel, someone within the covenant of Israel who has forsaken the way of God.
or someone who is an unfaithful spouse.
Now I need to tell you That in these passages it appears somewhat one-sided, as you can see. It sounds as if we're picking on the women and not being faithful to the men. But please understand that this passage is a passage that describes. a father's counsel to his son.
So, therefore, he's going to warn his son about what he considers to be the dangers. out there awaiting him. If Solomon had chosen to sit down and talk with his daughter, he could have said exactly the same things to her about those men who would lure her into temptation. It seems to me today that within our culture, the ground is kind of level there. It's not one more than the other, it seems to be both and.
So we will take this. in a rather generic way. And every time you think that I'm talking about women in an unkind way, Just remember, I'm just using the words of the scripture as they were presented from the format of a father talking to his son.
Now, having read all of these instructions in chapters two through six. the proverbs of immorality. I want to tell you a story. I want to tell you the parable. of immorality.
If you have never read this, you will wonder if somebody. Who is a screenwriter hasn't gotten a hold of the book of Proverbs and changed it around? For once again now in your Bibles, turn to Proverbs 7. And verse 6.
Solomon tells this story about. Immorality. Listen. For at the window of my house, I looked through my lattice, and I saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths. A young man devoid of understanding passing along the street near her corner.
And he took the path to her house, and in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night. and there a woman met him, with the attire of a harlot and a crafty heart. She was loud and rebellious, and her feet would not stay at home. At times she was outside, at times in the open square, lurking at every corner, so she caught him and kissed him. With an impudent face, she said to him, I have peace offerings with me.
Today I have paid my vows.
So I came out to meet you diligently to seek your face, and I have found you. I have spread my bed with tapestry. Colored coverings of Egyptian linen, I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until morning. Let us delight ourselves with love, for my husband is not at home.
He has gone on a long journey and has taken a bag of money with him and will come home on the appointed day. And with her enticing speech she caused him to yield. With her flattering lips, she seduced him. Immediately he went after her as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks. Till an arrow struck his liver as a bird hastens to the snare he did not know it would cost.
his life. That is Solomon's parable of immorality. It sounds like the plot of some of the Movies that are out there today. It sounds like the storyline of some of the novels.
Someone caught in the trap. of infidelity and immorality. One modern writer has Paraphrased it like this: It was early, and the shadows of the night were just beginning to shroud the city. with their darkening mantle.
Solomon's eyes fell upon a young man. This youth had turned his back upon all counsel. He was involved with the wrong crowd. He thought he had all the answers. And yet he was untaught, immature, and unprotected.
Apparently, he had no wise plans for the evening hours. Having idle time on his hands, he was a sitting duck and an easy victim. Slowly walking the street, he is met by the Temptress. She is an interesting yet revolting study. She is a married woman, but an unfaithful one.
She is dressed in sexy attire and has a subtle approach. She is talkative to the point of being boisterous, well acquainted with the evil ways of the world. She is self-willed, brash, possessive, and flattering. She inflates his ego, but deflates his resistance. She had her plans well staked out and attractively prepared.
Her victim was chosen. He was flattered by her attention, and he was ready to yield. The temptation was giving every promise of success. Instead of running from it, the youth remained to enjoy it. The delight of temptation was about to become the tragedy of indulgence.
She insinuated that her husband had gone away, taking plenty of money so that he could have a good time.
So, why shouldn't she have a good time while he's gone? She not only flattered this young man, but she played upon his sympathy. As she downgraded her husband, her victim was becoming elevated in his own thinking. Five words tell us The graphic story of the moral collapse of this young man. Look at them.
She caused him To yield. And thousands of men have fallen in exactly the same way. with decayed character. destroyed morals and diseased souls. They have become like department store merchandise.
slightly soiled, greatly reduced in price. The parable of immorality. And it's very quiet in here because we all know people. who have gone through that exact experience.
Some may have walked through that in their own lives. The Bible speaks very pointedly and very powerfully. to the problem of impurity. Here in these passages of Scripture, One of the most important things for us to notice is the price. of immorality.
We've seen the parables. And the Proverbs Let's notice the price. The price of immorality is first of all presented to us in a number of pictures. I'm sure all of you know what a metaphor is. It takes something that is.
Spoken and uses a picture to build the concept of that in your mind. And if you go back with me to the second chapter again of the book of Proverbs, to the first passage that we read. You will notice that salted throughout all of these texts. Are little word pictures that Solomon uses to describe the price that is paid for immorality. Hollywood paints this Beautifully.
in luxurious settings. with wine and money and All kinds of embellishments. But what you never see in any of these stories. is the awful price that is exacted from the one who indulges in such a way. But the book is A book of reality, the book of Proverbs.
It doesn't just give us one side of the story, like... Hollywood does today. It gives us the whole story. And beginning In chapter 2. In verse 18, We have some of these Metaphors.
for her house leads down to death. and her paths to the dead. Notice chapter 5 and verse 4. But in the end, She is bitter as wormwood. Sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death, and her steps lay hold of hell. Notice Chapter 5 verse 22. His own iniquities entrap the wicked man. He is caught in the cords of his sin. Notice chapter 6 and verse 27.
