My Father's Son (4:1-4)
"Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live." Proverbs 4:1-4
On the morning of their first wedding anniversary, my mother and father received the early arrival of their firstborn son. With both parents buried in college coursework and church ministry, my early years offer plenty of fond memories of two people who loved the Lord and hoped that I would do the same. The foremost reason that this man and this woman had first fallen in love was grounded in musical talent. She was a star pianist who had been playing flawlessly "by ear" since she was just a little girl. My father was preparing for a PhD in music and could, it seemed, play any instrument that was put in front of him. The vast majority of what my father did was to write the music of his heart in the form of orchestration, choral arrangements, or worship choruses.
As the years went by, my association with these two parents brought about the logical questions from among those who saw me. So what is your musical talent, Jeremy? Do you play the piano? Do you sing? With all this talent in your family, you must do something musical, right? The association was that if I was my father's son, then the gift of music must have been passed down. To be sure, I became inundated enough with the world of music to know a fair amount, but the legacy of music would not continue with me. You see, my father had followed in his own father's footsteps as a musician across the Canadian border. He was struck with a heavy blow when I spoke later in life about the exhaustion of being associated with his talents at the expense of my own individuality. My father had always been proud to be his father's son. It took several more years before I would recognize that being my father's son was not about sharing his talents. Rather, it was about living the example of his tireless labor in Christ.
Most of us carry a certain weight of expectation to be the representatives of those who brought us into this world. In the case of our proverbial author, he has a fascinating connection to one of the most beloved characters in all of the Old Testament. Solomon's older sibling died seven days after birth as a punishment for the murder and consummated adultery of King David and Bathsheba (II Samuel 12:13-23). Almost immediately after the loss of their child, Solomon is conceived as a replacement blessing in the loving eyes of God (II Samuel 12:24). Thus, the son and future king was born into a situation of tremendous heartache. He would be "his father's son" by name, but he would also be "tender and only beloved" in the sight of his mother after her great loss. Even after being crowned king, Solomon would still find himself bowing before his mother out of respect for her rightful place above him in love (I Kings 2:19).
Out of the family he was born, the author of Proverbs makes his heritage a point of undeniable authority. If, indeed, he is his "father's son," then the "children" of Israel must see that all instruction should be heard, all knowledge should be attended, all doctrine should be sound, no law should be forsaken, every commandment should be kept, and the words of life should be retained deep in the heart. This would be the legacy of wisdom from David to Solomon for the Nation of Israel.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + With All Thy Getting (4:5-7)
"Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all they getting get understanding." Proverbs 4:5-7
En route to the ceremony of my high school graduation, my mother sat almost frozen without words in the front seat. My father was rather stoic until mom's voice broke the silence. "I'm not sure why we're doing this. You haven't earned it." And with that, any hope of walking across the stage undaunted suddenly evaporated. She was right, however. For in the moment that we arrived, I darted across the field to find a geography teacher whose final grade would determine whether I would receive my diploma. Looking down at the boy who had barely given any effort in his classroom, he hesitated for a moment before letting me know that my grade was just above the necessary mark required for achievement. There, in that shameful moment, I had proved my mother's words. This was not about doing my best, it was about a smart kid who proved himself willing to forsake the value of an education. And she knew it.
Since that walk of dishonorable merit years ago, my path has brought me into the company of several well-meaning men and women who themselves have devalued the need for an education. Many accomplished tradesmen look back upon successes that they achieved without any time in the classroom and thus poke fun of any who choose to endure the books and the curriculum of mental development. Rarely is the reverse true. For within the eyes of an honorable student, the life and labors of a tradesman is spoken of with the utmost regard. Where, then, is the divide between the student who praises the tradesman and the tradesman who disregards the student? They are divided between arguments of action over knowledge. To the one, knowledge empowers further action. To the other, action deflates the need for any knowledge. Neither are entirely accurate.
The oft mentioned prophet, Daniel, was among a group of young Hebrew children who were "skillful in all wisdom, cunning in knowledge, understanding science, and such as had ability" to learn languages beyond their own (Daniel 1:4). Daniel was not simply a young man who knew the action of faithfulness, but he was well educated to the profit (no pun intended) of those he would gradually encounter in his later life. And although he exhibited remarkable wisdom on health (Daniel 1:8-16), interpretation of dreams (Daniel 2:16), and governmental leadership (Daniel 2:48-49), all of his understanding was credited to God (Daniel 1:17).
These three verses of Solomon have a curious arch. When anyone truly "gets" wisdom and understanding, and when they remember, keep, and love what they have received, then wisdom herself gives more. For if she has not been forsaken or ignored, then she will preserve her recipients by giving them an even greater understanding. If wisdom is recognized as the "principal" (foremost) foundation of true knowledge, then all other attributes can and will be enhanced. If, on the other hand, wisdom and those who seek after her are mocked, then little will be accomplished. Let he who labors get to laboring. Let he who studies get to studying. And "with all thy getting" may we truly "get" the understanding that allows us to minister to the cause of God's grace together.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Honorable Promotion (4:8)
"Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her." Proverbs 4:8
Near the turn of the century in 1600, the highly regarded dramatist William Shakespeare completed the second Act of his pastoral comedy, As You Like It. After returning home from a key victory in the story, heroic Orlando encounters an old and faithful servant who tells him that being home is no longer a safe option. The old man offers Orlando his unflattering life-savings to elude any would-be captors and take to the road. Touched by the sentiment, the hero says, "O, good old man; how well in thee appears the constant service of the antique world, when service sweat for duty, not for meed [reward]! Thou art not for the fashion of these times, where none will sweat but for promotion." Orlando recognized that it was a rare thing for a man to give of himself if it meant absolutely nothing for him in return.
