Proverbs 4

The father calls his children to hear and give attention to his instruction that he may “gain understanding” (verse 1). A father seeks the best for his children and gives only what is useful to them. He will not give them wrong things (Lk 11:11-12). The best he can give is something that serves to increase understanding of God’s thoughts on how life should be lived.

The father is convinced that he is teaching his children “sound [literally good] teaching” (verse 2). He gives sound teaching that therefore includes sound effect. This is quite different from what false prophets and false teachers do, who preach to the people what they like to hear (Isa 30:10; Jer 5:31; Eze 33:31-32; Gal 1:6-7; 2Tim 4:3-4). They tell stories that are received well by the religious people, but by which they lead them to ruin. This is not how the father speaks to his sons. He teaches them God’s Word and commands them not to abandon His teaching and not to be dragged away by preachers who only talk cheap gossip.

In verse 3, the father underlines what he said in verses 1-2. The reasoning word “for” indicates that. He speaks to his sons as one who knows what it is to be “a son” to his father, for he himself has been one. When he thinks back to that period, he sees how “tender” he was (1Chr 22:5; 29:1). He then felt like “an only child” in the sight of his mother, assured of her loving attention and care.

It is a blessing if we can also think back to our parents in this way during the time when they still cared for us. More and more children cannot do that. What those children can do is make sure their children will remember them that way.

Here again we have the family as the sphere in which education and teaching take place (Deu 6:6-9). We see here again (Pro 1:8) that the teaching given by father and mother is not given in a formal, academic, school-like manner, but from personal involvement, with warmth and love. This is undoubtedly the best way of teaching.

The father passes on to his children what his father has told him (verse 4). What he tells them he does not make up, but in turn he has heard it from his father. His father also took the time to teach him, his son. This is what a father does when he realizes his responsibility to help his children make good choices in life. Fathers must bring their children up “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph 6:4).

We hear the voice of experience echoing through the generations (cf. Deu 6:2; 2Tim 1:5; cf. Job 8:8-10). This makes the teaching of wisdom a valuable tradition through the generations. It is also an encouragement to the sons because it lets them know that the experiences they go through are also their father’s experiences. It is shared experience and not imposed behavior. This makes the teaching attractive. Pictures and anecdotes can show young people that their father was also young and inexperienced and that he took the place toward his father that they now take toward him.

Personal fellowship with God cannot be transmitted, but it can be shown and made attractive, creating a desire to possess it as well. Solomon has seen the intimacy that his father David had with God, and that made him jealous. Solomon has certainly also seen his father’s sins. But this does not prevent him from teaching his sons, because in his father he also saw the dejection about his sin.

This is true spiritually in the church as well. Thus Paul holds it out to Timothy when he says to him: “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them” (2Tim 3:14). It is a great privilege when we have a “spiritual pedigree”, when we learn from previous generations and pass it on to those who come after us (2Tim 2:2). We will do so if we are fully convinced that what we have learned is consistent with Scripture.

In verse 4b, the father lets his father, the sons’ grandfather, speak. Grandpa speaks and he has something to say. It seems he is speaking until Proverbs 5:6, because in Proverbs 5:7 we hear again how the father addresses his “children”. The grandsons will do well to listen carefully to what their grandfather said to their father. Their father will pass that on to them so that they will make their profit from it. That profit is nothing less than to live.

That the father does this proves that he is diligently working to convince his sons of what he says, to make them go the way of wisdom and to preserve their life from destruction. This should be the drive of all parents for every child entrusted to them. It is the purpose of the heart that says: ‘As far as it depends on me, my children will not perish, but will become faithful servants of the Lord.’ That grace must work this does not change the commitment required of parents.

To have that profit he, the son, must first of all hold with his heart the words his father has spoken to him. It is about the heart, not the intellect, although of course that is not unrelated. If the heart holds the words, those words will be considered “commandments”, will be observed, will be acted upon in the practice of life. Then life will be lived as God has purposed; it will be lived with all the blessings that a life of obedience to God holds.

The father urges his son to acquire “wisdom” and “understanding” at all costs, whatever effort must be made to do so (verse 5). He must make every effort and sacrifice for it. Solomon was already wise, but wisdom can and must increase. He who is wise will want to increase in wisdom. Wisdom and understanding do not come naturally to us; they must be acquired. You can want all kinds of things, but remember that acquiring wisdom and understanding is the most important thing.