Can a man take fire to his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be seared?
Look at verse 33 in the same chapter. Wounds and dishonor he will get. and his reproach will not be wiped away. Look at chapter 7 and verse 22. Immediately he went after her as an ox goes to the slaughter.
or as a fool to the correction of the stocks. Till an arrow struck his liver as a bird hastens to the snare. He did not know it would cost. His life.
Now, when you put all those together in those Pictures, one right after the other, my friend, there is another side to immorality that nobody talks about. There is the pain and the anguish and the hurt and the brokenness and the separation and the awful disappointment. And I know I speak to some wounded hearts, and I do not mean to open the wound and make it more difficult for, but I must speak the truth. Wherever I travel, I see. the awful pain of this kind of activity.
When I see children being hustled off between mother and father, taken on an airplane so that they're crying when they leave one parent. And then they go to another parent and they stay with them for a while and they're back and forth because of the broken vows of marriage. My friends, it is an epidemic and it touches the church almost with the same incidence that it touches the world. And maybe it's time that we go back to read what God says. Maybe if we hear something more about the penalty of immorality from the Word of God, which speaks the truth.
We will be cautious not to allow ourselves to be caught. In the trap of sin, for Satan goes about as a roaring lion, seeking who may devour, trying to destroy us and ruin our effectiveness for God. He's having a heyday today in the church among leadership. and in the parishioners of congregations. The price of immorality, notice first of all the pictures.
But let me break it down in another way. Let's talk for a moment about the price tags. We all know that when we sin, There is a spiritual price tag. When we do that which God tells us not to do, we pay the penalty. There is always some scar tissue from sin.
Yes, God forgives. But God does not take away the consequences. I remember when I was a young man as a pastor, I was. Reading an article in his magazine. Written by a quite well-known writer at that time by the name of Walter Trobisch.
Walter Trobisch was writing on sexual purity and God's forgiveness, and he made a statement in one of his articles that just jumped off the page to me. The statement was that God's wonderful forgiveness is so wonderful that God can make done things undone. And I looked at that and I thought That's not true. That's not true. I never wrote a letter to anybody who wrote an article in a magazine before in my life, but I wrote him a letter.
I said, I read your article and it is wonderful except for one statement: God cannot make done things undone. How many of you know that? I was at that time counseling with a young lady who was in trouble because of immorality. She was carrying a child. That she should not have been carrying.
She had no husband. She had been immoral. And she was brokenhearted, and she asked God to forgive her, and God did forgive her, no question about it, but the baby was born. You can't make done things undone.
So there is a price. spiritually. But I don't want to talk about the spiritual price. I want to get down to the practical issues that affect this in our churches and in our homes. Because Solomon looks at us as almost as if he's taking an x-ray picture of this particular time in history.
And he tells us what happens when we do not follow God's clear direction about moral purity. First of all, we suffer personally. Proverbs 5:9 says, Lest you give your honor to others. and your years to the cruel one. One commentator I read said the word cruel one means blackmailer.
Lest you give your honor to others and allow yourself to be blackmailed. You pay a price emotionally. Proverbs 5:11 to 14 says that this kind of activity fills your life with remorse and regret. And you mourn at last when your flesh and your body are consumed, and you say, How I have hated instruction. And my heart despised correction.
I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me. I was on the verge of total ruin in the midst of the assembly of the congregation. Notice. Hated instruction, despised correction, obeyed not the voice of his teachers, inclined not his ear to those who instructed him. Here's a person who looks back on his life and realized that he had been forewarned and he had ignored the warning and had walked headlong into the whole situation in spite of that.
I can't tell you how. Prevalent The story we have just read is today in our world. in our churches uh and the people that you and I know This is a subject we need to understand and be prepared to deal with. The Bible helps us and gives us principles to keep us on the right track. And if you're studying along with us in the book of Proverbs, you know that there's much information here about this subject.
We'll take part two of this on Monday. In the meantime, it's Friday. Therefore, I want to give you my little Friday speech about going to church. Do hope you will do that.
So many people have come back to the church. Unfortunately, so many people who left during COVID have not come back. You need to be in church if you want to grow in the Lord, and I hope you will make that aim. Priority for the weekend. Wherever you are, find a church that honors the Lord, teaches the Word of God, and be blessed.
We'll see you then on Monday. Thanks for listening. Have a great weekend. The message you just heard originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church and senior pastor Dr. David Jeremiah.
Turning Point is also on radio and TV this weekend. To learn where you can find it, visit our website davidjeremiah.org/slash radio. That's davidjeremiah.org slash radio or call 800-947-1993. Ask for your copy of David's inspiring new book, God's Heart for Israel. It's yours for a gift of any amount.
You can also purchase the Jeremiah Study Bible in the English Standard New International and New King James Versions, complete with notes and articles from Dr. Jeremiah's decades of study. If God is using this ministry in your life, tell us how by writing to TurningPoint, PO Box 3838, San Diego, California, 92163. This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join us Monday as we continue Powerful Principles from Proverbs on Turning Point with Dr.
David Jeremiah.
