Proverbs 1:8-19 “A Wise Father Instructs a Son to be Wise”

My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; for they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck. My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait to shed blood; let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down to the Pit; we shall find all kinds of precious possessions, we shall fill our houses with spoil; cast in your lot among us, let us all have one purse” – my son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. Surely, in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird; but they lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk secretly for their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners.

The first nine chapters of Proverbs include ten appeals from a father to his son. This first appeal is the typical format: the wise and loving father exhorts his son to pay close attention to the following instructions. The son is to esteem these lessons as a highly valued possession that is designed for his benefit.

This first appeal comes from both the father and mother as they exhort their son not join those greedy for gain. There are three sections to the wise father’s instruction.

First, the parents give the situation. The son is approached by a group of his peers who try to convince the son to join the group. This is peer pressure to join the ‘in crowd.’ These would-be friends promise companionship and all kinds of precious possessions. They entice with their words “Sure, we’ll have to break a few laws, but think of all the money we’ll have. You don’t have to do it alone, we’ll do it together.” The father wisely does this to point out the temptations so the son won’t be caught off guard.

The second part of the appeal is the warning to unequivocally reject any and all pleas from this ungodly crowd. The father’s words: “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path.”

The third section of the instructions is the reasons for doing so. In this case, the sinners run to evil for their gain and trap themselves, running their own lives. The son can now recognize that even though he might gain some so-called friends and quick cash, he will embark on the path of the fool, the path of destruction. He will ultimately destroy his own life and losing both his friends and treasures.

While children should heed the instructions of their parents, the wise parents realize the importance of explaining the reasoning behind such instruction. The explanation will give the complete picture and thereby help keep the truth in the soul. This connects knowledge with understanding, both of which are aspects of wisdom.

(The lower painting is “The Rich Fool” by Rembrandt, 1627. See Luke 12:20)

--------------------

Related Scriptures: Proverbs 13:20; Psalm 1:1; Romans 16:18; Ephesians 5:11

--------------------

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin

Proverbs 8:17-21 “The Love & Value of Wisdom”

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me. Riches and honor are with me, enduring riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, and my revenue than choice silver. I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice, that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries.

Who does wisdom love? Those that love her. Who finds wisdom? Those who seek her diligently. Loving wisdom goes hand in hand with seeking wisdom. A young man in love with a young lady will seek to be around her and to know everything about her. He rearranges his schedule to spend as much time as possible with her because he loves her. That is how we should love wisdom. We study wisdom (the Word of God) diligently. We schedule times to be alone with the Word of God so we can study and know all we can about it. The more you grow to love wisdom, the less of a chore and more of a pleasure this will be. A young lover would never say it is a chore to be around the one he delights in, and neither will you when you learn to delight in wisdom.

The rewards of wisdom are immense: riches – enduring riches, honor, and righteousness. The fruit of wisdom is better than the finest gold and the choicest silver! Wow! How can that be? The riches of wisdom are not earthly, or material, wealth. It is spiritual treasure and heavenly riches. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20)

This spiritual wealth can be passed onto offspring through a godly heritage. This is the greatest treasure that can be passed on to children & seeing their children walking with the Lord is the greatest joy a parent can receive. (3 John 1:4) Both of these beat gold and silver hands down!

--------------------

Related Scriptures: Proverbs 3:16; 4:7-9; Matthew 6:33; Philippians 3:8-9

--------------------

Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. – Plato 

Proverbs 2:4-5 “Mining the Riches of God’s Word”

“If thou seekest her [wisdom] as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”

How do you seek silver? You dig for it. How do you search for hidden treasures? You dig for them. Both silver and hidden treasure requires diligence and toil, but there is also enthusiasm. Wisdom is the same way. You are enthusiastic, but still you expend effort and time to get the ‘ore’ from the Word of God. Then, through meditation, you refine the ‘ore’ and make it part of you. Finally comes the greatest benefit: you understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

--------------------

Related Scriptures: Proverbs 3:14-15; 8:18-19; Mat. 6:19-21

--------------------

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” – Jesus in Matthew 6:33

Proverbs 1:7 “What makes knowledge profitable?”

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Knowledge profits nothing if one does not fear the Lord. Knowledge without a reverence toward God is not useful and leads only to false conclusions and pride. This is seen so well in the belief of evolution. Anyone looking at a building would say it had a designer. But the same person, looking at the human body which is much more complex than a building, will say it happen by chance. Why? Because they do not fear the Lord and despise wisdom and instruction. They have made themselves out to be fools because they do not fear the Lord.

--------------------

Related Scriptures: Proverbs 9:10; Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Ecclesiastes 12:13

--------------------

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin

Proverbs 28:6 "Character is the issue"

“Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.”

The issue is not wealth, but rather character. Because he has better character, the poor man has a clear conscience, blesses the world with his integrity, and should be esteemed higher than the wicked. Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus also demonstrates that the rich are easily blinded by their wealth from the knowledge of God and His Kingdom, which makes the poor better not only in this life, but in all eternity.
--------------------
Related scriptures: Proverbs 16:8; 28:18; 19:1; Luke 16:19-23
--------------------
“No legacy is so rich as honesty.” – William Shakespeare “All’s Well That Ends Well”

Proverbs 23:4-5 "Labor Not To Be Rich"

“Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”

It is our own wisdom that tells us to labor to be rich, yet riches are fleeting. If we shouldn’t labor for riches, what should we labor for? Labor for that which is eternal, not temporal. The things that last forever are the Word of God and the souls of men. Godly wisdom is found in the person who pursues these. (Proverbs 11:30; 19:20)
--------------------
Tis one life to live, it will soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Proverbs 22:1 "A Good Name"

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Does this not cut across the grain of our desires? We are often tempted to compromise our integrity for riches, our good name for a little gain.
How many men have sacrificed the loving favor of their wife and children on the altar of prosperity? In the end, when it is all to late, they realize the foolishness of their ways. To have a good name, a loving wife, honorable children, and the favor of close friends is true wealth.
--------------------
"Relationships create the fabric of our lives. They are the fibers that weave all things together." -Eden Froust

Proverbs 10:4 “Diligence Making Lasting Wealth”

“He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.”

Typically this verse is viewed in terms of monetary status. If you are lazy and deceitful, you become financially poor. If you are diligent, you will become rich. You reap what you sow. However, believers should perhaps view this verse from the standpoint of winning souls and sharing the good news of salvation, for riches are fleeting, but the souls of men are forever. The Christian who does not win souls has a spiritual poverty that is much, much worse than any material poverty. To see friends and coworkers every day, knowing that at any moment they could die and spend eternity suffering in hell, and not tell them how to avoid this terrible, eternal destination is to be spiritual bankrupt. But the Christian who diligently shares the gospel and leads another person to the foot of Calvary’s Cross and the unconditional love of Christ has riches beyond compare, not just in this lifetime, but for all eternity.

--------------------

Related Scriptures: Daniel 12:3; Matthew 4:19; John 4:36; 1 Corinthians 9:19; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; James 5:20

--------------------

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise.” – Proverbs 11:30