1 Hear, ye children, the
instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
The
word “understanding” is in the action sense.
In other words, knowing understanding requires effort and attendance to
listen and put into practice those things learned. Once we put into action the practice of
Wisdom we will begin to participate in the blessing of true Wisdom.
I
think there is a reason this and other verses do not specifically note an age
where the son no longer has to listen to the instructions
of a father or mother. Sons and
Daughters are specifically instructed to hear the instructions of a
father. Also pay attention to the fact
that it does not say “the instruction of a wise father” or “father with
Wisdom.” There is a blessing to those
who understand how the LORD created the authority structure. This is verification of that structure.
2 For I give you good
doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
The
word “doctrine” has the connotation of persuasiveness based on insight. Have
you ever wanted to be heard? Wisdom
grants to you by its own virtues the ability to be heard and understood.
3 For I was my father's son,
tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
This
verse is special in that Solomon, the vehicle of this wonderful book, brings
himself into the picture as an example.
His father was King David and his mother Bethsheba
and although their past was full of turmoil Solomon still reflects the desires
of Wisdom.
4 He taught me also, and
said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my
commandments, and live.
This
word “taught” not only means teach but it also has the connotation of being
molded in a permanent fashion. This
would imply that the wisdom taught is eternal once it takes root. “Retain”
means the obvious but the best analysis of the word used here is below in vs.
6, where the word is translated preserve and keep.
Vs. 1
– 4: This is like saying to your son or daughter, “If you want to live,
listen to my words.” Another
consideration is who is our Father? This
is an instruction in how we should attain the ability to have what God offers
us. Would we pursue in earnest the
things we know to hurt us and cause a life full of calamity and disdain? Would our Father in Heaven desire that for
us? Of course not, else why would He
spend so much time conveying the importance of having this gift?
5 Get wisdom, get
understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
“Get
Wisdom”, although simply put here, has the implications of just reaching
out and taking it. That is not the case
in the use in the original Hebrew. The
true jest of the word used is to lay hold of or purchase or acquire by whatever
means possible. “Sell all that you
have!”
Interesting
thing about the word “forget”, it certainly implies distance or not in the
“front of mind” but it also distinguishes its meaning in the original Hebrew by
conveying the term whither. Whither
would indicate it was there once and became useless due to the lack of pursuance
or proper use.
Think
it not an accident that the use of this word, “decline” in the original text
was chosen by God. He sees what we do
with Wisdom. This word is a action verb, one that depicts the person declining as one
bowing or moving in the opposite direction of the way in which one with Wisdom
would go.
6 Forsake her not, and she
shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
The
word “forsake” means to leave behind or depart from which gives the sense that
at some time there was togetherness. The
word “preserve” means to protect or stand guard and does not mean to “maintain”
as in food preservatives.
Wisdom
is something few of us consider as more than guidelines to follow or the way we
SHOULD respond. Consider Wisdom as the
indwelling voice for guidance to ALL the issues you face in life. Having an understanding admittedly would
condition how we deal with what ever we face.
The typical attitude is when something we are not fond of occurs we rush to our knees.
We stammer through a shallow prayer which has little regard for why or
what we need to learn from a given situation.
Consider this; when the stress and anxiety of an issue becomes
perplexing, is it that God is out of touch with our current circumstances? That would be absurd. Listen, if there is anything you get from
this commentary, it is this, Wisdom will make you whole, not just give you
answers to the problems that creep into your life. Wisdom’s purpose is to protect us as well as
magnify the LORD.
7 Wisdom is the principal
thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting
get understanding.
A
“principle thing” means we are controlled by Wisdom’s ever-present
reconciliation of confounding events.
Knowing is one thing, responding correctly is another. Think this way, if you have Wisdom, true
Wisdom, your ability to act according to the desires of our Maker are most
prevalent. We are instructed to have
principles here! The word “thing” means
first or beginning. Pr 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
The
“get” aspect is reiterated here again which should serve to alert us. If we think sending up a shallow prayer to
the LORD for Wisdom and that is all that is required, we are fooling ourselves. When Wisdom lands in our lives
things will never be the same. Initially
we may feel disjointed as the flesh comes under rule of the disciplines of Her
principles. There will be chastening as
mentioned in Proverbs chapter 3.
