Proverbs: Truth Protects and Guides. Proverbs 1:8-9 January 13, 2013
The book of Proverbs was written
originally as the guidance from a father to his son, so the original context
has to do with parental instruction. So there is much here to discover related
to training within the home. There may not be a place in your life where you
donÕt have young children or even older children at home. Maybe you have
grandchildren or maybe you donÕt have grandchildren, nevertheless the
principles that are embedded within this book of Proverbs are principles that
guide each of us on how to live life well. That is basically the idea of
wisdom—to live well in terms of GodÕs understanding of what well is, to
live a wise or skilful life on the basis of how God has created things and how
He has designed things.
We have looked at the opening
introduction: the purpose for this book, given in vv. 2-6. It is designed so
that a wise man will hear and increase learning. And there we run into a word
we see again and again as we go through Proverbs: that we are to listen
attentively and respond obediently to what the Scripture says. These arenÕt
really options; they are mandates.
Learning is the foundation for growing.
We live in an age today where we have this in formation revolution over the
last forty or fifty years. All of the knowledge known in the human race up to
about 1960 doubled again by 2000. It is beyond comprehension to our finite
minds to grasp all that has been learned and discovered in just the course of
our lifetime. We also live in a time where with just a touch of a few keys on a
keyboard we can access incredible amounts of information. By doing so there is
a very subtle deception that often takes place, i.e. that because we have
access to a lot of information and facts that we actually know something. Never
be deceived, information is not knowledge and knowledge is not wisdom. They are
related. We have to have information in order to have knowledge but information
has to have comprehension. There has to be a framework that interconnects all
of the bits and pieces of data in the information. It is not just random pieces
of information that are just free-floating out there in the universe, they are
connected and the one thing that connects them ultimately from the biblical
perspective is that they are all unified in the mind of God.
The only way we can discover that is
through GodÕs revelation. We can discover different aspects of that unified
knowledge as we look at different aspects of creation but the only way we can
hope to put it all together is to come at it on the basis of the Word of God,
GodÕs revelation to us. Because He gives us those critical pieces of in
formation that we canÕt get through reason or our study and observation of
creation and the only way to learn them is through His Word.
We get information and then as we
understand it within a comprehensive theory we can then develop knowledge. But
knowledge isnÕt necessarily wisdom. Knowledge is a comprehension of the facts, and
as well all know there are many facts that Scripture teaches that we thoroughly
understand but we donÕt put it into practice very well. Wisdom is that end
result where we take knowledge and then apply it to the issues and decisions of
life and we create something of beauty and skill in our lives that is the
result of the application of the truth, the doctrine, the teaching of the Word
of God.
So the focal point in the introduction
has to do with the wise man, the person who would be wise. There is an embedded
challenge there Òand will hear and increase learning,Ó constantly making that a
priority. It is not what we do when we have time for it but we understand that
learning the Word of God is the ultimate priority and everything else in life
needs to be arranged in a way that allows us to spend a maximum amount of time
learning the Word of God, learning about God, learning about us, and learning
about GodÕs plan for our lives.
The second aspect of the couplet in
verse five, Òa man of understanding will attain wise counsel.Ó There is a
movement there from hearing, increasing learning, understanding
(comprehension), and then attaining ultimately wise counsel. But the foundation
is in verse 7: ÒThe fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.Ó That is reiterated in the
Psalms and later in Proverbs to make us understand that if we do not begin
life, our focus in life, with the respect for the authority of God in our life
and we approach life on the basis of self-sufficiency and arrogance, apart from
God, then that leads to a path of self-destruction and a path of death.
As we go through these Proverbs we see
that there are several contrasts made between the way of the wise and the way
of the fool. Sometimes one is referred to as the gullible one in some
translations and sometimes the na•ve. There is also the idea of being
open-minded. Because he is open-minded he sucks in all of the garbage of the
world thinking well all truth is really the same and this always leads to a
path of self-destruction because there is no way of self-correction in terms of
what is right or what is wrong. It is a perfect picture of our modern
postmodern American-western-European culture that has rejected absolute truth,
and they think they are so wise because they believe just about
anything—except, of course, the Bible; except, of course, anything
related to absolute truth.
So the starting point is that respect
for the authority of God, the sovereignty of God. Another way of talking about
that is, it is humility: recognizing our limitations and that God alone has the
right and the authority to address all of these issues of life.
