Your Father's Bible

Proverbs 6:20–24 NASB95

My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother; Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life To keep you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

Introduction:

Following my fathers funeral, I was told that someone from the family needed to go to the nursing home and pick up his belongings.

The passage speaks of the father’s commandment and the mother’s law. These two things refer to the instruction, based upon the Word of God, given by parents. They actually can be taken to refer to your parent’s Bible (the place where the commandment and the law are found).

God’s Command

Proverbs 6:20 NASB95

My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother;

A. The object in view

1. “Thy father’s commandment—Thy mother’s law”

2. This means the commandments and law that are held precious by your parents

B. The steps to be taken

1. “Keep”—adhere to earnestly

2. “Forsake not”—do not turn aside from

3. “Bind them upon thine heart”—come to know them so well that they become part of your life

4. “Tie them about thy neck”—let your knowledge of and adherence to God’s Word be your chief ornament

God’s Reason

Proverbs 6:23–24 NASB95

For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life To keep you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

A. The threefold benefit of the Word

1. Guidance—“When thou goest, it shall lead thee”

2. Protection—“When thou sleepest, it shall keep thee” (If you have built the Word into your life, it will have created the lifestyle and responses necessary to cause safety when you are not in control of the processes of life)

3. Provision—“When thou wakest, it shall talk with thee” (The Word hidden in the heart will communicate and bring thoughts to mind of a beneficial nature).

B. The three-fold description of the Word

1. “A lamp”—that which provides clarity and illumination

2. “A light”—that which clarifies and brightens the path

3. “Way of life”—reproofs of wrong conduct and positive instruction keep one in the pathway leading to life

God’s Planned Benefit

Proverbs 6:22 NASB95

When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you.

A. It will keep from evil

1. Evil in general and as a principle

2. No better way to avoid evil than through the Word

B. It will keep from a specific evil

1. It deals with an immoral person

2. No better protection in moral realm than the Word!

Conclusion:

The Word of God is the key to successful living. Make sure that its commandments and precepts are the daily guide for your life. Study them, know them, and live them.

Charles R. Wood, Sermon Outlines on the Book of Proverbs, (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1984). Page . Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:03 PM May 15, 2023.