Proverbs 4:1-9 – The value of a godly father’s counsel

There is value in the counsel of a father who is godly. Bear in mind that the context this book is about people in covenant relationship with God. Hence, we are not talking about people who are ungodly and have a warped sense of value. Fathers who are walking with God and know the responsibility given to them in their roles are worth obeying. That is the assertion of these verses. Hence, every son who has a godly father should seek to obey his instruction.

The implication given in these verses is that Solomon had benefitted from the insights of David, his godly father. And he now passed the insights he had received to his own sons. Wisdom is seen as an inheritance that’s passed down from one generation to another. This of course depends largely on the responsibility of the father as well as the receptivity of the son. Every generation must be responsible to pass on what they have profitably received from their preceding generation. The receiving generation must of course be open and willing to be taught in order to benefit from what will be passed down. When both the one sharing and the one receiving exercise responsibility, the blessing can be passed on from generation to generation.   

Wisdom, as we know, is knowledge applied. And we can rightly apply only when we have fully understood what we know. Without a doubt, wisdom is closely connected with knowledge and understanding. We need to acquire knowledge and then muse, think through, discern and understand them before we act on what is cardinal to character building. When we do so, we will be kept on the right path and be guarded in our journey. Here, Solomon shares with us some key elements to ensure that we benefit fully from the wisdom of godly instruction. Attentiveness, commitment to keep them and willingness to live them out diligently are all critical factors to harness. And our spirit, soul, emotion and body must all be fully engaged to enjoy the benefit from wisdom. Not only must we actively remember them, but also to be committed, to love, to prize, to embrace and to adorn. They all will help to build our stateliness. Let’s keep at it!