Proverbs 4.1-4
“Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, he taught me and said to me, ‘Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live.’”
This is a recurring theme in Proverbs, and Solomon repeats it with no apologies. And for good reason. We need the constant reminder to hear and obey the disciplined instruction, teaching, and training (musar) of our God. This is the daily process of giving our heart to the Father’s teaching and commandments. It is the source of life.
Proverbs 4.5-9
“Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
He tells us to get wisdom … literally, be proactive and pursue and acquire skill through the process of instruction / musar. Don’t be lazy in your learning. Don’t be indifferent. Don’t dabble. Do the work that getting wisdom and insight requires. Three times he says go get it!
Wisdom and insight are necessary for a skillful life, and you should place the highest possible value on getting wisdom. If you do that, then wisdom will “exalt” you and “honor” you. The picture Solomon paints here is wisdom crowning you as if you are royalty … which you are, since you are a child of the King. So live your life in alignment with who God created you to be … his child and an heir to his kingdom.
Proverbs 4.10-15
“Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.”
Solomon repeats another recurring message: follow the path of wisdom, and do not follow the path of foolishness and wickedness. The path of God is the way of confidence, strength, and effectiveness. It is not always the easy path, but it is always the right path. The way of evil is easy, but it eventually leads to destruction. Reject the ways of deception and darkness.
Staying on-path requires knowledge of who God is and who he has called you to be. When you study the Lord’s commands and follow them, you can walk and run with clarity and confidence. You will navigate the stuff of life with courage and strength that comes from God.
Note also that following the path of God’s wisdom protects you … it guards you against the enemy. It keeps you from doing things that would harm you.
Proverbs 4.16-19
“For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.”
The two different paths are contrasted here: the path of God’s wisdom is light, whereas the path of wickedness is darkness. The life of the people of God is illuminated by truth, wisdom, and insight. Because they walk in the light, they can see what is happening around them. The people of God know who they are, where they are going, and how to live and work with wisdom and skill. As a result, they are at peace.
The people who follow the path of darkness stumble over all kind of things, because they are blinded by the darkness. They are restless and conflicted. They seek not only to do evil, but also to draw others into evil. They want to make other people stumble. They consume the dark path like bread and wine. They feed on wickedness and violence.
Here is the bottom line: There is great power in knowing who you are. You were created by God and for God. He redeems you through Christ, and he calls you to himself and to his path.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119.105).
