Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 16 October, 2022
“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and
heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Faith or Works (5)
Redeemed From the Curse of the Law [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Galatians 3:1-14
Text: Galatians 3:13-14
I. Redemption: From What?
II. Redemption: What?
III. Redemption: To What?
Psalms: 47:1-9; 44:1-8; 109:14-19; 72:1-8
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
The Kingdom We Pray For [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Daniel 2:36-49
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 48
I. Its Nature
II. Its Enemies
III. Its Coming
Psalms: 45:1-6; 44:9-15; 145:7-14; 22:26-31
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart or the elders
CPRC Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live Webcast: www.cprc.co.uk/live-streaming
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quote to Consider
Prof. Hanko on Galatians 3:14: “Faith is the living bond, worked by the Spirit of Christ and given as a gift of God through the Spirit, whereby we are united to Christ our head, from whom all blessings come. Faith lays hold on Christ and appropriates him as the full blessedness of God’s covenant with all its riches. Faith lays aside one’s own works and damns them as worthy of hell. Faith says, ‘Christ is my all’” (Justified Unto Liberty, p. 220).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
Standard Bearers and Beacon Lights are available on the back table for subscribers.
Copies of Prof. Engelsma’s second volume on eschatology, The Church’s Hope: The Reformed Doctrine of the End — The Coming of Christ, are on the table and cost £12.
Everyone is welcome to stay for tea after the service this evening to say farewell to Timothy Spence who leaves on Wednesday for Tasmania (via Singapore) for about a year. Tea Rota: Group 1.
We extend our condolences to the Grahams on the death of Alison’s mother this past Monday. The funeral was held on Friday. Mrs. Wilma Hanko, grandmother of Jennifer and aunt of Mary, passed away on Thursday. The funeral is to be held on Wednesday. May the Lord comfort all those who mourn the loss of a loved one.
Monday catechism classes:
5:00PM: Corey, Jason, Katelyn, Maisie & Sebastian (Seniors OT)
5:45PM: Eleanora, Felicity, Hannah, Jorja, Keagan, Lucas, Sammy, Somaya,
Sophie & Yossef (Beginners NT)
6:30PM: Penelope & Xander (Juniors OT)
7:15PM: Angelica, Bradley, Jack, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Heidelberg, Book 2)
8:00PM: Alex, Jacob & Nathan (Pre-confession)
Membership Class: Billy & Val McCaughern, Monday at 9 PM.
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will meet to discuss Roman Catholicism on faith.
Belgic Confession Class meets this Wednesday, 21 September, at 7:30 PM. We will consider the 70th week in Daniel 9:24-27 in connection with Article 37.
The Saturday night Bible study will be held this week, 22 October, at 8 PM at the Kennedys’ home and on-line to finish Malachi 3:13-18.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Bruinsma is entitled, “Man’s Calling to Serve God” (Gen. 2:16-17).
Offerings: £1,285.95.
Translation Additions: 2 Hungarian, 1 Italian and 1 Polish.
PRC Church News: Hudsonville PRC’s new trio is Revs. Brummel, Kortus and Maatman. First PRC will call from a trio of Revs. J. Holstege, Smidstra and Spronk. Rev. Stewart declined the call to Hosanna PRC (Edmonton, AB).
Bound by the Strange Woman
Brian D. Dykstra
“And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray” (Proverbs 5:20-23).
Solomon continues to instruct his son about one of the most important aspects of life, a man’s relationship with his wife. After speaking of the blessings of being faithful to one’s covenant wife, Solomon again warns his son of the dangers of ungodly women. This instruction takes place before the son is married.
Solomon just told his son about the joy he would experience by being “ravished always with her love,” “her” being his godly, covenant wife. Solomon then asks why should his son be “ravished with a strange woman.” “Ravished” is the same word used in the previous verse to describe how the son is to be influenced by his wife. It is to reel under the influence of wine, not in the sense of sinful drunkenness, but of light-hearted joy. When a man has a godly wife who provides such a blessing and joy to her husband, why would one seek to find pleasure with a strange woman?
