Childhood memories

Q - Can anyone share a good childhood memory?

Q - Do you think memories of earlier life can add to your current life today?

Q - Did you learn from things taught to you when you reflect back today?

As you know Proverbs 1-9 are all about wisdom. Solomon sharing, Solomon teaching, Solomon imploring his children, and us the readers of today to seek fear the Lord your God and to actively seek after wisdom.

In Pro1-9 also you see Solomon sharing his memories of his childhood of his own father David exhorting him to seek after wisdom.

The Set-up

Before getting to what he was Taught let’s read the scripture together

Pro4:1-3 “1 Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention that you may gain understanding, 2 For I give you sound teaching; Do not abandon my instruction. 3 When I was a son to my father, Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,”

Pro4:5-7 “5 Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. 7 “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.”

Pro4:8-9 “8 “Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. 9 “She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.””

Q - Any general information that you picked up?

Q - What kind of mood do you think this Proverb is set in (depression, joy, etc.)?

Q - Who is Solomon speaking to?

Q - What is Solomon speaking about?

First Solomon implores his sons to hear, give attention to instruction, so can gain understanding

Q- How do you get someones attention if you want to convey something that is important to you and believe would be important to them?

Solomon did it in a form of imploring, begging them to listen.

Next Solomon says this is from their father and should given attention to what he has to say.

The source of information is important. Would you take parental advise from someone that is not a parent? Or mechanical advise from someone who has never worked on a car before?

Solomon then tells them the reason he wants to to hear, give attention to what he is going to say. For it is sound teaching that should not be abandoned.

Teaching’s from a Father

His father had accepted his responsibility (Pro4:3-4)

Responsibility to teach them

God given responsibility

Eph6:4 “4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

This is not teaching that should be expected in school’s or even churches per se, it is something that should be happening at home. In school’s and Churches they are dealing with masses in a few hours, where a Father is teaching individually over a lifetime

God’s intentions were as it says here

Deu6:6-9 “6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

I am not saying that churches and schools have no part, they do, but responsibility lies on the Father, and the Mother plays a part too, especially in one parent households.

God’s word is to permeate the household

Q- How can this happen?

I’m sure you can see how a church or a school cannot fulfill this

So, blessed are the children that have a father who accepts their God given responsibility.

For on the other end of the scale the father who does not accept their God given responsibility

Will held to be accountable to God

An example is Eli

1Sam2:22-25 “22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 23 He said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? 24 “No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the Lord’s people circulating. 25 “If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the Lord desired to put them to death.”

He made a late, weak attempt and he failed the power to restrain them.

1Sam3:10-13 “10 Then the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” 11 The Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 “In that day I will carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 “For I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them.”

When God given responsibility is not followed through it has to be picked up by others, who may not have the same view

Now we do have a good example of godly teachers who stepped in

Timothy’s mom and grand mom

2Tim1:5 “5 For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.”

And what they did, they taught him the scripture

2Tim3:15 “15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

We already spoke of blessed are the children whose Fathers accept responsibility. Then blessed are the Mothers, Grandmothers who accept the task when the father does not, or is not able to.

Solomon was taught while at a tender age

Q - What would you consider a tender age?

Q - Why teach at a tender age?

Maybe consider

Pro22:6 “6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

The teaching occured when still young and impressionable

When open and willing to hear what a father has to say.

Hopefully willing to do what the father says too and carry that through-out life.

Teaching needs to start early, long before they are in school with other children that may or may not have the same type of instruction at home.

In school there can be peer pressure and examples of bad behavior which can be impressed on other children that can lead to disobedience and a neglect for authority.

Use Tabby’s school for an example here.

There are even teachers, school systems that can teach contrary to parental teaching and authority

I.E., discipline

Before a child is is exposed to the wrong kind of influences they need to have godly instruction and examples before them. That starts early and starts at home.

Taught by an worried/anxious father

Scripture tells us to be anxious about nothing, right? In our passage see if you can see some worry, some anxiety

Anxiety is implied (4:4-6)

Pro4:4-6 “4 Then he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live; 5 Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you.”

Anxiety of a father implied

By the exhortations, “acquire wisdom” some say get wisdom, get understanding. NASB uses the word acquire.

By the warnings: “Do not forget nor turn away” then it says “Do not forsake her”

What father would not want to encourage their child to learn, even if the child is an adult.

Anxiety of fathers today

Whew, think with the world as it is today and the technology today it can even be harder today than it was then.

In view of whats going on with our society, our schools, (violence, sex, gender questions, acceptance of abominations)

Or even in light of what is being accepted in some churches (total acceptance, inclusion, apathy, worldliness and apostasy)

If we are honest, community and even the church no longer provide supportive roles.

Fathers anxious for their children

They will take time to teach their children what they need for a life of godliness

They will implore God for the godly wisdom needed to raise a child in the ways of the Lord. and seek that through God’s word too.

They will be willing to forsake other personal things (i.e. success, prestige in business) to spend time with their children

I had to learn this one the hard way.

So, fathers, who this is being addressed to, as well as mothers, Grandfathers, Grandmothers, are we anxious for our children and grandchildren? Anxious over the upbringing and welfare of them?

Was taught important things

Taught to value wisdom and understanding

Get wisdom and understanding (4:5)

Wisdom is principle thing, therefore get it (4:7)

Proverbs 4:7 NKJV

7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

Taught to love, exalt and embrace wisdom

Love her and she will keep you

Proverbs 4:6 NKJV

6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.

Exalt her and she will keep you; when you embrace her she will bring you honor.

Proverbs 4:6 NKJV

6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.

Proverbs 4:8 NKJV

8 Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.

Appreciate the benefits of wisdom

Do not forsake her (4:6)

She will place an ornament of grace on your head

Proverbs 4:9 NKJV

9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

A crown of glory she will deliver

Proverbs 4:9 NKJV

9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

Solomon wanted his sons to be wise above all else.

It is easy to get caught in the trivial things and spend time in sports, mechanics which are not bad, but wisdom has to come first.

Fathers want children to get good education and get a good job, but that cannot come before the teachings about wisdom that is needed for life.

Without wisdom and understanding, our children will not be able to handle success, so let’s equip our children and our grandchildren to succeed.

Solomon’s upbringing stressed the value of wisdom, let me close with just a few more scriptures.

When Solomon was given a choice, look what he chose.

2 Chronicles 1:7–10 NKJV

7 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?” 8 And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, O Lord God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. 10 Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?”

Solomon chose wisdom to lead the people and what happened

2 Chronicles 1:11–12 NKJV

11 Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king—12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”

Final instruction

Proverbs 4:7 GNB

7 Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do. Whatever else you get, get insight.

(Pray)