One of the most common questions we hear at work is, "What do you do when you're not here?" In other words, what do you do for fun? The implication, of course, is that the only time someone would work is if they're getting paid for it. Hence, in our spare time, it seems almost a given that the answer would be anything from golf, fishing, surfing, jogging and swimming to video games and movies. Comedian Steven Wright is known for the one liner: "In my spare time, I like to waste time." The ultimate joke is that the moment we are not required to do anything, we'll do absolutely nothing. Our spare time, therefore, is wasted time.
Perhaps the most unfortunate conclusion we often draw about each other is based on what we cannot see. We assume that if a student is no longer in class, they must be watching movies. If an employee is no longer at work, they must be sleeping. If our boss is not around on a given day, he or she must be out playing golf. But what of the possibility that a man or woman has given of their spare time to the quiet reading and study of Scripture? What of they who lose sleep serving a ministry where no one is witness? What of the woman who takes her Friday evening to touch the life of a dying friend for the gospel? These "spare" moments are often far more powerful than any that are witnessed in the public eye.
Among the wisest people that we know in our lives (by that I do not mean the most knowledgeable), there tends to be a pattern of quiet humility. The wise man is not quick to speak, nor is he eager to be regarded. He knows that he has found wisdom, but will never acknowledge such a fact publically or he may well lose the "promotion" that wisdom provided. These men and women of wisdom that we encounter are far more private people than we wish them to be, but they have found a most worthy secret.
When no one is looking…when the last visible worker has gone home… when spare time is every man's vanity… this is when the wise become wiser. For it is in the absence of the public eye that these individuals exalt wisdom to embrace her. They do not need the promotion of men who praise them, for they have found the honorable promotion of God who humbles them.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + The Crown (4:9)
"She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee." Proverbs 4:9
Almost a century before Kathy Bates won an Academy Award for her role opposite James Caan in the 1990 film Misery, another woman by the same name achieved tremendous recognition for her work in writing American poetry. Katherine Lee Bates is most remembered for penning the patriotic chorus: "America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!" These words were written soon after (and perhaps during) her cross country visit from Massachusetts to Colorado in 1893.
For any who have traveled the expanse of this mammoth nation, it's hard to avoid being touched by the splendid beaches of Cape Cod, the white snows of Rochester, or the quiet winds of Nebraska. Whether it be the roaring rapids of the Mississippi, the expansive deserts of Arizona, or the Rocky Mountains that stretch 3,000 miles from New Mexico even into the northernmost parts of British Columbia, all of God's creation has a glorious design. None of these attributes are of man's doing, but they all vary with such incredible distinction that each isolated region deserves the recognition of God's wonderful grace (surely the canyons and oceans never asked for their incredible beauty). Though this may not be the grace we're all so academically and personally familiar, it is grace nonetheless.
Perhaps most interesting about this small verse from Proverbs is that Solomon, like Bates in 1893, puts grace in the same context as a crown. Grace, as we understand it, always has to do with God's gift of unmerited favor. A crown, on the other hand, is usually a gift achieved by great effort. And while one might acknowledge that the son of Solomon is going to receive his "royal" crown simply because of his place in the family, our author here is not talking about a son who receives his inevitable inheritance. Rather, this is about the children of Israel (4:1) knowing that there exists a balance between the gift of grace and the measure of a crown. For it is the latter that requires their labor, not the former.
Gospel artist, Michael English, may well be remembered for years to come after his vocal delivery of the following lyrics: "There's not a victory without a fight. There's not a sunrise without a night. There's not a purchase without a cost. There's not a crown without a cross." Only the idle man takes the gift of grace and refuses to fight through to the sunrise.
"Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." I Corinthians 3:13-15
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8-10
Both Solomon's son and the nation of Israel knew that they had the favor of God above all other nations. If, however, they were to become ignorant and lazy in God's favor, then the crown of glory would be in question. No one in Biblical history was ever given grace so they might just receive it and sit still. Every man under the grace of God is called to be active (Ephesians 4:1). Anything less is idle acceptance. We all await that glorious day of delivery, but today, grace demands our action, rather than our inaction. The crown awaits (II Timothy 4:6-8).
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Off the Bench (4:10-11)
"Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths." Proverbs 4:10-11
On March 4, 2008, arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the National Football League retired from the Green Bay Packers. Brett Favre followed his official retirement with an emotional news conference where he acknowledged in tears that although he could still play the game for three hours a week, the game itself required far more preparation than he could give anymore. "It's been a great career for me and it's over… as hard as it is for me to say that… I just don't think I can give anything else." Being the tough example that he was from Mississippi to Wisconsin, even those who didn't watch the game of football knew the name of Brett Favre.
With his departure came many who asked the ultimate question of the backup quarterback. In the shadow of a legend, the 24-year old Aaron Rodgers would appear to have no chance at the same success. But unlike other quarterbacks who get tossed behind center with no prior education, Rodgers became a backup in 2005 only to spend the last few years watching and studying a position that he would eventually inherit. His task would be just as important as his predecessor. If the team is to move forward with any possibility, the young replacement will have to get off the bench and play the game.
