Proverbs 4
BBCProverbs 4:1
F. Wisdom as a Family Treasure (4:1-9) 4:1 In the first nine verses, Solomon rehearses the sound teaching which his father had passed on to him, and urges his children to spare no effort in gaining true insight. The book of Proverbs teems with earnest exhortations to the young to listen to instruction from a wise father. 4:2 It pays to cultivate the friendship of godly, older people. You can learn a lot from them and benefit from their years of experience. Their doctrine is good, and not to be disregarded. 4:3 Here Solomon refers to the time when he was a son to his father and “the only one” in the sight of his mother. Actually he was not an only son, but perhaps the expression “the only one in the sight of my mother” means “my mother’s darling” (Knox). 4:4 Solomon’s father, David, had taught his son to retain his sound advice and thus live a life that counts. A summary of David’s instruction is given in verses 4b-9. 4:5, 6 His major concern was for his son to get wisdom and understandingwhich really means to live for the Lord. Whatever else Solomon did, he should never forget this, because only the life that’s lived for God really counts. 4:7 The first step in getting wisdom is to have motivation or determination. We get in life what we go after. We should get wisdom at all cost, and in the process get good understanding and discernment. This means, among other things, that we will learn to choose between the evil and the good, the good and the best, the soulish and the spiritual, the temporal and the eternal. 4:8 If we give Wisdom first place in our priorities, she will promote us handsomely. If we embrace her lovingly, she will bring us to places of honor. 4:9 “She will adorn you with charm and crown you with glory” (Moffatt). Wisdom confers a moral beauty on her children. Contrast, for instance, the repulsiveness of a life abandoned to dissipation and immorality.
Proverbs 4:10
G. Wisdom and the Two Paths (4:10-27)4:10 Having finished quoting his father’s counsel, Solomon now resumes his appeal to his own son. It is a general rule, though not without exceptions, that a clean life is conducive to a long life. Think how tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and sexual sin are directly linked with disease and death. 4:11, 12 A father can be gratified when he has taught his son the way of wisdom and has been a good example to him. However, the teaching must be combined with the example. A father’s actions speak louder than his words. A son who walks in the right paths will walk unimpeded and will run without stumbling. The Syriac version reads: “As thou goest step by step, I will open up the way before thee.” This teaches two important principles: First, God guides us step by step, rather than revealing the whole plan at once. Second, God guides people when they are moving forward for Him. A ship must be in motion before the skipper can steer it. So must a bicycle; you can only guide it when it is moving. The same is true of us; God guides us when we are in motion for Him. 4:13 We should take firm hold of good instruction, and not let it slip from us. We should guard wisdom as we would guard our lifebecause it is our life, especially when we think of Wisdom Incarnate in the person of the Lord Jesus. 4:14 Verses 14-19 warn against evil companions and contrast the way of darkness with the way of light. These exhortations against joining up with unrighteous men do not forbid our witnessing to them but they do forbid any partnership in their plans. 4:15 There is a note of urgent warning in these short, staccato commands. Avoid a life of sin. Don’t pass by to investigate. Turn the other way. Keep going. It might seem interesting, intriguing, and thrilling, but it eventually will destroy you. 4:16, 17 The henchmen of sin do not sleep well unless they have pulled some shady deal. They get a king-sized case of insomnia unless they have lured someone to ruin and disaster. Their diet is the bread of fraud and the wine of violence. Or we might say that wickedness is their meat and drink. These verses give a very drastic picture of the sinful nature of man. Since his nature is sin, sinning is for him as meat and drink for the body. This passage does not apply only to criminals. (See BBC on Jer_17:9). 4:18, 19 Not so the life of the righteous person. It is like the dawning light which shines ever brighter until it reaches the full blaze of noonday. In other words, the path of the just grows better and brighter all the time. The wicked stagger on in deep darkness, with no idea as to what they’re stumbling over. 4:20 Solomon continues to plead with his son to pay close attention to his instruction in wisdom. In a verse like this, we should hear the voice of the Lord speaking to us. 4:21 It is for our own good that we should not let Wisdom’s teachings out of our sight, but should rather treasure them in our heart. 4:22 Wisdom’s words are life-giving and creative. As Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (Joh_6:63). And they are health to the whole body because they deliver a person from the sins and stresses that cause so much illness. 4:23 Verses 23-27 are the OT counterpart of Rom_12:1. They beseech us to present our entire beings to Godheart, mouth, lips, eyes, and feet. God begins with the inner man, then works outward. The heart is first. It speaks of the inner life, the mind, the thoughts, the motives, the desires. The mind is the fountain from which the actions spring. If the fountain is pure, the stream that flows from it will be pure. As a man thinks, so is he. So this verse emphasizes the importance of a clean thought life. 4:24, 25 A deceitful mouth signifies dishonest and devious speech. Perverse lips refer to conversation that is not straightforward and aboveboard. Eyes and eyelids that look straight ahead suggest a walk with singleness of purpose, one that does not turn aside for sin or for anything that is unworthy. In a day when the mass media bombard us with publicity designed to arouse our animal appetites, we must learn to keep our eyes on Jesus (Heb_12:2). 4:26, 27 If we are careful to ponder the path of holiness, all our ways will be well-ordered and safe. All along the highway, to the right and to the left, there are side streets and alleys which lead to the haunts of sin. “Let’s be true to Jesus, though a thousand voices from the world may call.” When tempted to go to a questionable place, ask yourself, “Would I like to be found there when Jesus comes back?” Remove your foot from evil.