We canÕt learn anything in life unless
we have humility, and humility comes in different ways. It come naturally in
some people who recognize that in some areas of their life they just donÕt know
a whole lot and so they need to learn from some one. Others think that they
already know it all, and they have to be humbled through some sort of forced
external event. This comes as they face tragedy, suffering, certain
environments in life, where all of a sudden they learn that they have to obey
those who are in authority to get anywhere. That is related to this
foundational principle of the fear of the Lord.
But that idea of humility is really
learned in the home and should be taught in the home. That is one of the major
truths that we see in Proverbs. It is a home environment; it is the father
instructing the son. In that event itself is embedded the idea that it is the
role of the parents to train children and bring that discipline for learning
into their environment. As a parent your job is to enforce humility on your
children. Note: that isnÕt saying humiliate them; it is saying teach them
humility so that they recognize authority when they are under authority, learn
to operate under authority, and learn in an environment where hopefully they
will not try to learn everything the hard way. Failure to develop humility in
life is just a path of destruction.
Then we come to the prologue: from
verse eight down to the end of chapter nine. That is considered one large
introduction to the rest of Proverbs. Starting with chapter ten we see what
appears to be disconnected wise sayings.
Proverbs 1:8 NASB ÒHear,
my son, your fatherÕs instruction And do not forsake your motherÕs teaching;
[9] Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your
neck.Ó
This begins a line that we find
eighteen times in the first nine chapters, and that is the address to Òmy son.Ó
It is this term Òmy sonÓ that gives us an orientation to this as a family
environment. In the history of Israel as this was written down in the context
of family instruction it was then taken and applied for others in the nation
because Israel viewed a nation as a collection of tribes—there were the
twelve tribes and those were made up of clans and families. The family was fit
within the totality of the nation, so if the nation was going to be successful
the family had to be successful. And if the family was going to be successful
there had to be a successful training regimen within the home. ÒHear, my son,
your fatherÕs instruction.Ó Then we have an antithetical parallel, ÒAnd do not
forsake your motherÕs teaching.Ó The first command is to listen [shamea]; the
second is a negative: donÕt forsake. Listen with a view to obedience. ÒObey the
instruction of your fatherÓ conveys the meaning more precisely. This is a
common word in Hebrew and it is an idiom that is common to one we use in
English when parents turn to their children and say, Listen to me. They donÕt
mean just pay attention to what I am saying in terms of letting your ear drums
be stimulated, but do what I am telling you to do. ÒDo not forsake,Ó the word natash has
the idea of rejecting something or casting it away, or abandoning it as if it
is worthless. The focus is on the father and the mother here and the child is
to listen to both.
The next thing we see is that there is
a synonymous parallelism between the content of the fatherÕs teaching and the
mother, and this is indicated in the two words ÒinstructionÓ and ÒlawÓ
[ÒteachingÓ in NASB]. The word for instruction is the Hebrew word musar which
means a disciplined education. It involves vigor, correction and rebuke. This
is an idea that runs counter to the pedagogical theories popular in education
in this country. The parallel to that term ÒinstructionÓ in the second line is
the term ÒlawÓ—law of your mother—and this is not law in the sense
of codified law, it is law in the sense of instruction. That is the basic meaning
of the Hebrew word torah; it means instruction. It comes to have other shades of
meaning and nuances, one of which is law, but it really has the idea of a
certain kind of instruction: instruction on how to live, how to live well, and
it has the idea of an organized, structured plan of instruction.
So the son is exhorted at the beginning
to be obedient. This is enforced humility. Listen to your parents; do what they
say; follow their instruction. But on the other hand it tells parents that they
need to have a plan of action because it is parentsÕ responsibility take that
brand new baby and to train, discipline and prepare that baby so that when they
reach adulthood and maturity they can live life well. This is not something
that can be delegated to private schools, public schools, or to Sunday schools;
this is the parentsÕ responsibility. And the important thing that we note here
is the importance of the role of the father. It is a joint task. Father and
mother are viewed as a unit here but the mother does not have a game plan; she
follows the lead of the father. This emphasizes the authority and the
leadership of the father in the home.
And it points out the fact that for a
child to grow up to be an adult who lives well, who has wisdom, then that is
grounded in their parents
with obedience. That is the idea in Proverbs, i.e. for a young child learning
lessons and wisdom this would be like a garland around their head, a sign of
their victory over the challenges of life. So the Hebrew perception was that
children who honored their parents, learned wisdom and applied it in their
life, that wisdom in their life was a symbol of victory in their life.