Much of Proverbs is written with a continued hope that the king's son will follow in the spoken example of his father. The passage above implies that if he has been "taught in the way of wisdom" and "led in the right paths," that it is the child's responsibility to put one foot in front of the other and get in the business of living. Modern parents can often be heard sharing the same hopeful expectation of their sons and daughters: "I've done all I can do for you. Now it's your turn."
Of course, the path itself is never quite so easy and readers of the Old Testament know that Solomon's actual son and future successor, Rehoboam, would spend the greater part of his days at war with Jeroboam over who should rule the whole of Israel (I Kings 15:6). In the end, a pattern of division split the nation into a northern and southern kingdom with kings in the north and kings in the south. As far as the Biblical story goes, the two halves of Israel would never again be united as one. And by many accounts, it could be said that the son failed to carry on the legacy of his father.
The Apostle Paul is, for the Body of Christ, a father-figure of sorts (I Corinthians 4:15) who has provided the manual of instruction and sound doctrine for how we can and should proceed in the current age of grace. He has laid the foundation of Jesus Christ for the Body (I Corinthians 3:10-11). And much like Solomon would have expected of his son in obedience, Paul shares a similar expectation of his audience. Knowing that "all Scripture" is profitable for our walk (II Timothy 3:16), it is our responsibility, therefore, to get off the bench and get on the field. Paul fought his fight. Now we must fight ours.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + The Stumbler (4:12)
"When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble." Proverbs 4:12
During a long day of walking through the parks of Disney World several years ago, my mother-in-law noticed something rather goofy about my footsteps. It was a common occurrence that I would drag my feet and unknowingly point them inward with each step. Of course, this was news to me because after a long day's journey, no one could bother me with news of my imperfections. That was, until the time came that I tripped over my own feet and had to smile.
One of the funniest acts I've ever seen in stand-up comedy had to do with poking fun of this human tendency where we trip over ourselves and then look back as though the sidewalk had something to do with it. And we do this all the time. Some will look back, but others will just pick up the stride from their slip as though they were already planning to run forward. Either way, the pattern is quite simple. It's not our fault. We never want to admit that our steps caused the stumble, but are quick to look for anything else that might have influenced our awkward moment of imbalance.
Arguably the greatest and most notable "stumble" in all of Scripture came from Israel's rejection of Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit who followed. For it was after this great sin that Paul wrote, "Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather, through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousy" (Romans 11:11). The "stumble" of Israel opened the door of salvation to the Gentiles and ultimately, the dispensation of the grace of God wherein the blood of Christ now covers "all men" apart from national boundaries (I Timothy 2:4; 4:10).
Solomon, however, is giving a much simpler message than any we might find elsewhere in God's Word. While there may be additional things to unveil from this small verse, the king is speaking directly about the path of wisdom. He that walks in wisdom will walk with footsteps that are not crooked. And when his footsteps are "straitened," he will be able to run without stumbling. The subtle nature of this message is that there is a race to be run and they who stumble are ultimately stumbling over their own crooked feet.
Almost everyone has experienced the "stumble" after a brisk walk along the street, but far more have experienced the "stumble" of walking over their own feet in the ministry of God's grace. Some of us have a habit of putting one of those feet in our mouths while bouncing on the other. Some of us never walk straight and blame others for always being crooked. In reality, another man's walk is not ours to dictate. Pay attention to your own footsteps so that "when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble."
"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-16
"I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:" I Corinthians 9:26
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + The Lifeline (4:13)
"Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her, for she is thy life." Proverbs 4:13
Before the men of Hampton Court gathered together to begin work on what would later be known as the King James Bible in 1611, a century of writers and language experts had paved the way of translation with their lives and their pens. Most popular among English Protestants was the Geneva Bible of 1560, under which King James Stuart himself had been raised. Their classic entry for Proverbs 4:13 reads as follows: "Take holde of inftruction, & leaue not: kepe her, for fhe is thy life." Perhaps the most notable difference (other than the spelling) is that the word "fast" is absent from the text.
While pundits and proponents of textual criticism could make plenty of debates about this minor difference in translation, one thing to ask ourselves is whether there is actually a difference between merely "taking hold" of something or "taking fast hold" of that same object. Much of this discussion really begins and ends on the progress of an evolutionary language. By 1560, one of the difficulties of English by contrast to the well-known French of the day was that writers and linguists were still finding ways to show emphasis in English translation.
E.W. Bullinger notes in his Companion Bible that the entire underlying phrase for "take fast hold" is an emphatic Hebrew clause. In other words, if Solomon meant for their to be emphasis, so should any reader who looks at the same phrase today. Preaching from the Metropolitan Tabernacle of London in June of 1878, Charles Spurgeon began his sermon on this Proverb with the following point: "If to take hold is good, to take fast hold is better." Indeed, there is nothing incorrect about taking hold, but like a father who raises his voice, much more attention is to be paid by the expression, "take FAST hold."
No doubt some still ponder to themselves, "But why does it matter?" After all, if the theme is ultimately that Solomon's audience should take hold of instruction and "let her not go," wouldn't they still get the message with or without "fast" included? In short, the answer is yes. At length, the answer is no. Consider the following example.
Quite frequently, when I've failed to hear the blaring of an alarm clock, my wife will gently whisper my name and I wake to the sound of her sweet voice. On the other hand, when my mind is lost in a thought and I've failed to notice a red light that I'm about to pass through, my wife's voice is no longer gentle. In a moment of severity, there's a big difference between someone saying "stop" and someone shouting, "STOP!" Solomon does not write with passive intent. He writes as though his audience is hanging from the side of a cliff with only a rope to hold. Hence, the king does not merely say, "take hold" of that line, but "take FAST hold" of it.