Acquiring wisdom means getting to know Christ better. That is what life is about, just for that reason. The son must not forget the words spoken by the father. He must think about them, meditate on them, and keep them in mind. This keeps the memory alive of what God’s Word says. He must not turn away from it.

In verse 6, wisdom is presented as a person who gives safeguard and protection. The condition for experiencing that safeguard and protection is that the son does not forsake wisdom (negative), but loves her (positive). Forsaking wisdom – or Christ – is a great evil, with evil consequences. Then he is at the mercy of all the evil elements in the world. It is important to love wisdom, that is Christ. That is the surest protection against all temptations to sin.

The first step, the beginning, to acquire wisdom is to make the decision to acquire it (verse 7). Here we are given the key to acquire wisdom. Acquiring wisdom takes time, money, effort. It’s not about our intellect or the opportunity we have or don’t have, but about decisiveness, whether we want it. Those who see the superior value of wisdom will want to acquire it at any cost.

The same is true of understanding, which is fathoming and discerning the nature of things or people, whether they are good or evil, whether they have good or evil intentions. Wisdom and understanding belong together. Wisdom emerges from understanding. One who has understanding sees through certain situations and knows how to act; he also knows how to approach or assess certain people.

One of the main differences between the wise and the fool is the awareness that each has of his need. Those who believe they have no problem have the biggest problem. If we realize what our biggest problem is, we will do everything we can to solve it. Here we are talking about our lack of wisdom. If we are aware of the lack of it, we will do everything and use every means to get it. For example, we can think of time for Bible study, time for prayer, time for attending church meetings, time for meetings where God’s Word is explained, speaking with or reading books of believers who have had extensive experience with the Lord to learn from them.

Paul speaks of ‘gaining’ Christ (Phil 3:8). That indicates commitment, as if to win a prize in a contest. He wanted to know Him. Of course Christ was in him and of course he knew Him. But instead of being content with that, it prompted Paul to ‘gain Him’, that is, to become more and more like Him, to know Him better and better.

Wisdom must be held high, as a banner is held up (verse 8). We must have high thoughts of wisdom. There should be nothing that has a higher place in our thinking. As a result, it exalts us. One who holds up wisdom is held in esteem by others. Wisdom is compared to the woman you love and embrace. This is contrasted with embracing the strange woman. The inexperienced youth may give his full dedication and love to wisdom.

Again, we can relate this to Christ, the wisdom of God. Our life is about exalting and honoring Him. Embracing Him means being very close to Him and letting Him feel our love. We do that when He is above everything and everyone for us. We worship Him when we tell Him what qualities we have discovered in Him and praise Him for them. Then those qualities will also become visible in us, which finds appreciation with God. He says: “Those who honor Me I will honor” (1Sam 2:30).

The honor that wisdom bestows on those who love her is compared with “a graceful wreath” and “a graceful crown” on the head (verse 9). A wreath and a crown are bestowed as a clearly visible token of appreciation for the choice of wisdom. They are the tribute to an overcomer. Love of wisdom requires sacrifice. Those who make those sacrifices are rewarded for them by wisdom (Christ) (cf. 1Cor 9:25; 2Tim 4:8; Jam 1:12; 1Pet 5:4; Rev 2:10).

Verses 10-19 again paint two paths for the young man: the path of wisdom (verses 10-13) and the path of the wicked and evil men (verses 14-19). One path is that to the full sun, the other to the darkness of night. It is the choice between the narrow and the broad way. The son is again confronted, as it were, with the choice between the two trees in paradise. The choice is ultimately the choice between being obedient or not, with which it is the choice between life or death.

The father repeats his instruction to listen and receive his words (verse 10; cf. verse 1). He attaches to this the promise of many years of life. This concerns not only the number of years, but also the enjoyment of joy in life. It is about the quality of life, a full life, and that includes more than its earthly duration. It is deeply about the enjoyment of the life of the kingdom of peace, life forever.

The words of the father contain teaching in going the way of wisdom, words that also show the way that leads to wisdom (verse 11). He leads him on the way there. It is the narrow way “that leads to life” (Mt 7:13). If he is guided by the wise words of his father, he will be “led … in upright paths” and not go down winding roads. His conduct will be straightforward, righteous, holy and in truth.

The way of wisdom is free from hindrances, obstacles, and free from enemies and dangers, making its progress sure (verse 12). There is freedom of movement. Although the believer walks in the narrow way, he walks in the freedom of the Word of God. He who lives by the teaching of the Word of God will not be hindered by anything in his progress. Even when running in the race, when hurrying to do the will of God, there is no danger of stumbling and falling down because of being entangled in sin (Heb 12:1-2). We see going the way of wisdom in perfection with the Lord Jesus.

