Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
You will remember that the Proverbs were written and compiled by Solomon. He took the wisdom that he had gained as well as the wisdom of others and compiled them into this book. He was the son of King David. David gave us the majority of the Psalms. These were used for worship in Israel. David passed onto to Solomon a wisdom unlike any other.
It is important for us to understand that the Father has a great role to play in the family. We are living with a generation of kids who are growing up fatherless. Those kids who are growing up fatherless are growing up with no direction in their lives of where they ought to go.
I am thankful that I grew up in the a family that had both a mother and a father by God’s grace. Your mother can love you, tenderly care for you, but there is something about the presence of the wisdom of a father in the family unlike any other. It is sad that in this day because of divorce and single mothers whose children’s father runs children are growing up fatherless.
This record in Proverbs is the record of a son, Solomon, whose father, David, telling of his father’s influence in his life. He is now passing it on to those who would listen.
In the first three verses, Solomon mentions that we are to hear as children the instruction of the father. May I remind you that as fathers and grandfathers we as men are called to be the spiritual head of the household. Not the mother, the father. I am convinced that the mother spends many more sleepless nights praying for her children, but the father is still called to be the spiritual leader of the home. So Solomon says, “Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.” Please notice that he did not say to pretend to know understanding. He said to attend to know understanding. That is, when your father gives you words of wisdom, you should listen to him and not ignore him. Young person it would benefit you to listen to your father. Father’s and grandfathers, you must be careful to give your children wisdom to help them.
In verse two, Solomon indicates that David has told him that this was for his own good. When I was growing up, I hated to hear mom and dad to say “this is for your own good.” Usually it was opposite of something I wanted to do. Kids have a tendency to know what direction they want to go even if it is not the right direction. So what David had said to Solomon was that this was for his own good. Therefore Solomon was instructed to remember his father’s law. The sad commentary on today’s generation is that many time those who do have fathers know that the limit that was set will be eased as they approach the limit. The kids never pay the consequences for going past the limit. David set the limit on Solomon for his own good.
In verse three, we would be very foolish to pass lightly over the statement “I was my father’s son”. Of course he was his dad’s son! However, I think that there is a deeper meaning. Solomon is indicating to us that he had an intimate relationship with his father. His father had such an influence on him that he was proud to be David’s son. Fathers and grandfathers do not let your kids grow up to be ashamed that they are yours. Set the example and be the man of God before them that you are called to be. Let them look back and say, “Yeah, that was my dad!”
Every Father’s Day weekend we have our family reunion. On Saturday when I went home to be with my family, I looked around and had love for everyone who was there. However, there was something special about Dad being there! Now, I can honestly say that Dad and I did not always see eye to eye with each other. But as I look back over that time, I would not trade it for the world. I think that I can identify with Solomon here. “I am my father’s son.”
In verse four, a great testimony to Solomon’s father. David instructed Solomon to keep his commandments. I love those last two words, “and live.” Do you know that many times when we hurt ourselves or even killed it is because we acted and spoke out of foolishness. It is a proven fact based upon different studies that the most successful people in this world are those who have a mother and a father in their home. There are exceptions. There are those who only had one parent and overcame that to do well for themselves.
There is a joy to a father when his children remember what he has told them. When they remember what you have told them, they have listened and done what you told them. We better be very careful that we spend enough time with our children today to mold them into who God wants them to be.
In verse five, we are encouraged to gain wisdom. The greatest thing that a father and grandfather can do for a child is to impart words of wisdom into their life. May I suggest two things to you? The first is this, wisdom comes from life’s experience. You have been there as a father. You have seen this before. Therefore, you are able to impart words of wisdom into your children’s life so that they would not make a mistake. Secondly, wisdom comes from God’s word. You have the ability to impart spiritual wisdom into there life. It is great when a child has a father to help them through this life. But it is even greater when a father takes time to encourage his children into the depths of knowing God and his word. The father ought to be an example of God the Heavenly Father. When our children look at us, they ought to be able to see God living in us. They ought to see that example.