Gradually however, as Wisdom’s light begins to burn in our hearts our
souls become pure, our thoughts become focused and our path in life becomes
less treacherous.
8 Exalt her, and she shall
promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when
thou dost embrace her.
“Exalt”
means to cast up or esteem highly. It is
important here to note that casting up is a term of outward demonstration. We have all seen the winning athlete lift up the trophy at the end of a tournament. In wrestling or boxing the referee at the end
of the bout takes the winner’s arm and exalts him. To do this with Wisdom is essential. Put Her on display and give Her the glory for
your success.
9 She shall give to thine
head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
The
word “head” means top or summit but it also is
interpreted as beginning. There is not
as much meant to us today in the phrase “ornament of grace” or a “crown of
glory.” Our modern times rarely have us
in awe as we watch a procession of royalty demonstrate their position with pomp
and circumstance. The word “ornament” is
literally a wreath but the word it is derived from means joined. The miracle of Wisdom is not that She
physically places a wreath on our head for all to see but the miracle is that
we no longer are segmented or disjointed when She abides. If we have the indwelling gift of Wisdom and
Her ever-present understanding along with the Knowledge of God
our radiance of the LORD will be overwhelming to those around us.
10 Hear, O my son, and
receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
We have to understand for a moment that in the day and age in
which this was written, people did not live as long as we do in modern
times. Not only that but in the day and
age of the translation to English, they too lived considerably shorter lives
than we do now. As you can imagine
though, while Wisdom keeps us from the harm of wickedness it also keeps peace
in the innermost part of our existence.
Inner peace is the best prevention of disease known to mankind.
There
is a ceremony in Numbers chapter 5 where a suspecting husband takes his wife to
the priest to test her adultery before the Church and her people. As part of the process the priest makes her
drink water that has been seasoned from the dust of the floor of the tabernacle. If she is guilty the water will become bitter
and cause her to become ill. The same
test was given to them that were suspected to have lied. Once they drank the water, if their inner
peace and health was sound there was no effect.
Guilt has a way of making us ill even if we don’t know it. When we harbor guilt
we eventually become ill.
11 I have taught thee in the
way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
The
“I” here is Wisdom.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
This
is a perfect example of why we need to look closely at each verse when we
read. When something does not make sense we need to stop and look more closely or when we see a
word that does not make sense look it up.
“…thy
steps shall not be straitened;” What does that mean? In the NIV it is
translated “… your steps will not be hampered;” In the New King James: “your
steps will not be hindered…” The word is translated as distressed in most
cases and the distress is a serious vexing or fear.
Have
you ever been running around getting things done, making progress, having a
conquering momentum and suddenly everything stops? Sometimes when I have experienced that for
myself, I have had to even go back because I thought I was doing right, but it
ended up wrong. This verse says that
will not happen.
13 Take fast hold of
instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
The
best way to describe the phrase “Take fast hold” is found in Proverbs 26:17
"He that passeth by, and meddleth
with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the
ears." When you take a dog by
the ears the dog is going to thrash around and even tries to pull away. However, the dog knows if he thrashes too
hard or pulls away with all his might he may loose his
ears. The dog then realizes he must
submit. Another interesting thing about
the way the original text is used; the Hebrew word for taking hold is used
twice, indicating both hands locked in unison so there is no escape for
instruction.
14 Enter not into the path of
the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
Romans
16:19 “…But I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple
concerning evil.” We have to learn to stay as far away from the wicked as
possible. We do not need to understand
the wicked. We do not need to know about
their evil ways in order to avoid them.
Bank tellers are trained to identify counterfeits by studying the real
thing because there is no way to study the multitude of counterfeits they may
encounter. 2 Timothy 2:15 "Study
to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
15 Avoid it, pass not by it,
turn from it, and pass away.