In reality, our daily walk follows a dangerous path of constant distractions. We're tempted to sin, we're pushed to lose faith, and we're weakened to give up. Looking forward, we can see that the righteous path is guided by wisdom. Therefore, "take fast hold" of the instruction she provides, keep her close at hand, and never let her go. For if wisdom is the lifeline that keeps men from danger, then it sure won't hurt to emphasize the grip.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Flee, Flee, Flee (4:14-15)
"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away." Proverbs 4:14-15
Along the dirt road of a Salem drive in 1997, the lights of my car caught the shimmering reflection of a passing animal. As though time stood still for just a moment, I caught the eyes of an unexpecting cat. And like all similar situations, the cat offered a "deer in the headlights" expression. It was as if we were sharing an immediate understanding that this was the end of the line for one of us. Either he was going to get hit or I was going to swerve into a tree. Though a long battle with allergies has made me quite unsympathetic to cat lovers, the moment still managed to break my heart. Looking back through the rear view mirror, this image of a tragic accident brought a lump to my throat and a stain to my memory.
Many of us have shared in similar tragedies. Given just a few extra seconds to avoid any disaster, most of us would stop our cars when possible and shout, "Get out of the road!" We're not intentionally violent and yet sudden experiences give us little choice. The wish, of course, is that any animal foolishly walking into the road would know to instinctively run the other direction when traffic comes through.
Soon after learning the Biblical principles of II Timothy 2:15, my attention was drawn to a word that seemed to jump off the page later in the same chapter. Paul wrote to the young minister that he should "flee" his youthful lusts (II Timothy 2:22). The reason this word fascinated me was because it was, perhaps, an extreme expectation. How does a man flee his temptations unless he, quite literally, runs from them in the opposite direction? It seemed Paul was saying that Timothy should get as far from the path of unrighteousness as he possibly could. Looking even more closely at the passage, we find Paul asking him to "shun" profane babblings (2:16), to "purge" himself of ungodly things (2:21), to "flee" youthful lusts (2:22), and to "avoid" foolish and unlearned questions (2:23). To shun. To purge one's self. To flee. To avoid. These instructions were jumping off the page.
Truth be told, we simply cannot find a point in Scripture where sinful lifestyles are condoned or encouraged. And with every Biblical writer, such action is always condemned. For Solomon, the same message is colored with a different choice of words. We see that the wise man should "enter not" and "go not" into the unrighteous path. Reading the second half of the passage, it's near impossible to overlook how many ways our author finds to discourage his audience from that path. Avoid it. Pass not by it. Turn from it. Pass away from it. How many ways can the man say it? And when we see it with Paul's tone, the same question is true. How many ways can the righteous be told to avoid the unrighteous path before they will listen and heed that instruction?
Far too often we find ourselves buried in sinful situations that we put ourselves into in the first place. Our instructions are to flee. Our instructions are to avoid. Our instructions are to shun. These are not merely passive suggestions. If you're on the path of the wicked and headlights come up behind, it's unlikely you'll have enough time to get off the road. So don't get on the path to begin with. Flee, flee, flee.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Night Watch (4:16)
"For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall." Proverbs 4:16
As morning arrived, King Solomon awoke to the stirring of an unexpected dream. In his vision, the young king had asked the Lord for the wisdom to "discern between good and bad" (I Kings 3:9). Perhaps unsure whether he had been granted the discernment he sought, two women soon approached his throne with a compelling case.
"And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom." I Kings 3:17-20
From the moment Solomon first received wisdom, he was faced with a tale of conflicting arguments revolving around an event that had happened "in the night" while others were sleeping. Through the court of good judgment, the king returns the son to his rightful mother, but we're introduced to a frightening image of midnight mischief. As one woman slept peacefully, the other had "slept not" until she had achieved the end of her scheming.
A great many tribes and cultures throughout history have established themselves by their adoration of the evening hours. Celtic tradition often describes a people who measured their days by the length of their nights. Alfred the Great, the famous King of Saxony, had once measured the passing of time by the melting of wax from a lit candle. Even the guests of poverty-stricken Haiti are advised to stay indoors when the sun goes down for fear of those who wander the forest to practice Voodoo. Whether we're talking about an ancient civilization or a modern ghetto, the night is always rife with a form of mischief that often hides itself during the day.
Solomon's father, the once great warrior of Israel, spoke frequently of meditating upon the precepts of God's Word, but took that practice into what he militarily called "night watches" (Psalm 63:6). Certainly a man cannot be asked to stay awake forever merely because there are those at night who would wish him harm, but there can, in fact, be those who "watch" for his protection. In the case of the two mothers, it was the handmaiden who had fallen asleep and thus opened the door of vulnerability.
To flee the temptations of this world is one thing (II Timothy 2:22), but the plotters of midnight mischief do not sleep. Those of us who run from the trappings of the world have a greater inclination towards spiritual exhaustion. If you're not among the exhausted, then be a "night watcher" for someone who is.
"Ye are the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." I Thessalonians 5:5-6
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Leaven of Malice (4:17)
"For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence." Proverbs 4:17
Regardless of the years I had worked behind a grill or a stove, taking my first stab at baking was an entirely different experience. Often when preparing a steak or sizzling vegetables, cooks can throw a pinch of this and a pinch of that with few reservations. However, items intended for the oven have a maturation process that requires the exactness of ingredients. Cookies, cakes, and breads can be some of the most particularly challenging things to make in an oven if the measurements have not been precise. I still recall mistaking "one teaspoon" with "one cup" of vanilla extract when preparing a tray of chocolate chip cookies. Needless to say, the dough never produced a flavorful dessert and my cookies turned to a moisturized liquid all over the bottom of the oven.