In verse six, Solomon instructs to keep wisdom in our lives. We are not to forsake wisdom. Wisdom has the ability to keep us from harm. Foolishness has the ability to harm us. A few weeks ago, when our church basement flooded, I saw a dry spot in the basement so I jumped from the step to the dry spot. Brother Ernie was here. He said, “I have a new sump pump at home I will go get it and my rubber boots.” He went got the things that he needed. He turned the electric off and put the new sump pump in. While he stood there in his rubber boots, there I stood bare footed. It not dawn on me until about a week later, that’s what dads are for by the way. Dad said, “There wasn’t any water standing over those electrical outlets were there?” Then it dawned on me, I was so glad that the water was only about two inches deep!
You see, out of the foolishness of my action I had stepped into water that could have been a very dangerous situation. You see that was words of wisdom from Dad. He had been there. He knew how dangerous it could be. That is the type of wisdom that can be imparted in every area of our lives by life’s experience and by knowing God. God enabled my father to not just know the practical things in this earth like not stepping into the water of a flooded basement but also in the spiritual wisdom.
I want you to know that when things get tough in the church, I talk to Dad. He has been there. He knows how rough churches can be on the pastor. He always knows how to handle the situation. That is the type of influence that a father has on a child.
Solomon instructs to get wisdom, get understanding and do not forget it. Look at the last part of verse five. “Neither decline from the words of my mouth.” In other words, “Solomon, I am your dad. When I tell you something, hang on to it. Do not forget it.”
Look at verse six. Again, it is out of the foolishness of words and actions that we find harm. Wisdom preserves. Foolishness brings harm.
In verse seven, we find that wisdom is the principal thing. Anytime you see in scripture that something is referred to as a principal you better pay attention to it. It is the foundation of life. Solomon learned from David that he should walk in wisdom not foolishness.
Verse seven instructs to get understanding with wisdom. He is telling us that we should not move on until we know for sure that we understand. I now know that you do not step into a flooded basement until you know for sure that the electric is turned off. That is the practical side of living here in this earth. On the spiritual side, I know that there is nothing in this life that I can do without the help of God my Savior, Jesus Christ. Both of these types of wisdom were imparted because of my father’s influence on my life.
According to verse eight, when we uplift and honor wisdom in our life, that wisdom will uplift us. The greatest thing that a father can do in this life is to impart wisdom into a child’s life for the purpose of molding that child into the person that God wants him to be. When that child gains that wisdom and understanding, that wisdom will promote that child in this life.
We have discussed the wisdom that David imparted into the life of Solomon. Look at 1 Chronicles chapter twenty-eight. Now remember that David was King. He had faults. He committed adultery and had the woman’s husband killed. Yet the Bible declares that he was a man after God’s own heart. He came to repentance. He gave us many of the Psalms. He made an impact in the life of Solomon. Pay attention to these words of wisdom.
1 Chronicles 28:9-10
9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
10 Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.
Please note the order of instructions that David gave to Solomon. First of all, he instructed him to know God. Then to serve Him. The reminder is that God searches the hearts of people. Then in verse ten, David gives Solomon the charge to build the temple.
Notice that David did not tell Solomon to build the temple first. He instructed him to know God first. If we are not imparting into the life our kids to know God first, serve Him and then build the house that He wants you to build we have failed.
Many times we get it all backwards. We want to build the house first then serve and know God. We must place God first. David’s words of wisdom to Solomon were to know and serve God first. May I remind you that Solomon gave us the book of Proverbs as a wise man and was used to build the temple!
We better take our job of raising our kids seriously. Our dreams and desires may never come to pass. But it may our influence in their lives that may very well make them a Solomon. It may be our influence on them that may cause them to do greater and better works than we have done. We need a generation of fathers and grandfathers who will stand up and be an example before our children!
