Look with me at my chart of the kings of Israel. Saul, the first king, reigned 40 years. David, then, reigned 40 years, followed by a 40-year reign by Solomon, his son. To prepare his son for the decisions of life, Solomon addressed the fourth chapter of Proverbs to his sons. Since Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, became the next king, he must have been one of the sons who listened to this message.

Sadly, though Solomon was the wisest man other than Christ who ever lived, he lived much like a lustful fool, and Rehoboam his son was no better. They did not lack information. They lacked its application. Wisdom is only beneficial when it is lived out in daily life.

Transition

In Proverbs 4:3-9, Solomon reviews for his son, words that David his father had spoken to him. In those words, Rehoboam’s Pop gives him three pointers from which we can benefit as well.

Pop’s first pointer is …

Take My Advice (v.4)

  1. Let your heart retain my words
    1. Pop’s words are the advice he is about to share. They are his thoughts collected from God’s word, from study and from experience arranged just for you. Young people seldom realise the value of the advice given by their parents and grandparents. If you learn to, accept and apply advice given by those older than you, you will avoid many painful problems in life. It will also be easier for you to accept and obey God’s words in the Bible.
    2. To retain Pop’s words means to grip them and hold them tightly. If you have ever caught a fish and held on to that wriggly creature, you know what it means to grip it and hold it tightly.
    3. David taught Solomon to let his heart grab his words and hold them tightly. We listen in different ways. We listen with our ears partly closed when the teacher is explaining a boring maths concept, but we listen with our heart when dad says, “After dinner, I have something very special for you.” Here David is saying, listen with all your heart and with great interest because I am about to tell you something very special.
  2. Keep my commandments and live
    1. Pop’s commandments were his rules and laws. Though we may not like rules and laws, they are very important. Without rules and laws, strangers could walk into your house and steal whatever they wanted. A bully could hit you and not get in trouble. Cars could zoom down your street 120 kph if they pleased. We may not like rules, but they protect us.
    2. David told Solomon to keep his commandments. That means to guard them, protect them, and to obey them. When told, “Do not lie” or “Be kind to your brother” or “Read your Bible”, he was to defend that rule and obey it.
    3. His commandments could give Solomon life. They could protect him from death, give him a happier and longer life, and lead him to eternal life.
      Pop’s second pointer is …

Get Wisdom and Understanding (v.5-6)

  1. These are commands.
    1. Get means to acquire. You will not gain wisdom while you sleep. You will not trip over it on your way to school. You are going to have to make an effort to get it from God.
    2. Get wisdom. There are several words translated wisdom in the Bible. This one is the most common. It is skill in a craft or administration. It is shrewdness or prudence. We have often defined wisdom as, “The God-given ability to make right choices.” This ability, whether in skill, shrewdness or prudence, is beyond normal abilities. God gave it to those working on the tabernacle (Ex 28:3; 31:3, 6; 35:26, 35). God gave it to Solomon more than to any other man. We must number our days and apply our hearts to get this wisdom (Ps 90:12). It begins with the fear of the Lord (Pr 9:10). The opposite of wisdom is foolishness. It is making life’s decisions ourselves. It is pleasing self, not God. It is going along with peers.
    3. Get understanding. This word refers to the ability to separate, to distinguish, to discriminate, to discern. We need it to identify the difference between truth and error, right and wrong, good and bad. We often find it in the Bible used in connection with wisdom. The two work together. They form a team.
  2. We must not neglect wisdom.
    1. Forget her not (v.5). We must not forget to use wisdom. If ignored or neglected, she is of little value. If God gives you the ability to make a right choice, but you ignore it, it cannot help you.
    2. Decline not from these words (v.5). To decline is to bend away or to push away. Forgetting wisdom may be careless, but declining from it is intentional. (Proverbs 1:7) “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.“
    3. Forsake her not (v.6). This is worse than forgetting and declining, it is abandoning wisdom. It is walking away from it and living foolishly. However, if you do NOT forsake her, she will preserve you. If you take an apple, slice it up, and dry it in the sun, you will preserve it. It will not rot or spoil for a long time. If you get God’s wisdom and keep it, it will preserve you from danger and harm.
    4. Love her, and she will keep you (v.6). Love wisdom as you love those who are precious to you. If you do, she will keep you from sin, danger and heartaches.
      Pop’s third pointer is …

Before all Else, get Wisdom and Understanding

  1. Make wisdom and understanding priorities (v.7).
    1. When David said that wisdom is the principle thing, he was saying that it is the best thing you can get. There can be nothing better in life than to have God directing your decisions.
    2. Several times in the Proverbs, Solomon tells us of the value of wisdom. (Proverbs 8:11) “For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.” (Proverbs 16:16) “How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!” (cf., Pr 3:14).
  2. If you lift wisdom, she will lift you up
    1. Exalt her (v.8). This means to lift her up, give her a place of importance in your life. Is being wise more important to you than pleasing your friends? Is she valuable enough to you to cause you to choose her over foolish activities, laziness, and lust?
    2. Embrace her (v.8). Hold her in your arms as if to hug her.
      1. If you exalt wisdom, she will promote you (v.8). We all like promotions! Living wisely will promote your reputation, your respect, and your righteousness.
      2. If you embrace her, she will bring you special honour (v.8).
      3. She will give your head a wreath of grace or favour (v.9). People will want to be around you.
      4. She will deliver to you a crown of glory (v.9). In other words, she will make your character more beautiful.
      5. Now read Proverbs 8:32-36, words spoken by Wisdom.
    3. The overall idea here is that getting wisdom, and making it a priority to live by wisdom, will greatly bless your life. Rejecting God’s wisdom will make you a fool and bring you heartache.

Conclusion

David spoke these words and commands to Solomon when he was young, and now he is passing them on to Rehoboam, his son. The awesome thing is that he is passing them on to you and me as well. We must take his advice, get wisdom and understanding from God, and give wisdom priority in our lives.

As God looks at your life, would He say that you are getting wisdom and making it a priority in your life? If not, what changes do you need to make?

Song: I Have Decided – 397
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Insights for Life – Pop’s Pointers
30 October 2022 PM – Proverbs 4:3-9 – Insights – Scott Childs