The instruction to take hold of it and not let go (verse 13) means that opposing forces are at work. Those forces are bent on getting us to abandon the teaching we have received. ‘Not letting go’ means that the adversary is pulling to take it away from us. We take hold of instruction only if we know its value with our hearts. Wisdom is not only the means to advance in life, but she also herself is life. Something so essential must be taken hold of with vigor and enthusiasm.

It can be compared to a rope thrown to someone who is in the water and cannot swim. It is shouted to him to grasp that rope and hold on to it. If he lets go of it, he will drown. That rope is his life. This is how we should grasp and hold the instruction, the teaching we receive.

The young man is warned to avoid the path of evil men by not taking even one step on that path (verse 14). If no first step is taken on that path, he will never end up wrong. This warning connects with the admonition to hold fast. He who goes in the path of wickedness loses his firm grip on sound teaching; he no longer holds firmly to it and will let go.

In verse 15, in four short sentences in the imperative, the necessity of avoiding the path of evil men is presented to the young man. To choose that path means to choose the path of death. The father is very decisive:
1. First there is the inner attitude of rejecting that path.
2. Attached to that is the clear decision not to go down that path.
3. It is even that he must not even want to come near it; he must turn away from it
4. and pass by it, not set foot on it.

If he gets close to it, the suction can still suddenly become too powerful for him, causing him to end up on that path. He should walk around it with a curve and keep going. He should not dwell on it or look at it, even if from a distance. He should not pay attention to that path, but totally ignore it.

For the practice of life, it means that we should not be influenced by the thinking that determines the path of the world. If we are not commissioned by the Lord for it, we should not get involved in it and stay far away from it. We should not want to know all that can be experienced on that path.

Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, wanted to know what was on that path. She found it out. We see in what she experiences, where ignoring this command leads (Gen 34:1-2). She is a cautionary example. It may be appealing to read all kinds of gossip in magazines and on the Internet. We may want to do so with the excuse that, after all, we need to know what is going on in the world. But we should reject that thought. Not only should we not participate in gossip, we also should not take note of it. We must turn away from it and pass on.

The reason to avoid the evil path is its addictive effect (verse 16). The wicked and evil men are addicted to evil (Psa 36:4). If they have not been able to do their daily portion of evil, they are upset, just as a drug user becomes upset if he does not get his daily dose of drugs. They become more and more restless, unable to sleep if they haven’t done something evil or made someone stumble. They are real children of their father, the devil.

They are not even after money or power anymore. Their concern is with evil itself. There is love for evil. Doing evil is their “bread” and “wine”, that is, their eating and drinking (verse 17). These are the means with which Melchizedek came to the weary Abraham to strengthen him (Gen 14:18). These people, however, do not take this food and drink from the hand of God, but take it from “wickedness” and “violence”. That is what they eat from, that is what they live by, that is what they find their pleasure in. People who go this way lack any kind of human kindness.

Verse 18, which begins with the word “but”, shows the contrast with verse 17 and makes it clear how dangerous the way and life of the wicked are. It is the contrast between darkness and light. The path of the righteous is a light that has risen in their life after living in darkness (cf. 1Pet 2:9). It breathes the freshness of the morning and casts around them the beauty of the rising sun.

The path itself is a light because on it truth, righteousness and holiness are seen. Christ is seen and He is the light. The righteous are also called the light of the world, who let their light shine before men (Mt 5:14,16; Phil 2:15). The further the righteous progress on that path, the brighter the light will shine, until they end in full light. Then it will have become full day. That is the day of the kingdom of peace.

The path of the wicked is the deep darkness of sin and unbelief in the middle of the night (verse 19; cf. Exo 10:22) through which they will stumble and fall. They have no idea what they are stumbling over, for they see nothing. Stumbling is also a result of wrong teaching of the law (Mal 2:8). There is darkness around them and within them. He who walks in the light does not stumble; he who walks in darkness stumbles ( Jn 11:9-10). He who walks in darkness ends up in everlasting darkness, where the light of God is changed into everlasting fire.

The section of verses 20-27 is about life. There follows a kind of “medical examination” of the heart, mouth, eyes and feet to see what condition they are in, to teach the son to use them properly. The whole outward life comes from what is in the heart (verses 21,23). By the heart is meant the center of existence, the whole of who a person is as a human being, with his mind, his will and his feelings. In that center, the Word of God must be given its place.

