Proverbs 4

Stones, Heart, and Words

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And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.  And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.  And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, “When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What mean these stones?’ Then ye shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel came over this Jordan on dry land’; for the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which He dried up from before us, until we were gone over: that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.”
Joshua 4:19-24

Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Psalm 17:3

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Proverbs 4:20-22

The Path of Life and Light

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And they said, “Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.”
Genesis 11:4

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 16:11
For Thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
Psalm 18:28

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:23

Get Wisdom; He Who Made the World

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“Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.”  Proverbs 4:5-6
“He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” John 1:10-11

We do need wisdom, especially for the war of the culture, the spiritual battles that we face where good has been declared evil; and evil has been declared as good.

We also need to return to the One who has made all things; to believe Him and to trust that He went to the cross, died for the sins of the world, was buried and He rose up bodily and came alive out of that grave, and He forever lives. May we be ever diligent and faithful to the One who gives us His grace; His name is Jesus Christ. There is no other Savior.

Prayer for January 4, 2021

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Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding…
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.”  Proverbs 4:7, 13

“When the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils: and He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that were sick: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, ‘Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.’ ”  Matthew 8:16-17

Father and Lord of all, I praise You and lift up Your thrice holy name. The name of Your Son Jesus is above every name as the apostle Paul proclaimed to the people of Philippi.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus the sweetest name I know. He is the personification of wisdom and in and through Him all wisdom comes. I pray for wisdom.

I pray for wisdom in living, in finances, in marriage, in family matters, in matters with my neighbor, in making decisions that will affect my life as well as others. Father the men of God who stand and preach Your word need Your wisdom; and the women who teach other women and children need Your wisdom in Your word and in life and living.

Forgive us, O God, the ignorance in us of Your word and Your work in our midst. We give more credence of power to science than Your word; and it is to a science that is not science but mere supposition, and deception.

I ask, Lord, that You get Your people to open their eyes and realize that You are God indeed, that Your word from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22 is the truth just as You gave it, and that every word You have spoken will come to pass just as You have said.

Forgive us our sins and heal our land; and lead us into Your Glorious Land.

Thank You for Your wonderful grace shown on display as Your Son Jesus bled and died on the cross, He was buried taking away all our sin, guilt and shame, then He left it in the grave and He rose the Victor and forever lives and intercedes for all who are His.

Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

Hear The Instruction Of A Father

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“Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
He taught me also, and said unto me, ‘Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.’ ”  Proverbs 4:1-4  (KJB)

ON A SIDE NOTE:

We the people of the United States are celebrating 244 years as a nation, and I pray all who come here today, and those who are citizens of the United States of America will remember the God of this nation.  He is the Creator of all that is, the seen and the unseen.

I thank Him for His word, and His work in this nation and the nations of this world. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, and He died on that cruel old cross, was buried, and He came out of the grave alive.  The only hope for the U. S. of A. and any nation is to turn from your sins and rebellion against God and His word, and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, Lord and God.

The Words Of Life

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“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.”  Proverbs 4:20-27  (KJB)

Listening and Doing

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“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.”   Proverbs 4:20-27  (KJB)

The Path Of The Just

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“Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.”  Proverbs 4:10-19  (KJB)

Do Not Forsake Wisdom

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“For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
He taught me also, and said unto me, ‘Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.’ ”  Proverbs 4:3-9  (KJB)

Hear and Hold On

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Hearing and Holding On – Proverbs 4:1-27

Verses 1-13 –  Hold on to wisdom; like a family heirloom.  Children are the fruit of marriage, and the responsibility of their teaching, their learning is that of the father and mother.  It is, however the responsibility of the child to learn the teachings which they are taught.  Hearing instruction; godly instruction; as lived by the parent is necessary for the child to see as well as hear.

When God is our Father, our Instructor/Teacher we know that His teaching is never in error.  If we err from His teaching it is the child who errs not the Father.  Remember Wisdom is personified in Proverbs, and is seen in the New Testament as Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God.

Verses 14-19 –  There are two paths which each individual must choose from.  “The way of wisdom” is mentioned in verse 11.  We are shown that there are two  paths people can take.  “…The path of the wicked…” (v. 14), and “…The path of the just…” (v. 18).

The just and wise person is warned not to enter the path of wickedness.  It is the path of darkness and the way of evil men.  The path of the just is “…as the shining light…”.  The way of darkness is filled with dangerous, headlong, falls, that lead to death, destruction, deception, and eternal despair.  Most of all eternal darkness, separated from God, and His grace, mercy and love.

The path of the just is light filled with visibility.  There are falls, but the righteous can fall and rise again to continue in the way of light (Proverbs 24:16).  Decisions are made with clarity, and with a cause that will glorify the LORD.

Verses 20- 22 –  The child must give heed to the teaching of the parent’s wisdom received from God.

“Then Jesus said unto them, ‘Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.” John 12:35 KJV

There is life and light for all who choose wisdom, justness, and righteousness.

“For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8;  also see Psalm 16:11).

Verses 23-27 –  From the e-Sword edition of the Pulpit Commentary we find,

“WHAT IS TO BE KEPT. The heart. In the Bible the “heart” represents what we call the “head” as well as the affections and conscience to which we confine the word “heart;” i.e. it stands for the whole inner nature, the life of thought, feeling, and will. This is the “Town of Mansoul,” and it has the various constituents of a town.
1. Entrance gates. The soul is always receiving thoughts and impulses from without. It is important to see that no adulterated article, no poison, no subject of infectious disease comes in. Debased, false, and immoral impressions must be warded off.
2. Ways of exit. The broad river bears on her bosom argosies from the busy city to many a distant port. Let us see that the cargo is of good wares, in good measure, honestly realizing professions, containing no injurious things. Some hearts export only sham products, some deadly poisons. Deeds, words, even smiles and glances carrying thought and influences out of the soul must be carefully guarded.
3. Internal thoroughfares. The town is a network of streets and passages. Busy thoughts run to and fro in the heart. Let the traffic be orderly, the road well preserved, lest pure thoughts should be smirched with the mire of an unwholesome mental habit.
4. Storehouses. Memory has her treasuries, warehouses, granaries. Let us see that they are not crowded with rubbish, left in disorder, made fever nests by the corruption of any unhealthy contents. Nourishing truths and beautiful ideas should stock them.
5. Factories. In the heart we weave fine webs of fancy see that the pattern has the beauty of holiness; there, too, we forge great engines for future work see that they are constructed on safe and serviceable principles.
6. Halls of amusement. Let them be places of recreation, not of dissipation.
7. Shrines for worship. See that no idol takes the place of the true God, no hypocrisy does service for the incense of spiritual prayer and praise.
8. Graveyards of dead hopes and loves; keep them beautiful with flowers of tender memory. Are there also graves of dead sins? Plant weeping willows of penitence over them.” Pulpit Commentary; e-Sword edition

“A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”  Matthew 12:35

The point of verses 25 – 27 is for the just to keep their eyes open so as not to end up on the path of darkness and wickedness.   See Deuteronomy 5:32.

-Tim A. Blankenship