My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.1
Growing up as the youngest of nine, and having raised two adult children, I now grasp how a father desires only the best for their children—regardless of their response (though limited by a father’s earthly capability). Here we have Solomon, king of Israel, prodding his own son. He gives out 3 premises to achieve the promise (‘if . . . then’ statements); like he was saying, if you wholeheartedly desire, prioritize, and value my words which carry wisdom and understanding, then you will attain and understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
Wait. Why should the fear of the LORD and the knowledge of God be a weighty end goal? Why not wealth, fame, nor power? The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.2 Pause! Consider who God is and where your help comes from.3 God knows what we need; he is all knowing and knows what is best for us. Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ . . . your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.4 Our life is like a drop in a bucket in proportion to eternity. Shouldn’t we rather be investing our time where it matters most? And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.5
Where else may we find the Truth but through Scripture.6 Yes, at the onset there may be ideas that are hard to grasp. If so, ask the Holy Spirit for understanding.7 For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.8
Here comes another promise, Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul, discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways9 (Do these things seem familiar?).
Your God—Father—loves you and will not allow you to remain in your old perverted ways. Trust him! His thoughts and ways are higher than ours.10
So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, . . .11 So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.12
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.13 AMEN!
Notes:
1. Proverbs 2:1-5
2. Proverbs 9:10
3. Psalm 121:1-2
4. Matthew 6:31-33
5. John 17:3
6. John 17:17
7. James 1:5-8
8. Proverbs 2:6-8
9. Proverbs 2:9-15
10. Isaiah 55:6-9
11. Proverbs 2:16-19
12. Proverbs 2:20-22
13. Philippians 4:19