In Proverbs 4:14-15, Solomon spoke to his audience about avoiding the path of the wicked, but in the last verse suggested that no matter how far the righteous man runs, his enemy will plot in the night of his exhaustion. Now, in Verse 17, one could easily argue that the greatest wickedness is not simply wandering outside, but is, quite possibly, already in the house. Throughout the Book of Proverbs, the king offers a series of warnings about external enemies, but he also spends a great deal of time talking about the problems that arise from within. Indeed, at his own passing, the Nation of Israel would soon be divided by their own conflicts of civil infighting. Hence, those who "eat the bread of wickedness" and who "drink the wine of violence" are eating and drinking from the same table as their kinsmen. The wickedness and violence is an internal corruption.
Faced with a similar corruption in the church, the Apostle Paul writes on this very subject. "Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are leavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." I Corinthians 5:6-8
Certainly there is much to be said for fleeing the path of temptation or standing guard with individual accountability, but what happens when the leaven of malice is your own brother? What happens when wickedness is found in your own assembly of believers? Paul writes with a severity that we might not expect from someone who lives a life based on the application and teaching of grace. For indeed, if your fellowship is polluted by malicious participants who go ignored, how is anyone to know where you stand? How is anyone to know what is right and good if you continue to tolerate the activity of wickedness in your church?
To be sure, toleration of the world's unrighteousness is part of what moves our compassion for sharing the gospel and fuels our feet for sharing the Word (Romans 10:15). But it is quite another thing to tolerate the blatant gossip, murmuring, and malice of brothers and sisters who thirst for the destruction of their own household (i.e.. "drinking the wine of violence"). The smell of burning cookie lumps at the bottom of my oven was a reminder that I had not only measured poorly, but that I had waited too long before checking on the dough. If your house isn't clean and you have a ministry to serve, don't wait for the fire. Purge the leaven of malice before it burns into ashes of grace.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + The Perfect Day (4:18)
"But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Proverbs 4:18
Contemplating the "perfect day" on earth is an almost impossible task because we always fall short of our expectations. Some of us imagine a day where no children tug on our legs and we're able to sit quietly under a ceiling fan reading a book. Others imagine a family gathering where children are playing, fathers are joking, and mothers are laughing. Typically, these are "perfect" days we only recognize after they've happened. And to be sure, they are hardly perfect by measure of that which is heavenly.
Regardless of ages and dispensations, the people of God have always had some level of hope in a promised future they have not yet seen. The children of Israel have long placed their hope in the promises of God for their coming kingdom. Today, those of us who trust in the finished work of the cross, both Jew and Gentile, have our hope rooted in a heavenly destination. New bodies. Fuller knowledge. An amazing inheritance. All surpassed by the wonder of being at home in fellowship with the Lord.
Although it is true that the Apostle Paul describes the Body of Christ as a light in this darkened world (Romans 2:19; Ephesians 5:8; I Thessalonians 5:5), the words of Solomon in this proverb are prophetically intertwined with a coming future for the people of Israel. In his great wisdom, the king knows that all his people will have to endure the wicked, the evil, and the mischievous, by going down a path of justice that resembles the "shining light, that shineth more and more." When they are nearing their darkest hour, the righteous path will be as the shining light.
Among the few who embodied this "shining light" in Scripture was John the Baptist. Christ referred to him in John 5.
"Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth… He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light." John 5:33;35
John had come to "prepare the way of the Lord" and to "make his paths straight" (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23). He was the "shining light" because his message was one of repentance unto the remission of sins (Mark 1:4). Indeed, he did prepare the way. Indeed, he did make straight the path for Christ. Surely, the "perfect day" was right around the corner. That is, until Israel chose to turn their backs on the King. For in doing so, He turned His attention elsewhere and offered the "perfect day" to all men without partiality. Henceforth, grace was extended to you and I.
Whether your "perfect day" on earth is filled with noise or void of commotion, your "perfect day" in heaven will be greater still. He who sealed you for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30) has given you a day worth looking forward to. May your hope in this life be an eternity with Him.
"For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21
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"The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble." Proverbs 4:19
Throughout the first couple of years that I came to understand the study of right division (II Timothy 2:15), our Bible study group developed an unusual habit. Every Monday evening after some riveting discussion and challenging studies, several of us would dig up the Laser Tag equipment and head out to play in the backyard forests of Oregon. It was an outdated game that we made current by our enthusiasm. From time to time, though, someone would get hurt. Not because our weapons were dangerous, but rather, because the darkness made swift movements incredibly dangerous. Among the hills and the trees scattered under a dark sky, stumbles were the inevitable cost of our entertainment.
These past several verses of Proverbs 4 have illuminated the notion of a path upon which the wise man walks and the sly man hides. The fortune of the wise is that they have a "shining light" to lead them forward (v.18). But the "way of the wicked" is anything but bright. They move through the night in pursuit of the just (v.16), but given the darkness through which they move, they have their own series of stumbles, for they "know not" what gets in their way. After all, their way is not lit.
