Acquire Wisdom-Proverbs 1:8-13

My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! [Proverbs 1:10]

When I looked up the word exhortation – it appears to mean to encourage. I love this because this chapter is about a father encouraging his child to obtain wisdom, just as the Lord encourages us to obtain wisdom.

A Father’s Exhortation: Acquire Wisdom
Proverbs 1:8-13 [NLT]

8 My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
9 What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck.
10 My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!
11 They may say, Come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!
12 Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.
13 Think of the great things we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.

***Note this is an outline, more is discussed on the podcast

Before we dig further, I want to mention a few things about Proverbs.

• There is practical application in every single chapter.
• Almost every verse there is wisdom provided to us.
• If you are not sure of answers in life this is the place to go.
• Proverbs provides sound and sensible answers to all aspects of life within its thirty-one chapters.
• Proverbs is the greatest how-to book ever written.
• Those who have the good sense to take Solomon’s lessons to heart will quickly discover godliness, prosperity, and contentment.

The recurring principle of the Book of Proverbs is that those who choose wisdom will be blessed in numerous ways, which we will discover throughout our journey and study of these books of wisdom.

Here a just a few:

LONG LIFE: Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life. [Proverbs 9:11]

PROSPERITY: True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life. [Proverbs 22:4]

JOY: Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. [Proverbs 3:13]

PROTECTION: No harm comes to the godly, but the wicked have their fill of trouble. Those who reject Him and refuse to obtain wisdom , will suffer [Proverbs 12:21]

HONOR: The wise inherit honor, but fools are put to shame! [Proverbs 3:35]

WISE: The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense. [Proverbs 10:21]

To reject God is to choose foolishness over wisdom. This decision and choice is what separates us from God, His Word, His wisdom, and His blessings.

This leads us right into what is being said in these following passages Proverbs 1:8-19… Nowadays peer pressure, fake lives, and pretending everything is perfect is the norm. But listen to what Solomon says.

[8] My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.

This is setting the precedence for a child and the way they should go. Listening to their parents is the starting point of obtaining wisdom. Rebellion, when we are young against authority, is a seed that bears bad fruit all of our lives. This is saying, that if we are rebellious as a child, we will continue this pattern throughout our lives, UNLESS Jesus intercepts our foolishness.

Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. [Exodus 20:12]

Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. [Ephesians 6:1]

[9] What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck.

I know when we are young we think we know everything and our parents don’t have a clue about life (is what we think). When this was written people in honor and high places would wear a gold chain around their neck. Solomon seems to believe that if we follow the metaphor, the surest way of coming to distinguished eminence, in civil matters, is to act according to the principles of true wisdom, proceeding from the fear of God.

[10] My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!

This is talking about peer pressure and that we need to avoid it, no matter what age we are. It’s dangerous to do things, just because everyone else is doing it. As believers, our source of guidance and direction should be the Lord. At times the Lord may speak to us through another person, but again we need to make sure it doesn’t contradict scripture and is truly from God. What this scripture is saying and will continue to say is the importance of who we hang with because when people around us go down, we will go down with them.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6:33]

[11] They may say, come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!

Seriously, what a nightmare to do things just to fit in. Fun should never include hurting others, especially killing someone. Yet, if you watch crime shows this is a popular thing to do.  Our young people are being influenced by so much garbage that we shouldn’t be surprised that they choose to do things that make absolutely no sense. Not only does it not make sense, it destroys their lives.

One of the best scriptures to live by that can keep us from this kind of trouble is Romans 12:2. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

[12] Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave; let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.

This is taking the law and justice into your own hands, which in due time will come back and bite you. Trying to take revenge on someone isn’t a wise thing to do. You cannot do something and hope it will never be found out. The Lord God sees everything and nothing is hidden from Him.

Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

[13] Think of the great things we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.

Most of the time what motivates someone to do unkind acts, like this scripture mentions taking other people’s stuff is selfishness and self-centeredness. It’s a source of pride trying to boost their self-worth or self-esteem and it’s all based on pride. Most conflicts and disagreements are based on pride.

Proverbs 13:10 Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise

continued in another post….