Solomon is speaking of physical desire. Part of man’s nature is that he is sexual. Remember, man did not begin to be a sexual creature after the fall. This aspect of man’s nature was a part of the creation which, when God saw, He declared it to be good. God brought the animals to Adam for him to name. As the animals appeared, Adam noticed they came in pairs, male and female. He saw how they complemented each other. However, there was no complement for Adam. Something was missing and Adam realized it. God provided Adam with Eve. After the fall, man in his corrupt nature, took all of God’s good gifts and, instead of using them for the praise of God and to give Him thanks, man used these good gifts to gratify and serve himself. The same happened with God’s good gift of sex. Man thoroughly corrupted it. Only those who are regenerated by God’s Spirit properly enjoy this good gift from God as He defines and limits it in the seventh commandment.
Solomon wonders why his son, having the benefits of a godly wife, would “embrace the bosom of a stranger.” The trend in society is for people to be more open in giving hugs than years ago. It has become a way to greet friends, perhaps coupled with a quick kiss on the cheek. Solomon is not speaking of such hugs here. He means an intimate, close embrace, the type which a man should share only with his wife. Solomon warns that there is no place for the son to seek such an embrace with a strange woman.
There is another reason why the son should not be ravished by a strange woman. Not only is this being unfaithful to his wife, Solomon reminds his son that God sees all man’s ways and goings.
God created the eye. Sight is one of the senses given to us by God so we can interact with the reality of the creation around us. We can trust that what we see is real. God’s “eyes” are far better than ours. We can see things which are physical and there are things which are hidden from our eyes. There is nothing of the way of man which God does not see. All of a man’s way of life is open to God. God does not merely see what we do; He also sees our motives. A man who believes he can keep his relationship with a strange woman secret is mistaken. We don’t do anything in secret. God knows. Every aspect of our lives is before Him. It is not as though God must peek around a corner to discover what we are doing.
We should be concerned that God “ponders all his goings.” God thinks about what we do and He does so as the all-knowing Judge. This places the son’s actions in a new light. The son must obey the seventh commandment not only as a way to love and honour his wife and to be faithful to her; he must keep in mind that God will judge him as well.
Commentators point out that this pondering pictures the making a pathway smooth. The idea is that the path is thoughtfully and carefully made smooth to provide swift travel. A man who disobeys God’s seventh commandment is on a way which will lead quickly to his ruin. A man who believes he can indulge his sinful sexual desires for a time and repent later, will discover that his judgment comes far sooner than he anticipates. Others point out that this pondering could picture making a balance level. God will put a man’s adultery on one side of His balance of justice and put His proper proportion of punishment on the other.
The man is held, trapped, by his own iniquities. When Solomon speaks of “cords,” he speaks of nets which men use to trap birds. Sometimes the nets were set with bait to lure the birds into it. Nets could be spread in openings between trees. The fowler would wait for birds to gather near the net, then rush at them. As the birds fled, they would be entangled in the net.
That’s the seductive power of the strange woman. She is the bait for Satan’s net. She can appear so alluring. What would be the harm of indulging oneself just this once? She uses her smooth lips to say the things the young man desires to hear. The son is soon trapped. Having given in once, as is the case with any sin, it becomes easier to give in again later. There comes a time when one becomes so entangled in sin’s net, that there appears to be no escape. Only a merciful and gracious God is strong enough to set free the captive to sin. The gracious God breaks the chains of sin.
Solomon speaks of the sinner dying “without instruction.” One might think this sinner had never been given instruction about sin, its power and consequences. Since he was without any instruction, he didn’t know any better and now he shall die. It is as though he is surprised to find himself in this situation. How did this happen to me? That is not the case. He had been taught about God’s law. The seventh commandment was not unknown to him. The son was without instruction because he left it behind. He didn’t value it. He gave in to the temptation and walked in the way of sin. He fell at the feet of the strange woman.
Solomon points out that it was because of “the greatness of his folly.” Did he think he would be immune to the consequences of sin? Did he believe such a sin would not matter because God has already forgiven him? Did he believe that because the gratification of his sin was so momentary, so would be the results? That is the folly of sin.
Young people are living in a society mad with desire for sex. We might wonder how anyone could ever escape. Has one fallen? Pray to Christ, the Great Emancipator from sin. His blood is powerful, powerful enough to break the net of sin. May He grant us strength to be “ravished always” with the love of a covenant spouse.