What may be most interesting about the contrast of text is that Solomon's target audience is described as both walking (3:23) and running (4:12) so as to avoid a stumble. In other words, even though the paths of wisdom are lit up for walking, enemies will come from the darkness on both sides (4:27) and running may be required. This is a message that goes back to the way we define "flee." The Apostle Paul implores his own audience to "flee youthful lusts" (II Timothy 2:22), for they are destructive to the path of a believer. One does not "flee" an enemy by walking softly. To really flee, one must run and run quickly.
When your path is already lit, the only darkness you'll find is beside or behind you. So let those in pursuit fall. This is your race to finish. And by the grace of God, there are others running with you.
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"My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh." Proverbs 4:20-22
For those of us who are truly dispensational in our study of Scripture, reading through the words of Solomon should invoke a level of bewilderment about the practical application of his own wisdom. If we're being honest, the Nation of Israel experienced anything but a smooth ride under the wisest king of all. And however harsh his rule may have been, his son chose to be that much more excessive. Under the threat of a ruthless tyranny, the people pulled away from their king and thus became a separate, but much larger territory in the north. This history of a post-Solomon Israel cannot be told except that the son failed to "attend to" or "incline" unto the words and sayings of his father. Students of Proverbial wisdom cannot help but notice that King Rehoboam all but ignored his father's instruction. Biblical history gives a reckoned account of these two Hebrew kings.
Early on, when the elders of Israel had grown tired of being judged by territorial governors accustomed to bribery and perversion (I Samuel 8:1-4), they approached Samuel with a request. "Make us a king to judge us like all the nations" (I Samuel 8:5). Disgusted by their desire to be "like" other nations who employ a single head of authority, Samuel warns them of what having a king will mean. "He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots… And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work" (I Samuel 8:11;16).
Years later, when King Solomon wrote of his authoritative vanity, he said, "I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house" (Ecclesiastes 2:7). Indeed, the king would be "served by the field" and ought not be questioned about his activities (Ecclesiastes 5:9; 8:4). When he began discussing the architectural plans for the Temple of God, he established what was called a "levy" of manual labor. Speaking to Hiram, the King of Tyre [in Lebanon], who had been a friend of his father, Solomon said, "Now therefore command thou that they [your servants] hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint" (I Kings 5:6). This league that was formed with Hiram included the following: "A levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home" (I Kings 5:13-14). In other words, gang labor by the order and appointment of the king. When the work of the temple was over, the king refused to put his own people in bonds again and instead used the labor of foreigners (I Kings 9:20-23).
Still, at the death of Solomon, the people remembered. "Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee" (I Kings 12:4) Trying to exert his own authority, Rehoboam declares, "My father chastened you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions" (I Kings 12:14). There, faced with a worsened and grievous future, the people declared, "What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse" (I Kings 12:16). Human nature and the rights of man left them wanting. "So Israel rebelled against the House of David unto this day" (I Kings 12:19).
Similarly, when the nervous hands of Philadelphia read over the words of Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, no one was confused about the accusations against King George. "The History of the present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States." And where the king failed his people, the people separated from their king. Concerned as they were about a future they could not predict, they signed the document with these final words of unity: "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." Indeed, the only person they could rely on for protection was God Himself. Separating from the king was to come at the expense of a revolution whose outcome was uncertain.
Almost every time we read the proverbial words of Solomon inviting his son to pay attention, it becomes a student of Scripture to acknowledge that his son was the one who lost the kingdom of his fathers. Much of his loss should be credited to the prophetic consequence of a father's sin (I Kings 11:31-35), but when the time came, it was the son himself who "hearkened not" unto the voice of his people and thus invoked their rebellion (I Kings 12:16). Surely at any time in history when the people are ignored on a national level, they will rise up, as Jefferson would later declare, "to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another." For indeed, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government."
All forms of human government are, at best, an effort to facilitate the betterment of a society or a people. Those who serve in the cause such governments are imperfect beings torn by the motives of their flesh and the challenges of trusting the unseen Provider. When our leaders fail to acknowledge the latter, our Almighty God, we would do well to keep them in prayer. For while we await a coming glory, a new body, and an inheritance far from this earth, ours is a temporary residence with fallible men. When the day calls on us to remember our territorial independence as a free nation of this earth, let us remember it was on such a day that fallible men pledged whatever "sacred honor" they had on our behalf.
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"Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23
Around our home in the late 80s, the sound of hymns and spiritual songs could be heard on a regular basis. Among the most popular, we came to enjoy the gentle words of Steve Green or the acapella voices of Take 6 and Glad. Long before meeting my wife, I still remember the lyrical lesson of Green's 1989 classic, Guard Your Heart, when he sang about the dangers of preventable adultery. All mankind being vulnerable to an unguarded heart can be swept up by their failure to protect what is most precious. Years later, I would never forget his words.
"[Verse 1] What appears to be a harmless glance can turn to romance and homes are divided. Feelings that should never have been awaken within; tearing the heart in two. Listen, I beg of you. [Chorus] Guard your heart. Guard your heart. Don't trade it for treasure. Don't give it away. Guard your heart. Guard your heart. As a payment for pleasure, it's a high price to pay. For a soul that remains sincere with a conscience clear, guard your heart. [Verse 2] The human heart is easily swayed and often betrayed at the hand of emotion. We dare not leave the outcome to chance, we must choose in advance or live with the agony; such needless tragedy." Certainly, no one should presume that Proverbs 4:23 is a reference to any single temptation or even the sinful romance of adultery, but Green's lyrics give us an everyday reminder of just how vulnerable the heart is to this flesh we despise.