The heart must be guarded, we must watch what comes into it. When good comes in, good comes out. What comes out comes out through mouth and lips (verse 24), eyes and gaze (or eyelids) (verse 25), feet and ways (verse 26). If it is right with the heart, the mouth knows what to say, the eyes where to look, the feet where to go. This is possible when the heart is filled with the fear of the LORD.

Again, the father calls on his son to give attention to his words (verse 20). Such a call recurs again and again in this book because Godliness lies largely in adhering to known truths. The son must incline his ear to what his father says. He must be a willing and good listener, because these are words of utmost importance.

Nor must he let those words depart from his eyes; he must always keep his eyes fixed on them (verse 21). He can do this quite literally by writing them down (cf. Deu 17:18). It will help him keep them “in the midst” of his heart. By using his ear, his eyes and his heart, his whole person will be governed by his father’s words.

The result is life and health (verse 22). The words of Scripture, the words of Christ, “are spirit and are life” (Jn 6:63). They free from evil things that cause pain and hinder the living of true life. Hearing and heeding the teaching promotes the well-being of the whole person. Sin destroys the body. Some examples are AIDS due to sinful sexual contacts and anorexia due to an unhealthy spirit of control. Those who return with confession of sins to the path of wisdom can find healing.

After the instruction in verse 21 to keep wisdom in the heart follows in verse 23 the instruction to watch over the heart. This means that there is danger of the intrusion of wrong elements who want to take control. This happens through the mind or thought life, will and feeling. The heart can be watched over through constant prayer, listening to God’s Word and sanctification by the Spirit of God. The heart is the starting point of the activities of life and determines the course of life. It includes what a person says (verse 24), sees (verse 25) and does (verses 26-27).

What is present in the heart is shown first and most clearly by the words that come out of the mouth and over the lips (verse 24; cf. Lk 6:45c; Mt 12:34-35; 15:18-19). From our words must be removed what does not come from a heart governed by wisdom. There must be a radical break between the youth and falsity in his words (cf. Eph 4:29).

The “eyes” must look directly ahead, that is, the eyes are simple, focused on one goal (verse 25). That goal here is to gain wisdom, which is Christ, to gain Him. We can also say that the goal is that the son “looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer” (Jam 1:25). He must constantly look to the precepts of the Word of God that his father holds out to him. In them he sees promises and also examples that encourage him to look straight ahead to the goal.

The “gaze” must be kept straight in front of him. Concentration on the goal must be so intense that he does not even blink his eyes. If the eye wanders aimlessly and adulterously, adulterous acts follow. The Lord Jesus speaks of looking straight ahead when He says: “So then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light” (Mt 6:22). By this He is saying that the whole body knows what to do when the eye is focused on the one goal.

The command to look straight ahead has a direct effect on the “foot” of the youth (verse 26). He must pave the trail for his foot (cf. Heb 12:13). He must make his path passable, clearing it of potholes and smoothing it by clearing it of stumbling blocks. Then all his “ways will be established” that is, he can walk a reliable path that constantly leads straight to the goal.

There is a clear connection between what our eyes look at and where we place our feet. Anyone who drives a car knows that looking straight ahead is the only way to keep the car straight on the road. The same is true for the farmer who plows. He also looks to the end of the field to pull straight furrows. If Lot’s wife had looked straight ahead and not looked back, she would not have turned into a pillar of salt (Gen 19:17,26). Not looking straight ahead is fatal. The Lord Jesus therefore says: “Remember Lot’s wife” (Lk 17:32).

The principle is clear that our feet tend to follow our eyes. We determine the course of our path by what we focus our eyes on. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews speaks of a race. He emphasizes that the point is to refrain from all other things while keeping our eye focused exclusively on one object, Christ in glory (Heb 12:1-2).

The instruction in the last verse (verse 27) connects to the previous verse. The son must not leave the way the father shows him by going right or left (Deu 5:32; 28:13-14; Jos 1:7). To do so, he must listen to the voice of God (Isa 30:21). Turning to the right means for us not to fall into legalism and orthodoxy, and turning to the left means not to fall into liberalism and idolatry.

Nor should threats lead him to deviate from the path, any more than flattery. The same goes for adversity and prosperity. He must go straight on the designated path. By turning his foot away from evil, he will create distance between himself and evil.