Proverbs 4:1-5 says,...
Today's verses are Proverbs 4:1-5, which read,
v.1, 2 - Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, and give attention that you may gain understanding, for I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my instruction.
Solomon is the author and compiler of the Book of Proverbs. He is giving these instructions to his sons but also in turn for all of us as we read this inspired, inerrant Word of God. If we are going to gain understanding then we first need to listen. We need to stop to take the time to hear what the Father has to say. The understanding that we will receive will come out of sound teaching of the Father and that sound teaching is to not be abandoned.
How often do we not take the time to listen to sound teaching? In today's world you need to search for it among all the sound bytes that we run upon. We only get part of the story with the headlines and many times we get a very different slant on it if we don't go to the source. Facebook is great for doing this with their trending news. A title grabs your attention and then they give you just enough information to make you form an opinion or judgment and you share it along without knowing the whole story. You figure you have enough information to share it but then you later find out it was not the whole story or maybe even a hoax.
You were running on information that was not sound. The father Solomon is telling sons to stop and listen and realize that what is given to them is sound to act upon. Don't abandon this sound teaching for third party communication that has motives tied to money or fame gained rather than the maturity of the listeners.
v.3-5 - When I was a son of my father, tender and the only son in the sight of my mother, then he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live; acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
Solomon goes back to the teaching of his father David and his sons grandfather. This teaching was given to him while he was the only son in the house of David and Bathsheba. He was "tender" meaning young as he received this sound teaching. Solomon was displaying to his sons that he was once them on the receiving end of these words of wisdom.
The instruction was to hold fast, keep, acquire, don't forget, and turn away. Hold fast, hold on dearly with a good grasp the teachings of wisdom. This is someone who knows how to get around their Bible because they have been in their Bible on a regular basis. They not only can participate in Bible sword drills but they have a firm grasp on the whole overarching true story of the Bible.
In the Bible that they have a grasp of are many commandments and they are people who keep them. They see them as given by a God who loves them and therefore respond with submission rather than rebellion. The commandments lead to a life that is honoring and glorifying of God and so they will live in a state of peace with Him.
The next instruction is to acquire wisdom and understanding. To acquire something is to take possession of it. You have to put forth your own energy to see it come to be. When I acquire wisdom and understanding, I need to put myself in a place to receive it. It will put me before good sound Bible teaching in a family of God on a regular basis. It will put me in some type of small group setting to learn not just by hearing but also seeing. It will put me on a schedule that puts God's words as a priority for me to hear, see, and know to put into action.
The fourth instruction is to not forget what you have held fast to, kept, and acquired. To not forget is to have a system in place to remember. We have the string tied around our finger; we have the practice of saying the new person's name three times after meeting them; or maybe we right it down right then on our "to do" list and post it on the bathroom mirror or computer screen. What is your system to not forget the wisdom, instruction, and understanding of the Lord?
The last instruction is to not turn away from the words of God. This is a sad reality today. There are many Christians and many Christian churches who are turning away from the words of the Father. Those words that they held fast to, kept, acquired, and put in place systems to remember are now being disregarded for other information that is coming from someone other than a loving Father. To turn away is to live a life in rebellion to what you know and therefore out of favor with your Creator. To turn away is to dishonor and dis-glorify the God who gave His one and only Son to die on the cross so that you could receive salvation and eternal life.
Hold fast, keep, acquire, don't forget, and don't turn away are the proverbs this morning to hear and give attention to the Father's sound teaching to us. How is your grasp? How is your action to what you are receiving? How is your position to receive more? How is your system in place to remember holding up? How is your submission, that willingness to put yourself in a place to obey and follow after God? This is another example of how active it is and not passive to know of the wisdom of God. Let's pray.
"Lord, You are a great Father who loves us so much to supply sound teaching that we are to grab a hold of. You give us commandments to follow that bring fulfilled life. Help us to put in place in our lives those things that will move Your words up as priority to know and act upon and not forget nor turn from. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.1, 2 - Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, and give attention that you may gain understanding, for I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my instruction.
