A Father’s Instruction
“Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my instruction. When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother, he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you. Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding. Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you. She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many. I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be impeded;
when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it; do not travel on it.
Turn from it and pass on by. For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber
until they make someone fall, since they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body. Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life. Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech. Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.”
“Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my instruction. When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother, he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.” Study King David’s life and you realize he wasn’t Father of the Year material; however, evidently, he did do his best to mentor Solomon, whom he knew would succeed him.
“Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you. Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding. Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you. She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.” By the time David was mentoring Solomon, he had already fallen into adultery and had suffered through the loss of the son that resulted from that first act of intercourse. Here David is speaking from bitter experience, urging Solomon to treasure wisdom. Conquering heroes received garlands when returning from war; hence, the mention of the garland or grace and the crown of beauty.
“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.” As a cosmopolitan city, Jerusalem-and even the royal court-had plenty of examples of righteous and wicked people. It’s quite possible that when David was teaching Solomon, David mentioned specific individuals by name. Certainly, Solomon has remembered these teachings and is passing them on.
APPLICATION: In a previous Bible study, I quoted one of our friends who is fond of saying that “It’s all about choices.” At any given time, we can choose to act wisely or foolishly, with predictable results if we choose wrongly. But what if we find ourselves facing a decision in which both alternatives appear equally positive and righteous? How can we make a wise choice? God loves it when we quote His Word back to Him because it means that we have been paying attention. Here is a simple prayer for guidance:
“God, You tell us in Proverbs 4 that “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.” I am in a dilemma and I have no idea which way I should choose. Will You please shine Your light on the way You want me to go and cause the choice that is not of You to recede into the background? Thank You in advance for directing me. Amen.”
At this point, you can begin to consider both alternatives. You will find that one alternative appears to make increasing sense while the second alternative is rapidly disappearing into the background. If you don’t get clarity the first time around, you can go on to pray something like this: “Father, I am still confused, but You are not a God of confusion but a God of peace. Will You please give me Your Holy Spirit peace about the choice You want me to make? Help me to get quiet enough to hear You speak to my heart. Thanks again for leading me. Amen.”
God is a good Father, and good fathers communicate clearly with their children. No caring father is going to force a small child to guess what he is thinking; instead, he will make certain that the child understands perfectly. God knows our limitations and the many distractions that make it difficult for us to hear His will. We can trust that God, who knows us and loves us, will certainly make His will known when we ask.
You can use this same process in small problems as well as big ones. I am not one of those people who shop for entertainment; I want to get in, make the best choice, and get it over with. I find praying prayers such as these while I shop makes it far easier to focus on clothing that will be attractive and wear well. On the other hand, I also pray similar prayers while I am operating, particularly if I come to a difficult problem while operating. May God help you and guide you as you grow closer to Him in prayer!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help all who read these words to trust You to guide them and give them Your peace as they make decisions. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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