A marriage is as much a product of thoughtfulness and consideration as of love.”
–Louis L’Amour (The Key-Lock Man)
“Life is short, and you love your wife, so enjoy being with her. This is what you are supposed to do as you struggle through life on this earth.”
–Ecclesiastes 9:9 (CEV)
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Satan cannot destroy the Church. He can only attack it, but Christ will not let His Bride be sullied or dirtied. With that in mind Satan turns his attack to the family; destroy the family and the Church is greatly affected. The father, Solomon, continues to warn and give advice in this next portion of Proverbs, chapter 5.
15 — Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well.
16 — Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets?
17 — Let them be only your own, and not for strangers with you.
18 — Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth.
19 — As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and always be enraptured with her love. (NKJV)
In an arid country a well was a prized possession and a privilege to be cared for. So is a spouse. “Drink water is an oblique reference to sexual union, and from your own cistern is a clear call to marital fidelity–one man, one woman, together in marriage.” (NKJV Study Bible) Marriage is like drinking pure water, but immoral sexual sin is like drinking sewer water. This water is not to be wasted by pouring it in the streets. When fifty percent of marriages end in divorce this is a major problem in our country. As J. Vernon McGee states, “marriage is the highest and holiest relationship” there is on this earth. The Christian marriage is to be a picture of the relationship between Christ and His Bride–the Church. This is one sure way to tear down society. “The brooks and rivers of the land cannot be pure if the springs are defiled.” (J.L. Flores)
Wiersbe says that “The commitment of marriage is like the banks of the river that keeps the river from becoming a swamp. And if the water backs up, it becomes a bog, no life is flowing. Where water has no depth, shallow water then is easy to stir. Ponder…no commitment, bad things happen. The writer of Hebrews gives a severe warning, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” (13:4, NKJV)
Commitment, satisfaction, loyalty, are things that should be considered and upheld says the father in Proverbs. Charles Bridges says regarding the man who seeks to find another “strange woman” is that this person is dissatisfied with blessings already in his possessions. “The true husband has a feeling towards his wife to which the licentious man is an entire stranger.” (Flores)
Rejoice with the wife of your youth…learn to grow old with her with satisfaction. Always be enraptured with her love. Ahhh, what more can be said than that. The ESV, puts it this way, “be intoxicated always in her love.” I found in my files a song put out by Charlie Pride, written by Ollie Kennedy and have included the second verse below.
“Time for me passes on,
And I’m growing old a lifetime nearly gone,
I cannot unfold night’s dark and cold.
Warm is your hand in mine,
Weathered with age and time,
Light of love still shines
After all these years.”
I’m not sure Solomon could utter these words at the end of his life…perhaps. However, in writing the Proverbs he certainly has the wisdom of love and life.