“To you, O men, I call,

    and my cry is to the children of man.”

Proverbs 4:8 ESV

I suppose that every one of us, at one time or another, struggles with pride. In this case, I think there is a tendency to say, “This isn’t for me. It’s for those people.” And by those people we mean anyone who is not us. As I think through this scenario, I keep hearing the tough guy question: “You talkin’ to me?” Wisdom’s polite reply is, “Yes, I’m talkin’ to you.”

Wisdom cries out “to the children of man,” which covers everyone … the tough guy, the nerd, the wise person, and the fool. If you are not interested in wisdom at all, you need this. If you are interested in wisdom, but think you don’t need more at this time, you are not as wise as you think.

“Listen to advice and accept instruction,

    that you may gain wisdom in the future.”

Proverbs 19:20 ESV

Wisdom is calling. How are you (yes, you!) responding.

“There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”

Proverbs 6:16-17

The writer uses a Hebrew construction, a numeral plus one, to indicate the Lord’s ultimate displeasure with the items in the list. The second item on this list is a lying tongue. When we practice to deceive we are saying one of two things. We are saying that God doesn’t see us OR that God doesn’t care. Neither is true!

God does care; he even warns us of the danger of lying:

“The getting of treasures by a lying tongue

    is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.”

Proverbs 21:6 ESV

“The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,

    and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.”

Proverbs 5:22 ESV

Beware the risk of playing around with sin. Many think “I’ll do this for a while, then I’ll stop when I’m ready.” Unfortunately, sin isn’t always so accommodating; it has its own desires and agenda.

This proverb describes the binding nature of our sin; it holds us captive. And, the more we submit to our sin, the more we are bound by it. Don’t treat sin as a game, something to dabble with. Sin is deceptive and deadly.

“Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,

    and be attentive, that you may gain insight,

² for I give you good precepts;

    do not forsake my teaching.”

Proverbs 4:1-2 ESV

The goal here is to gain insight. Thus, the father implores the son to hear his father’s instructions and not forsake his teaching. The reason he can plead with his son in this way is the father’s commitment. Note the commitment: “for I give you good precepts.”

As parents we have certain expectations of our children, one of which is that they listen to us. By listen, I mean to actually listen to what we are saying, but also to do what we ask them to do. In the normal family “power structure” that is the expected flow. But that is not what the father is saying here. He’s not saying, “I’m your dad, so listen to me.” He’s saying, “Listen to me because I give you good precepts.”

How often do we think through the precepts we give our kids? Do we simply expect our kids to listen because we are the parents? Or, are we expecting them to listen because we have good precepts for them? There is a difference.

“Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around
your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.”

Proverbs 3:3 ESV

The thing that caught my attention in this verse is the verb forsake. Throughout the book we are instructed, in some form or another, not to forsake wisdom. See 3:1 for example, “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments …”

But here, the instruction is to keep them (i.e., steadfast love and faithfulness) from forsaking us. In other words, “Don’t let them disappear on you.” And, the writer tells us how to keep them from disappearing on us: “bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.” The imagery is both external and internal.

What does it mean to bind them around your neck? Should we wear a necklace with the words “steadfast love” and “faithfulness” dangling from it? Would doing that prevent steadfast love and faithfulness from abandoning us? This seems to be a “letter of the law” vs. “spirit of the law” situation. Technically, wearing such a necklace appears to fulfill the letter of the law. But, what is the spirit, or intention, of the law? Is it simply to create a new line of jewelry?

In consideration of the command to “write these words on the tablet of your heart” it seems better to understand “bind them around your neck” as an outward reflection of the inner change that happens when we write these things on the tablets of our hearts. In other words, the internal changes in our hearts are exhibited in our behaviors.

Are you adorning yourself with steadfast love and faithfulness? If so, how? If not, why not?