Authentic Doctrine

Index
(Review of Proverbs 4)

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.