Get Wisdom at Any Cost (NIV).
Fatherly Advice (RSV).
Security in Wisdom (NKJV).
1 Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain[a] insight;
2 2 for I give you good precepts:
do not forsake my teaching.
3 3 When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 4 he taught me, and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live;
5 5 do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
Get wisdom; get insight.[b]
6 6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
7 7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
8 8 Prize her highly,[c] and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
9 9 She will place on your head a fair garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” (RSV)
5 5 Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
6 6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.
7 7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[a] wisdom.
Though it cost all you have,[b] get understanding.
8 8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you. (NIV)
5 5 Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.
7 7 Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
8 8 Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. (NKJV)
We should listen to the God's advice, teaching, doctrines/precepts, and laws. We must not forget the words of God. We must not turn away from words of God.
To remember God's word, we should read the word of God (Bible) regularly, and meditate upon it. Not only should we remember and know the word, we should also live and take actions in accordance to God's word.
We must get Wisdom and Understanding/Insight. Here in chapter 4, Wisdom is emphasized again.
Keypoints about Wisdom:
1) Do not forsake/abandon Wisdom. Reason: Wisdom will preserve and protect us.
2) Love Wisdom. Reason: Wisdom will guard us and watch over us.
3) Wisdom is the principal thing, the most important. Get wisdom, and we will also get understanding and insight.
4) Exalt and appreciate Wisdom. Reason: Wisdom will exalt us.
5) Embrace Wisdom. Reason: Wisdom will bring us honor.
6) Wisdom is everything good. So, we should desire Wisdom.
Admonition to Keep to the Right Path (RSV).
10 10 Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.
11 11 I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 12 When you walk, your step will not be hampered;
and if you run, you will not stumble.
13 13 Keep hold of instruction, do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life. (RSV)
10 10 Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.
11 11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
12 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
13 13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. (NIV)
Accept the words of Wisdom, and our life will be longer. By having wisdom, we will do the right things, such as exercising, eating good and nutritious food, avoiding alcoholic beverages, taking our medicine as instructed by physicians, having a cheerful family life, we will most probably live longer and healthily.
God teaches us the ways of wisdom, and lead us to the straight path. Straight path is the easier, shorter path. In a desert or grassland where there are few landmarks and no road signs, taking the straight path is the wise thing to do. So, following God and having wisdom, we will be able to live our life in easier manner, with purpose and direction. The words of God become our navigation guide and GPS.
Wisdom will guide us in our walking and running. In our daily lives, we could make use of wisdom in all aspects, including walking and running. We will be able to avoid errs and mistakes by having wisdom.
Hold on firm to Instruction. Keep the Instruction in our minds and hearts. Treasure the Instruction as much as we our life. We must always remember Instruction, and do accordingly.
14 14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of evil men.
15 15 Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
16 16 For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made some one stumble.
17 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
19 19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. (RSV)
We must enter and walk the path of the evil/wicked men. Avoid it, bypass it.
The way of the wicked is totally dark, those who walk the way of wicked cannot see where they are going. On the contrary, if we walk in the path of righteous, we are walking in daylight, we can see where we are going, we don't stumble due to darkness.
We must shun with wicked company. We must not mix around with bad, wicked men. We might be influenced by these wicked people. We must take heed of the ways of sin and avoid them, every thing that looks like sin and leads to it. In order to this we must keep out of the ways of sinners, and have no fellowship with them.
20 20 My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 21 Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
22 22 For they are life to him who finds them,
and healing to all his flesh. (RSV)
Take heed and listen to God's words, and words of wisdom. Again, we are reminded. Wisdom must not leave our sight and our hearts. We must retain wisdom in our hearts and minds.
Let the words of God be written in our heart, and always be inside our heart. Wisdom is beneficial to our physical body as well as our soul.
23 23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
24 24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 26 Give careful thought to the[c] paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. (NIV)'
Avoiding the company of bad guys is not enough. We must also:
1) Guard our heart and emotions.
2) Keep our mouth from perverse talk, unfruitful speech.
3) Our eyes should be looking straight, looking ahead. Be watchful of the future. Be careful of where we are walking (path of righteousness vs path of wicked).
4) Be careful with our thoughts. Our minds, our will power are controlling our destiny and our future.
5) Do the right things. Do not do bad or evil.
Wednesday, Jan 8, 2014.
Michael Yeap.
NIV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%204&version=NIV
RSV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%204&version=RSV
NKJV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%204&version=NKJV
Commentaries:
1) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.4.1-Prov.4.13
2) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.4.14-Prov.4.19
3) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.4.20-Prov.4.27
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