It’s a wonderful thing to have a spiritual heritage. As America has become more secular and turned its back on God, fewer young people grow up with the biblical training many of us take for granted. If you didn’t grow up in a Christian home, then you understand how much of a disadvantage that was, and you have tried to raise your own children to know, love, and fear the Lord.
The book of Proverbs is famously the instruction of a wise yet often wayward and worldly-wise father laboring to pass on a godly heritage to his own son. Solomon was King David’s son, and he was instructed by his powerful parents to value wisdom. Just like Solomon his son, David had his own personal successes and failures. King David taught Solomon, and now Solomon was teaching Rehoboam. Two generations of life lessons contribute to the Spirit-guided wise words in the book of Proverbs. For these reasons, we can entitle Proverbs 4 “Wisdom’s Grandfather.
Early in the chapter, we first see Solomon’s parents. In verse 3 Solomon mentions his father and his mother. In order for Solomon to more fully explain wisdom to his son, he refers to his own parents--his son’s grandparents--David and Bathsheba. Solomon shares with his son some things that David taught him. Those lessons are recorded in verses 4-9. “Son,” Solomon says, “Granddaddy taught me to, ‘Get wisdom’! He said, 'Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom'. He said, 'Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her'" (v. 8). Solomon reminds his son that pursuing wisdom is not his own idea. The spiritual influence Rehoboam has inherited from his parents and grandparents calls him to make wisdom his top priority.
In verse 10 the text shifts from the past to the present. After recalling his father’s words to him, Solomon addresses his son directly. What is described to Rehoboam is Solomon’s path. This is the way of life that the father knows is best and wants his children to take. It’s the road to wisdom.
The word “path” is a theme of verses 10-27. Solomon identifies the prohibited path in verses 14-17 and the perfect path in verse 18. Verse 18 describes how the perfect path provides clear vision, while in verse 19 the prohibited path leads a man into darkness and distorts his vision.
Vision is an important part of choosing the right path. That is, if you want godly wisdom, it matters what you’re looking at. It matters what you’re seeing. In verse 25 Solomon instructs his on to "let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.” Rehoboam is given instruction concerning his eyes because the eyes affect the heart. A person’s heart is the place he must exercise the most diligence to protect. Solomon instructs his son in verse 23 to “keep thy heart with all diligence” because “out of it are the issues of life.” Everything flows from the heart, and our decisions affect our heart. So then, obey the words of Solomon: “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil” (vv. 26-27).
To understand Proverbs 4, it is important to consider then men who gave the instruction. Solomon learned the wisdom that David had in his old age. He knew that his father had great successes and deep failures from which he learned. Solomon, in turn, was pleading with his son--David’s grandson--to learn from the mistakes of previous generations and to glean their wisdom, so he could be spared experience traveling the path of heartache.
Solomon’s lesson for Rehoboam is Proverbs 4’s lesson for us. If you’ll learn from the mistakes of previous generations instead of having to experience those mistakes for yourself, then, “all thy ways [will] be established.” As a mature believer, you’ll enjoy the many benefits that come from living a life of wisdom, and you’ll have the godly perspective to pass on the words of wisdom to the next generation.
The above article was written by Pastor James C. Johnson. He is the pastor of NorthStone Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fl. To offer him your feedback, comment below or email us at strengthforlife461@gmail.com.
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