I
heard a true story one time about some boys at a Christian summer camp. At the end of their first day, they had
finished their lessons and chores and excitedly set out to do some serious
swimming and horsing around in the lake.
The day was hot and the air was stagnant. The water seemed to be essential for soothing
their heated condition. The first boy
ran down to the dock and leaped feet first into the water and was thrashing
around splashing. The second boy not far
behind got to the point where he was calculating his leap so he would barely
miss his friend when suddenly he noticed something wrong. His friend in the water was waving his arms
in the air and yelling no, go back. The
second boy was able to grab the post on the dock to keep himself from going
into the water. Horrified, he noticed
his friend had landed in a nest of water moccasins and was being repeatedly
bitten by the snakes. The boy barely
survived the attack. The point I am
trying to make here is this: the wicked are evil and most of the time very
deceptive. If you are unsure of the
waters, check them out before you go in.
Stay as far away from the wicked and their nest as you can.
16 For they sleep not, except
they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some
to fall.
This
is an interesting way to say, if the wicked are awake they are up to no
good. Their motivation of happiness is
derived from doing wickedness.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
From
the standpoint of what matters to us, food is a very important part of our
lives. Figuratively speaking, for the
wicked, it is wickedness. It is like
food to them. In order to make bread,
you have to have the grain and other ingredients along
with a means to bake it. It takes
planning. Without the grain of
wickedness and the yeast of corruption and the heat of treachery they are not
satisfied. Violence to them is the
celebratory elixir that stirs their boldness.
18 But the path of the just
is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
What
“path” are you on? Is it the right path,
is it a bright path or is it a darkened wrong path? Make no mistake, if you are on the wrong path
it cannot look anything but dark and conclusional
unless you change. Another interesting
thing to consider is that the word “path” is singular. That’s right, there is only one path. Often we try to stay
on several paths in order to increase the percentages of choosing the right
one. Wrong again. Those we observe that seemingly have their
act together do not encounter the same type of roadblocks we do. They are focused because they are not trying
to be on more than one path. This may be
a good time to take inventory. What are
your goals? What is important to
you? Who and what really matter in your
life? Without focus it will be difficult
to identify the deceptions of the wicked.
The
word “shineth” means to become light and the word use of “more and more”
actually means to cause to walk.
The
path of the just is a day of shining light that is growing in light, which
keeps us walking in the light until we reach the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is
as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
The
reason the “way of the wicked is as darkness” is because the wicked are
involved with the wicked. The wicked
plot to steal or take what appeals to them.
Since they are involved with other wickedians,
their schemes involve tripping one of their own or some poor soul who is
investigating the wicked (See vs. 14).
If you feel like you are getting tripped up all the time, you may be
considered wicked or on the wrong path.
The reason “they know not at what they stumble” is because they are
professionals at deception. Notice it
says “stumble” and not “fall.” All it
takes is a small mishap to start the sequence of events that lead to disaster.
20 My son, attend to my
words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from
thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For
they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh
BEEP…BEEP…BEEP…BEEP…this
is a public service announcement! We
interrupt this program to bring you this important public service
announcement. We have all heard this
test on TV and the radio. Here Wisdom is
speaking and driving home a point.
Remember the “Personal Goals” we discussed in chapter 2, She wants us to
understand how important each of them are. Often we need to be
reminded so here is the list from Pr. 2:1 – 4:
1.
if thou wilt receive my
words
2. hide
my commandments with thee
3.
incline
thine ear unto wisdom
4.
apply
thine heart to understanding
5.
criest
after knowledge
6.
liftest
up thy voice for understanding
7.
seekest
her as silver
8.
searchest
for her as for hid treasures
23 Keep thy heart with all
diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
What
does it mean to “Keep thy heart” and what can we do to make sure that we are
keeping it? It is clear in this verse we
are supposed to keep it. The
responsibility appears to be ours and yet there is not
much these days in the way of actual instructions in this area. The heart has much to do with what we
do. It is where the emotional aspects of
our existence are fashioned and felt.
