A Father's Wise Instruction
4:1 Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain [1] insight,
2 for I give you good precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.
5 Get wisdom; get insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
and be attentive, that you may gain [1] insight,
2 for I give you good precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.
5 Get wisdom; get insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
10 Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.
11 I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
and if you run, you will not stumble.
13 Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.
14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
15 Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble.
that the years of your life may be many.
11 I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
and if you run, you will not stumble.
13 Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.
14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
15 Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble.
20 My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their [2] flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
26 Ponder [3] the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their [2] flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
26 Ponder [3] the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
2 comments:
v23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,for from it flow the springs of life.
The evil forces are always out there, trying to gain access to our heart and to capture it as the throne room to our whole being.
The strategy God has given us is to pre-occupied them with His word (Joshua 1:8)
v24 keep them within your heart
Psalm 119:11 I have stored up your word in my heart,that I might not sin against you.
This is to be done with all vigilance:-
-be attentive to them(incline your ear, do not let them escape from your sight..) v20,21
-keep them,hold fast to them,embrace them v4,6
-do not forget or turn away form them, do not forsake them, v5,v6
-love them, price them highly v6,v8
When the temptation and deception come:
- do not enter the path of the wicked nor walk in it.. v14
- do not stay in the dark or ignorance of his schemes. v19
- put away crooked speech and devious talk.. v24
- do not swerve to the right or left ..v27
The result is really worth the effort, beside glorifying God, we obtain:
life, healing .. V4,v22
exaltation,honor .. v8
grace and beauty ..v9
stability ..v12
..
What a promise!
V 19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.
Our text says that the wicked do not even know over what they stumble.
Well this is because they can not see their path and the things that are ahead of them. They are in darkness and they don’t have the lamp!
Psa 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Not so with the righteous. Even in our momentarily darkness, we have the word of God to guide us, to guard us and to gladden us.
The way of the wicked is like a deep darkness (v19), and it is only going to get deeper and darker. But blessed is the righteous because their path is going to be brighter and brighter.
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day…. V 19
You know what? All traces of darkness will be gone forever when our precious Lord , the living word become the glorious light in our new dwelling place up there!
Rev 22:5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
Rev 21:23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
Are we grateful to this lamp/light/guidance? Are we excited and delighted by His word?
Let us go into the habit of reading and applying His word daily in our life.
Psa 119:16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
Psa 119:174 I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight.
Post a Comment