Proverbs 5 - Contrary to the World

How contrary is this Proverb to the world today. 50%+ of all first time marriages end in divorce. Adultery rates are ridiculous and even glamorized in the media. Marrying your high school sweetheart is almost unheard of. How I wish I married mine.

This Proverb takes on an even deeper meaning when you look at it from the perspective of Christ as the bridegroom, we are the bride, and the world and all its temptations is the adultress. This world tries to (often successfully) lure us into its trap of materialism, debauchery, perversion, selfishness, etc. When we are young, our relationship with God is simple. We come to Him as children, trusting and free. It is very easy to get tricked and ensnared by the evil one and the world. Your strength and wealth of your relationship can be robbed without your even knowing it will lose you strength and the wealth of your relationship with God if you set foot on the

5:3-4 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; 4 but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword.
From someone who has been a victim of adultery, I can echo this completely. There is nothing like the pain and bitterness caused from an unfaithful spouse. The pain is much deeper than a broken heart and crushes your spirit. The breaking of the covenant you made with your spouse before God, family, friends, and authorities is devestating and the most hurtful thing someone could ever do to you. Victims, please hear this. The adulter or adulteress can make every excuse but the bottom line is they do not care about you, God, or that covenant. I can only imagine how God feels when we are unfaithful to Him. I will never be able to understand how He can still love us, but He does. I know without God, I would never have made it through my divorce.

One thing I have always tried to live by is integrity. Even when I would not have considered myself a Christian I had an extreme amount of integrity. It was something that was just engrained in me. You word is nothing if not true. Another very good reason for keeping your mouth shut! The definition of integrity is very difficult to live by:

Keeping your end of your commitment when everyone else has forsaken theirs

Try that with an unfaithful spouse and see how your soul is torn apart. We have to realize that we can only control our end of the bargain. That is all we are responsible for.

5:8 Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house
This is great advice not only for an adultress, but for also for a temptress, or for that matter any temptation. If you are not strong enough to resist, stay far away.