The word “keep” means to guard, watch over or preserve. The word “heart” refers to the inner
man. The word “diligence” is interesting
because it does not mean “focused attention” but instead it is a place of
confinement which has been fortified and made secure. It is actually translated as a ward or prison
and the in some cases the actual person doing the guarding; Jer
51:12 "Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch
strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the LORD hath
both devised and done that which he spake against the
inhabitants of Babylon." I want
us to notice something very important here; keeping our heart with diligence is
not a passive activity where we sit in a protected place with a shield trying
to fight off that which the world hurls at us.
If we were to do that there would be no “issues of life.” Issues is in the sense of outpouring or
giving off that which we have in us.
Remember Mark 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also." If we treasure
Wisdom as she so wants us to do, then the issues or outpouring of our life will
be Wisdom and then Wisdom may beget more of her kind.
A
person cannot guard their heart without Wisdom.
Wisdom is required to sift all that comes at us each day. Through the principles and insight of Wisdom,
identifying or guarding our heart is done with boldness. Mark 7:15 “There is nothing from without a
man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of
him, those are they that defile the man.”
We must see that when we have Wisdom there is nothing that can harm or
defile us as long as we are diligent.
24 Put away from thee a
froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
The
word “forward” means distortional or crookedness and habitually disposed to
disobedience and opposition. The word
“Perverse” is a word that has many components to it. If you look in a thesaurus at the other words
that could replace its use they would be as follows: depraved, immoral,
perverted, reprobate, wayward, obstinate, contrary and negative. It means deviating from what is considered
right or proper or good. It means
resistant to guidance or discipline. It
means marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict. It means being characterized by or displaying
negation or denial or opposition or resistance, having no positive features.[1]
Putting
away all these things from our speech takes time. When we fail, the objective is to identify
that it was there and try not to continue to talk that way. Many of us have known or know someone that
has never had a nice thing to say about anyone or anything. We do not want to be known as one of those
types of people.
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
We
were talking earlier in verse eighteen about the path. Here in this verse is some advice on how to
stay on the right path once you find it.
This is more about focus than it is about choosing the right path. Once we make a decision
to do something, keeping that purpose as we take each step is the motivation we
need. If we make a pledge with ourselves
to do something or even change the way we are in a certain area of our lives,
we have to maintain focus. The eye is a very important part of that
focus. Matthew 6:21-23 says: 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22The
light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single,
thy whole body shall be full of light. 23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore
the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Even
if we do not ponder the path of our feet, our way will be established. It is not that we ponder where our feet are
carrying us so much as it is that they ARE!
Now the consideration or pondering of that path is to stop for a moment
in time and examine where we are going and with what purpose. Take a look at
Romans 3:9-18
9What then? are we better than
they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that
they are all under sin; 10As it is written, There
is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh
after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together
become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13Their
throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they
have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14Whose
mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15Their feet are
swift to shed blood: 16Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17And
the way of peace have they not known: 18There is no fear of God before
their eyes.
I can
assure you that if their feet had not carried these that are mentioned onto a
path of darkness all that they are known by would not be so. The sobering fact is that each and everyone
of us are walking around in a deadly form of flesh that is prone to this
behavior. It takes a serious effort to
remove ourselves daily.
27 Turn not to the right hand
nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Once
we set out on our path and let us assume for a moment that we have accomplished
a form of perfection and success, it is the sinful nature of the flesh to
reward ourselves by taking a break. Unfortunately that break can be the instant of destruction
just before the reward is bestowed upon us.
I
remember a time long ago when my sons were very young
and we were fishing. One of them caught
a fish very early in our adventure. The
others and myself included repositioned ourselves very
close to where he was fishing. It was
not because we wanted to be close to him but instead
we wanted to catch what he was catching.
The funny thing is that none of us caught any more fish for the rest of
the afternoon. And guess which one was
the hardest to drag back to the car?
That’s right, the one who caught himself a fish. He fished nowhere else the entire time. The rest of us moved all over the place to no
avail.
The
point here is that often we put ourselves on a path of improvement and success
but turn to the right or left along the way.
In turning we remove our potential for improving not to mention a reward.