Views from an Evangelist

Proverbs 5:15 – 23

¹⁵ Drink water from your own cistern,
And fresh water from your own well.
¹⁶ Should your springs overflow into the street,
Streams of water in the public squares?
¹⁷ Let them be yours alone,
And not for strangers with you.
¹⁸ Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice in the wife of your youth.
¹⁹ Like a loving doe and a graceful mountain goat,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be exhilarated always with her love.
²⁰ For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress,
And embrace the breasts of a foreigner?
²¹ For the ways of everyone are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He observes all his paths.
²² His own wrongdoings will trap the wicked,
And he will be held by the ropes of his sin.
²³ He will die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his foolishness he will go astray.

Exposition:

Clearly in Proverbs a man’s devotion to his wife and avoidance of the adulteress is an illustration for Israel to stay faithful to the Lord. Solomon (the author of Proverbs) instructs you to rejoice in the wife of your youth; that her breasts and her person satisfy you; in other words she is meant to satisfy you; so respond in kind with a pure and singular devotion to her. And remember the Lord observe the paths of everyone including the wicked who will be trapped by their own sin or their lack of devotion to the wife of their youth.

Acts 21:1-16

Paul Sails from Miletus

21 Now when we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran a straight course to Cos, and on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara; ² and having found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. ³ When we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed at Tyre; for the ship was to unload its cargo there. ⁴ After looking up the disciples, we stayed there for seven days; and they kept telling Paul, through the Spirit, not to set foot in Jerusalem. ⁵ When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we were out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another. ⁶ Then we boarded the ship, and they returned home.

⁷ When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting the brothers and sisters, we stayed with them for a day. ⁸ On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. ⁹ Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses. ¹⁰ As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ And he came to us and took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’” ¹² When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴ And since he would not be persuaded, we became quiet, remarking, “The will of the Lord be done!” ¹⁵ After these days we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to stay.

Exposition:

Paul is on his journey to Jerusalem. During the trip he greets Christians in various cities along the way in order to strengthen them in their faith as was his way. These Christians would have either been converted through his ministry or certainly had heard of his devotion to the Lord. Then in Caesarea the infamous Agabus who prophesied Paul’s being handing over to the Gentiles appeared to make his prophecy. In light of the Proverb above Paul did remain faithful to the Lord. And per Jesus’ own teaching in Mark 10:28-31 Paul was experiencing hospitality from other Christians.