|
|
A Father’s Wise Instruction
4 Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain insight,
for I give you good precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.
Get wisdom; get insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
She will place on your head a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.
I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
and if you run, you will not stumble.
Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.
Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble.
My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
(ESV)
Proverbs 4 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
As a kid, I remember going down to the beaches of Florida for our family vacations. One particular trip, we were vacationing along with extended family. My cousin and I decided right when we arrived that we would immediately hit the beach and begin walking down the coast. As soon as we had put our suitcases in the room, we were off.
We walked for miles, taking in the many sights and sounds of the ocean. We talked as we looked side to side at the seagulls, the seashells and the people enjoying time together in the sun. After what seemed like only a few minutes, my skin began to feel hot. Our pale white Indiana skin was getting scorched. We turned to look back at how far we had come and we realized we couldn’t even see our condo! Needless to say, by the time we made it back, we were lobsters. The many sights and sounds on the path we were walking had kept us distracted from the distance we had traveled.
“Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. 26 Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. 27 Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.”
Proverbs 4:25-27 HCSB
The life of a believer is not characterized by wandering aimlessly. Look at the instruction. We are encouraged to fix our eyes forward. The path of Christ has goals and checkpoints. Though it is a constant pursuit, we do not take our eyes off of Him. We may stumble or get momentarily distracted, but our gaze must return straight ahead to the calling of Jesus.
Carefully consider the path you are on. This is a call for self-awareness. How far have you traveled and where are you headed? The path metaphor is understood in terms of our daily decision making. Maybe we don’t think in those terms? The decisions you make today will take you down a path. They will take your family and others who are following you down that same path.
When we let our feet and eyes draw us away from the path God has established, we are walking in foolishness. Wisdom is taking into consideration where we are headed in life and who we are focused on during that journey.