As with every passage of Scripture, the words in use are crucial to our fuller understanding of the text. The phrase "keep thy heart with all diligence" is, quite literally, about keeping the heart guarded as though it were a high-profile inmate. Both of the Hebrews words underneath "keep" and "diligence" (natsar and mishmar) present the image of a ward or a prison that has standing guards on every wall. In a day and age when the heart is so often given in exchange for any sign of affection, it might be difficult to imagine such high-level protection. But why should anyone protect their heart with such attentive diligence? For that we look at the second half of the verse.
When Solomon writes that "out of" the heart "are the issues of life," the king is speaking of a different kind of "issue" than the first one that usually comes to mind for modern readers. Writing the first English dictionary in 1604 – a work used and mulled over by the Translators of 1611 – Robert Cawdrey defined this once very French word as the "end" of an action or a stretch of earth. For example, one might have said that an "issue" of the Mississippi River is the Gulf of Mexico. For that is where the river flows to its end and thus, the river ceases to exist. We find that our English translation also renders the term as "goings out," "outgoings," or even "borders" in passages like Numbers 34:5, Joshua 15:4, and I Chronicles 5:16. Alas, even when we get to the New Testament, any "issue" is generally a reference to that which flows out (Luke 8:43-44).
Perhaps you've never thought of the heart in light of a prison or a guarded facility, but consider the last time you followed your heart with the regret of an unsound mind. If yours is a pure heart (II Timothy 2:22), then don't let all that is pure flow to its end. For where the heart is not guarded, it can and will be stolen by the mischievous thieves who plot through the night. Guard your heart. Guard your heart.
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"Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee." Proverbs 4:24
"Marveled" by how quickly the Galatian people had removed themselves from the sound gospel they had been taught, the Apostle Paul wrote to confirm their faith. He spoke of those who were apparently capable of "troubling" the people through a "perversion" of the gospel (Galatians 1:6-7). In Paul's mind, to "pervert" a thing was to flip it upside-down. To give it a meaning opposite of the one that is true. By any other standard, we might just call these things a lie.
Another way to wrap your mind around the concept of perversion is to consider the prophetic use of Joel by the Apostle Peter in Acts 2. "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord…" (Acts 2:20). That the sun shall be "turned" into the absence of light is quite a thing. Like air turning into oil or glass turning into gold, one is not in keeping with the other. Hence, when there is a "perversion" of anything in Scripture, we're talking about something commonly true being made deceptively false. Certainly when the sun is turned into darkness, then the sun ceases from being true to itself.
As we covered earlier in the Book of Proverbs, to be "froward" is to be "backward" (Proverbs 2:12-15). Likewise, to be "perverse" is to be "upside-down." In other words, Solomon is writing that his son "put away" that which is unbecoming of his ascended responsibility toward truth. The mouth is always the conveyer of what is true and what is not. Perversions ought not be tolerated from the lips of a king.
Another contrast of the text is the use of "put away" and "put far from." The first is the initial turn. The second is the distance put between. For as we've seen, it is not sufficient for the righteous to just turn their backs on what is sinful. They must, quite literally, flee unrighteousness and "youthful lusts" (II Timothy 2:22). If there is no distance placed between man and the sin which tempts his flesh, then his turning away has accomplished very little. Consider the following:
"Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?" Proverbs 6:27-28
Solomon teaches a repetitious message to his son and his fuller audience that they who desire the path of wisdom must flee the ways of foolishness. Pretending to be wise while camping on the "hot coals" of a sinful world is a perversion of that path.
Throughout the Scriptures, we see a variety of "perversions." We see perversions of the gospel (Galatians 1:7). We see perversions of the heart (Proverbs 12:8). We see perversions of national unity (Philippians 2:5; Ezekiel 9:9). And we see perversions where there should be good judgment (I Samuel 8:3; Ecclesiastes 5:8). Lest we see perversions in the Body, may we follow after the instructions of Paul. "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another" (Ephesians 4:25). Speak the truth in love and put an end to the perversions that hinder the gospel of grace from being told.
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"Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee." Proverbs 4:25
Years ago, on a cool afternoon in Oklahoma, my father received a phone call. On the other end of the line was my mother saying she had fallen asleep at the wheel and crashed her little black Ford Escort. Knowing the date was April Fool's, my father didn't take kindly to this kind of humor, but soon acknowledged the accident was no joke. Driving home after hours of nursing patients in Tulsa, my mother had reached the highest levels of exhaustion. She loved her family and certainly had no intention of harm, but couldn't fight through the weight of such heavy eyelids. Had there been a large amount of traffic, that cool afternoon may have been the last time she closed her eyes.
Like most of us who drift at the wheel or even experience those early morning accidents when we're not fully alert, my mother came through without a scratch. But I use her story to illustrate the consequences that all men face when they're worn down by hours of labor. Consider the labor that one puts into the ministry. How many hours can a man contribute to the service of God's grace before he becomes weak from the weight of his own effort? He may burn out. He may rise to defend his contribution above others. He may bend toward self-preservation. But the point is, all men get tired. And when a man is tired, his eyelids get heavy. He often fails to know what direction he's walking.
In the face of conflict and war, David once wrote: "Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob" (Psalm 132:3-5). When faced with the allure of temptation's trap, Solomon would later teach his son a similar lesson: "Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler" (Proverbs 6:5-6).
The heaviest eyelid is always the hardest to keep open. But if and when there is a godly path to walk, it must be traveled by those who are awake. For those who walk in their sleep have no direction. So "let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee." Watch the road. Stay alert. Avoid the accident that comes from sleeping through your own footsteps.
