Prov. 5:7-23, Love is Not Rude/Indecent

LOVE IS NOT  INDECENT

1)   Definition:

a)   English translations:

i)     KJV (& Alford): Doth not behave itself unseemly.

ii)    NIV: It is not rude.

iii)  NKJV: Does not behave rudely.

iv)  NAS: Does not act unbecomingly.

v)   Phillips: Love has good manners.

vi)  Williams: It does not act with rudeness.

vii)Beck: It isn't indecent.

viii)       Wuest: Does not act unbecomingly.

ix)  Berkeley: It is not unmannerly.

RUDE    or    INDECENT

b)   Lexicon definintions and usage:

i)     Verb: to behave disgracefully, indecently, dishonorably.

(1) 1 Cor 7:36: a father withholding his daughter's hand in marriage may think it improper, will let her marry.

ii)    Noun: shameless deed.

(1) Rom 1:27: homosexual acts are shameful deeds.

(2) Rev 16:15: blessed is the one who keeps his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame.

iii)  Adjective: shameful, unpresentable, indecent.

(1) 1 Cor. 12:23: in the body our unpresentable parts have more modesty.

(2) Key thought: not all the body is meant to be seen.  Some parts, though perfectly made by God, are "unpresentable", they are "shameful, indecent" if seen.

c)   Old Testament usage:

i)     Genesis 34:7: the prince of Schechem did a disgraceful thing when he lay with Dinah, the daughter of Jacob.

ii)    Exodus 20:26: Israel was not to build an altar with steps lest, in going up the steps, the priest expose himself which was a shameless deed.

iii)  Deuteronomy 25:3: to punish a man with more than 40 blows is to risk indecency, humiliating him.

2)   Illustrations:

a)   Genesis 9:20-27: Noah exposed to his son Ham.

b)   2 Samuel 10:1-5: David’s envoys exposed by the Ammonites, humiliated.

3)   Biblical principles:

a)   Hb 13:4: The marriage bed is, and is to be kept    PURE   .

i)     Principle: there is nothing "immoral" in marriage, if it is healthy and agreed upon by both husband and wife.  But IN MARRIAGE is the key.

ii)    Obviously a sexual relationship of any kind with someone to whom you are not married is simply sin!

iii)  Proverbs 5:15-23; read verses 15-19.

b)   Psalm 101:3: Men, especially, must guard their    EYES   .

i)     Here the key is "in my house"...

(1) Television? Internet? 

(2) Proverbs 5:1-14; 6:20-35; read verses 5:7-9 & 6:23-26.

ii)    Job 31:1: Job made a "covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a woman."

c)   1 Tim 2:9: Women, especially, must dress    MODESTLY   .

i)     Modesty: dressing in such a way so as not to draw attention to myself.

(1) Often men encourage their wives to dress provocatively for their pleasure; but this is indecent.

(2) Often young girls dress provocatively to catch some boy or any boy; this is not love but is indecent.

(3) The Bible notes the sin of immodest dress (though it places the responsibility on a man if he gives in to temptation.)

(4) Bathsheba’s problem was indecency. But the sin of adultery lay at David's feet.

ii)    Proverbs 7: read verses 10-12.

4)   The indecency of the Cross:

a)   Hebrews 12:2: Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame.

b)   Matthew 27:27-35: read.

c)   Ezekiel 16...

i)     God's love for Jerusalem.

ii)    Pictured by His dealing with her "indecencies".

iii)  Read verses 1-14.

iv)  LOVE IS NOT INDECENT.

5)   Application:

a)   Memorize Psalm 101:3 and/or Ephesians 5:3.

b)   Respond to the love of God from the Cross of Jesus Christ!

c)   Do all that is necessary to guard you and your home from indecency (locks on the bedroom doors, safeguards on the internet, agreement on and application of TV & movie guidelines, or just pitch the TV, deal with indecent mail and calls through the PO and the phone company, etc.)

d)   In teaching your children the Proverbs do not skip lightly over the passages in Ch. 5-7 that warn about sexual sin.  DO teach your children the Proverbs.