Proverbs 4:1-9
Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction… (v. 1) It has been said that when the Bible repeats something two or three (or more) times, one should take note. Are you beginning to sense, then, that perhaps getting wisdom is important?
When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother… (v. 3) Note that we have here an illustration of two important principles:
- The author is passing on to his sons (v. 1) what he himself learned from his parents (vv. 4-9), giving us an example of passing wisdom down from one generation to another, generation after generation.
- The author learned his lessons at a young age, indicating the value of teaching children early.
Teach your children well…
We again see that wisdom is to be loved, prized, and embraced, and that she rewards those who seek her. But I especially like verse 7: The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. That goes to say that the first wise choice is to get wisdom. (That sounds a bit like wishing for more wishes — another wise choice.) No matter what you do, get wisdom!
On another note…
Assuming that the author really is Solomon, then in verse 3 “my father” is David and “my mother” is Bathsheba. (II Samuel 12:24) Think about that for a minute. Solomon is the product of a relationship that started as the height of folly and sin for David (II Samuel 11). And ultimately Christ descended from that line. One of the strange things about how God works is that He has a way of turning things upside down (or should I say “downside up”?) and bringing good out of evil. (See Romans 8:28.) That is not to say that everything was just dandy for David; there were consequences for his sin, including both the death of the first child and the rebellion of Absalom. (See II Samuel 12:10-14.) And Solomon himself, though blessed with wisdom, failed to heed his own counsel and did not fully walk in the fear of the LORD. (See I Kings 11.) Nevertheless, the Lord turned a very bad scenario around for His own purposes. Were it not for His ability (and willingness) to do so, there would be no redemption for us at all.