The Influence Of The Father

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!”