Another aspect of MaÕot was that she
was also considered the goddess of life, and so there is an element of eternal
life that is associated with her as well: that if one mastered the wisdom, the
truth of MaÕot then there was the promise and the hope of life.
This applied not only to the wreath but
also to the chain or medallion worn around the necks. Egyptian officials and
government leaders wore these chains around their necks as symbols of their
exemplary lives in the service of MaÕot, the goddess of truth and order. So in
Egyptian literature MaÕot was sometime simply referred to as the necklace or
the splendid chain about the neck of the chief justice. So the necklace is a
sign of protection, and that is the idea here in this verse: if you listen to
the instruction of your father and the law of your mother then this ornament or
wreath about your head or chain about your neck is a sign that this is
protecting you. This is the idea and it certainly fits the context of
Proverbs.
We are not saying that Solomon got the
idea from the Egyptians but what we find in the Egyptian culture is a pale
reflection of a previously-known truth revealed through the Scriptures. That is
the metaphor here. It ran through all the Middle-Eastern cultures. We
understand that this idea or wearing the wreath or having the chain is related
to protection and also a reward for accomplishment.
Protection works well in these opening
chapters of Proverbs. Proverbs 2:8 NASB ÒGuarding the paths of
justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.Ó If we learn wisdom,
wisdom guards and protects. [11] ÒDiscretion will guard you, Understanding will
watch over you.Ó So if we learn the Word of God, learn the truth, it preserves
and keeps us.
Proverbs 3:3 NASB ÒDo not
let kindness [mercy] and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write
them on the tablet of your heart.Ó
Proverbs 4:6 NASB ÒDo not
forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you.Ó
These terms indicate that of you learn the word and apply it, it preserves and
protects you from making foolish and bad choices and bad decisions.
The words ÒmercyÓ and ÒtruthÓ are
frequently joined together in the Scriptures and only rarely apart. They go
together. The word ÒtruthÓ is the word emet which doesnÕt always mean truth in the
sense of abstract truth which we think of. Often it has the idea of that which
never changes, that which is stable, and sometimes it relates to faithfulness
and dependability. A noun form of that word was used to describe the foundation
stone under the pillars in SolomonÕs temple. Truth is unshakeable because it is
eternal. The other word ÒmercyÓ is the Hebrew word chesed and it refers to GodÕs faithful
loyal love and emphasizes the rock-solid character of God and His grace.
Scripture emphasizes the significance
of truth, a concept that is often derided in our culture because people donÕt
want to believe in absolute truth. The Bible sees an absolute eternal truth
that is outside of our experience. Psalm 119 has several verses related to
truth and the Word of God.
Psalm 119:43 NASB ÒAnd do
not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I wait for Your
ordinances.Ó The Word of God is the Word of truth.
Psalm 119:142 NASB ÒYour
righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.Ó We see
another important aspect here. Truth is often related to righteousness. You
canÕt have righteousness without truth and you canÕt have truth without
righteousness. They go hand in hand.
Psalm 119:151 NASB ÒYou are
near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth.Ó
Psalm 119:160 NASB ÒThe sum
of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is
everlasting.Ó
We have certain injunctions related to
the priority of truth. Proverbs 23:23 NASB ÒBuy truth, and do not
sell {it,} {Get} wisdom and instruction and understanding.Ó
Proverbs 14:22 NASB ÒWill
they not go astray who devise evil? But kindness [mercy] and truth {will be to}
those who devise good.Ó
Truth is also the foundation for good
government. Proverbs 20:28 NASB ÒLoyalty [mercy] and truth preserve
the king, And he upholds his throne by righteousness.Ó
Proverbs 29:14 NASB ÒIf a
king judges the poor with truth, His throne will be established forever.Ó It is
not the king who makes truth, truth is something that precedes and rules over
the king.
Proverbs 16:6 NASB ÒBy
lovingkindness [mercy] and truth iniquity is atoned [cleansing] for, And by the
fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.Ó This takes us back to the key
principle of 1:7, ÒThe fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.Ó This begins with
recognizing atonement, cleansing from sin. Jesus Christ came to die for sin.
That is the starting point for you if you have never trusted in Christ as
savior. If you have we go back to the principle of cleansing—1 John
1:9—as a starting point.
The issue of we want to live well and
we want to live in a way that creates something of real beauty and value, is
that it starts with humility—recognition of the authority of God
especially, and other realms of legitimate authority secondarily.