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"Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor the left: remove thy foot from evil." Proverbs 4:26-27
With the Roaring Twenties well under way, Charles Lindbergh embarked on the first trans-Atlantic flight from west to east in the spring of 1927. His arrival was marked by a bit of friendly competition in the German Weimar Republic. Within a year of praising Mr. Lindbergh, newspapers were telling the story of a thirty-six year old German pilot named Baron Ehrenfried Gunther von Huenefeld. Huenefeld had managed to reverse the flight from east to west, arriving in Labrador, Canada on April 14, 1928. And after the safe landing of his single-engine aircraft, he wrote a simple lyric of forgotten praise. "Silent, I ponder. Ended is the flight, and He whose hands upheld us in the air, whose grace has calmed the snowstorm and the night, is now with me and folds my hands in prayer."
Almost sixty years later, the seats of NASA's ground control paused for what seemed like "30 minutes of silence" when the Challenger exploded in flight. All the world watched as the scattered pieces of a broken shuttle fell over the Atlantic. Towering men of brilliance were squashed to silence by a technical failure that cost the lives of five men and two women. Such an unprecedented tragedy of this magnitude demanded that the next decision be made with extreme caution. No one wanted to make the situation worse than it already was. And most of us, though we were not among the men at Kennedy Space Center, can still remember that day. President Ronald Reagan had planned to give his annual State of the Union Address, but postponed that address to give another. "We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God."
To really "ponder" a thing is to weigh that matter within yourself. Some might call this a conscious effort to process what we experience. When the road forks and we have no written directions, we ponder the path. By design, we make the choices we believe are best. One way looks easier, but may take us off course. One way looks harder, but may bring us to our destination faster. To "ponder the path" is to weigh the road before us. It's the essence of making decisions. And all men must choose their way either in wisdom or in foolishness.
In order to "let all thy ways be established," a man must ponder only the ways that are stable and steady. For if he chooses an unstable path, he'll tip to the "right hand" and to the "left" without intending to do so. Hardly ever does a man of good intention have in mind to walk the path of evil. But the froward nature is already within him. Thus, his course must be charted beforehand as a precaution against his own imperfection. In other words, the most profitable pondering must happen before any step is taken.
Alas, this is why the Book of Proverbs was written to the son of a king who has not yet inherited his father's kingdom. These are the words of precaution. These are the Divine words of a Father who cares about the walk of his children. As we patiently await our own inheritance in glory, may we walk in the established path that was set before us in Christ (Ephesians 2:10). For if our walk is not worthy of the call (Ephesians 4:1), then the time is right for a silent pondering of where we've been and where we're going.
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The chilling date of March 5, 1770 has been dubbed the Boston "Massacre" for several reasons. British soldiers had fired into a crowd of seemingly innocent civilians, leaving five dead and six injured. Innocence, however, was in the eye of the beholder. As Thomas Paine would later write, these were "the times that try men's souls," and the people of Massachusetts were were frustrated by heavy taxes and an imposing military. Passionate about a fair trial, lawyer and future president John Adams took the case and argued that the soldiers had been provoked by an angry mob. His primary defendant was Captain Thomas Preston, who was accused of giving the order to fire.
Bostonians were looking for someone to blame and the "massacre" seemed to them an open-shut case. But much to their surprise, Adams questioned a series of witnesses who could not agree about who the order had come from. Had Preston ordered his men to fire or had there been an instigator in the crowd who was taunting the soldiers to shoot? Historians still wrestle over this argument, but the inability to authenticate Preston's order with cooperative testimony earned Adams a reputation for impartial fairness in the courtroom. The captain was freed of any charges and we may never know if he gave the order.
In all things that we consider and ponder in life, often the most difficult to apprehend is an authentic message. We hear things. We think things. We believe things. And quite often, we're absolutely wrong about what we heard, what we thought, and what we believed because the basis of our consideration was second hand. "Person A said that Person B did Action X." And trying to break through unverified data can be costly. Likewise, if a man receives proverbial wisdom from an inauthentic source, it may well be foolishness in disguise.
The first chapter of Proverbs is King Solomon's introduction of wisdom (1:1-7), the risk of being without her (1:8-19), and the cries uttered if she is rejected (1:20-32). By the second chapter, Solomon authenticates the source of wisdom as a hidden treasure of the Lord (2:1-9), but reinforces the dangers that exist without her (2:10-22). The majority of chapter three is spent showing the relationship that the Lord has with the wisdom He provides (3:1-20), while emphasizing that peace and safety is a benefit of keeping wisdom close (3:21-35).
In the fourth chapter, Solomon goes to great lengths to ensure that his son knows just who is writing these words of wisdom. Rather than speaking in abstracts, the king uses first person pronouns like "I," "me," and "my." "I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law" (4:2). "I was my father's son… he taught me also, and said unto me…" (4:3-4). "Neither decline from the words of my mouth" (4:5). "Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings…I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths" (4:10-11). "My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings" (4:20). For those paying attention, Solomon is enhancing the doctrine he teaches by authenticating himself as the giver of that doctrine.
Many of us can recall the moment when Paul expounded his unashamed "authority" to speak and write as the Lord had approved (II Corinthians 10:8-18; 11:21-29). Likewise, the Lord had approved of Solomon's wisdom and given him the authority to make that wisdom personal (I Kings 3:5-12). All the king needed was an obedient son.
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