The Voice of Wisdom

Proverbs 4:10-27

GOLDEN TEXT: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of Life.”—Proverbs 4:23

IN THIS lesson the wise man represents himself as a father giving good advice to a son. It would be well for the youth of the world if their fathers more frequently communed with them and gave them the benefit of their experiences in life. Fathers recognize a responsibility for those whom they bring into the world, in respect to material things, food, clothing, etc., but have they not just as great responsibility respecting the culture of the minds and hearts of their children in the appreciation of wisdom, justice, righteousness and truth?

Children often reason as correctly as do older people, and they should be able to reason, upon evidence, first, that they have the love and interest of their parents in their welfare; and second, that the experiences of their parents in life would be valuable to them at the threshold of their life and enable them to start life more properly.

And who can doubt that the child thus guided and helped by parental counsel would he saved from many of the pitfalls and troubles in life, and from much sickness, physical suffering, etc.? Too, the parent thus interested in the child, and seeking to give it lessons from his own book of experience, would find himself profited by this review of the successes, disappointments, and mistakes of his life, and the causes of these.

How blessed for any parent to be able to use the words of the eleventh verse of our lesson as he lies upon his death-bed, addressing his children, “I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee [by my example] in right paths.” And how blessed are such children; how much less liable than others to stumblings in life’s pathway: how much more likely they are to be ready to hear and heed the voice of the Heavenly Father, and to walk in His paths.

Applying our lesson to the Christian, we see in it another exhortation to diligent attention to the ways of the Lord and to His Word, and a circumspect walk in order to avoid the snares of our great adversary. The more experienced the spiritual son of the Heavenly Father may be, the more he should appreciate the testimony of verse thirteen, “Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go; keep her; for she is thy life.” It is along these same lines that the Apostle urges the church, saying, “We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest … we should let them slip.” (Heb. 2:1) It evidently is not enough that we should hear the Lord’s Word; nor even that we should receive it into good and honest hearts. It is necessary that we take fast hold of it; that we act upon it; that we incorporate it as part of our being. Thus will the spirit of the truth become our spirit, in full accord with the Heavenly Father’s mind and disposition.

In every Christian’s experience there are often branching paths leading from the “narrow way,” paths of self-will, pride, selfishness, worldly ambition, some of which we may sometimes be in danger of entering unintentionally, unwittingly. These paths at first emerge so gradually from the narrow way as to seem very little different from it, but gradually they diverge more and more, so that any of the Lord’s people, filled with the spirit of righteousness, truth and love, can discern the change, the different spirit and tendency. It is well that we should be on guard, to note the spirit of all with whom we have to do, and to refuse to go forward in any direction in which the spirit of holiness, meekness, purity, love, does not lead.

Sad it is to recognize that there is a class of wicked characters described in verses 16,17, who make it their business in life to entrap others: occupy themselves with a life of evil, and endeavor to seduce others into evil doing. Thank God that such will soon be restrained; that when the judgments of the Lord shall be abroad in the earth, in the near future, then “the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness,” and ultimately “the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.”—Isa. 26:9; Psa. 37:10

The next two verses show us the two paths, and give us their general characteristics, and especially their terminations. It is true of every one of the Lord’s children—justified sons—that his path through life should be one of increasing light and blessing; one of personal progress and of blessing to others, through the light and knowledge of the truth. They walk in the light of God’s Word, which is “a lamp to their feet, a lantern to their footsteps.”—Psa. 119:105

Our Golden Text emphasizes the fact that it is of paramount importance that we exercise a strict supervision of our hearts, our wills. Out of the abundance of our heart we both speak and act and it is in vain that anyone endeavors to have these outward expressions in harmony with God and His Word without the preliminary step of full consecration, and then faithfully cultivating in one’s heart, sentiments of loving devotion to Him and His principles. The “issue” for those who thus “keep their heart with all diligence,” will be a blessed experience—“life and peace,” the apostle says.—Rom. 8:6

QUESTIONS:

Do parents have a responsibility towards their children in spiritual as well as material matters?

What is the only true source of wisdom for both the young and the old?

What are the two contrasting paths during this age, and in which one should the Christian walk?

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