Proverbs 5:15-23
Lest there were any doubts about whether this chapter is warning against adultery, the language in Pr. 5:15-20 should clear that up. It doesn’t take much imagination to understand the euphemisms: “springs“, “streams of water“, “fountain“… Then Pr. 5:19 dispenses with euphemism altogether: Let [your wife’s] breasts fill you at all times with delight… (As an aside, I suspect most young men are delighted to discover that verse in the Bible, until they realize it is talking about lifelong fidelity…)
Although it is quite useful (and valid) to treat the specific sin of adultery as a metaphor for any sin (as we mentioned previously), we should not lose sight of the unique character of sexual sin specifically. Let’s not forget what Paul says in I Corinthians 6:15-20. This is serious, deadly stuff.
Yet sin is sin, and it all enslaves: The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. (v. 22) That is a condition from which one cannot rescue oneself. One cannot simply untie those knots or break those chains. We need a Savior. And thanks be to God, we have One, the Lord Jesus Christ!