Solomon is the author and compiler of the Book of Proverbs. He is giving these instructions to his sons but also in turn for all of us as we read this inspired, inerrant Word of God. If we are going to gain understanding then we first need to listen. We need to stop to take the time to hear what the Father has to say. The understanding that we will receive will come out of sound teaching of the Father and that sound teaching is to not be abandoned.
How often do we not take the time to listen to sound teaching? In today's world you need to search for it among all the sound bytes that we run upon. We only get part of the story with the headlines and many times we get a very different slant on it if we don't go to the source. Facebook is great for doing this with their trending news. A title grabs your attention and then they give you just enough information to make you form an opinion or judgment and you share it along without knowing the whole story. You figure you have enough information to share it but then you later find out it was not the whole story or maybe even a hoax.
You were running on information that was not sound. The father Solomon is telling sons to stop and listen and realize that what is given to them is sound to act upon. Don't abandon this sound teaching for third party communication that has motives tied to money or fame gained rather than the maturity of the listeners.
v.3-5 - When I was a son of my father, tender and the only son in the sight of my mother, then he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live; acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
Solomon goes back to the teaching of his father David and his sons grandfather. This teaching was given to him while he was the only son in the house of David and Bathsheba. He was "tender" meaning young as he received this sound teaching. Solomon was displaying to his sons that he was once them on the receiving end of these words of wisdom.
The instruction was to hold fast, keep, acquire, don't forget, and turn away. Hold fast, hold on dearly with a good grasp the teachings of wisdom. This is someone who knows how to get around their Bible because they have been in their Bible on a regular basis. They not only can participate in Bible sword drills but they have a firm grasp on the whole overarching true story of the Bible.
In the Bible that they have a grasp of are many commandments and they are people who keep them. They see them as given by a God who loves them and therefore respond with submission rather than rebellion. The commandments lead to a life that is honoring and glorifying of God and so they will live in a state of peace with Him.
The next instruction is to acquire wisdom and understanding. To acquire something is to take possession of it. You have to put forth your own energy to see it come to be. When I acquire wisdom and understanding, I need to put myself in a place to receive it. It will put me before good sound Bible teaching in a family of God on a regular basis. It will put me in some type of small group setting to learn not just by hearing but also seeing. It will put me on a schedule that puts God's words as a priority for me to hear, see, and know to put into action.
The fourth instruction is to not forget what you have held fast to, kept, and acquired. To not forget is to have a system in place to remember. We have the string tied around our finger; we have the practice of saying the new person's name three times after meeting them; or maybe we right it down right then on our "to do" list and post it on the bathroom mirror or computer screen. What is your system to not forget the wisdom, instruction, and understanding of the Lord?
The last instruction is to not turn away from the words of God. This is a sad reality today. There are many Christians and many Christian churches who are turning away from the words of the Father. Those words that they held fast to, kept, acquired, and put in place systems to remember are now being disregarded for other information that is coming from someone other than a loving Father. To turn away is to live a life in rebellion to what you know and therefore out of favor with your Creator. To turn away is to dishonor and dis-glorify the God who gave His one and only Son to die on the cross so that you could receive salvation and eternal life.
Hold fast, keep, acquire, don't forget, and don't turn away are the proverbs this morning to hear and give attention to the Father's sound teaching to us. How is your grasp? How is your action to what you are receiving? How is your position to receive more? How is your system in place to remember holding up? How is your submission, that willingness to put yourself in a place to obey and follow after God? This is another example of how active it is and not passive to know of the wisdom of God. Let's pray.
"Lord, You are a great Father who loves us so much to supply sound teaching that we are to grab a hold of. You give us commandments to follow that bring fulfilled life. Help us to put in place in our lives those things that will move Your words up as priority to know and act upon and not forget nor turn from. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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