“My son, if you receive my words

    and treasure up my commandments with you,

² making your ear attentive to wisdom

    and inclining your heart to understanding;

³ yes, if you call out for insight

    and raise your voice for understanding,

⁴ if you seek it like silver

    and search for it as for hidden treasures,

⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord

    and find the knowledge of God.”

Proverbs 2:1-5 ESV

NOTE: We are working through these five verses section by section. We covered the first point here.

The second condition: If we want to understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God (vs. 5), the second thing we must do is make our ears attentive to wisdom and incline our hearts to understanding. This is a matter of intentionality.

We need to actively pursue wisdom and understanding by intentionally listening for wisdom. But, this is unlikely to happen if we don’t, first, shape our hearts. In this context, Solomon isn’t suggesting we stand at the bus stop and listen in to the conversations of random people. While there can certainly be a circumstance or occasion in which we could gain wisdom this way, I think Solomon has something different in mind. His point is not to look for random opportunities to gain wisdom. Rather, he’s suggesting we intentionally shape our hearts toward receiving wisdom, then actively listening for wisdom.

Making our ears attentive to wisdom is a heart matter and a personal discipline. The personal discipline element is built upon a heart commitment to listen, to receive instruction and correction. Later (13:1), he describes this heart/ear connection like this: “A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.”

How can you shape your heart to be receptive to wisdom? How can you train your ear to listen to wisdom?

“To know wisdom and instruction,

    to understand words of insight,”

Proverbs 1:1 ESV

Solomon begins this book with a purpose statement of several verses that concludes with 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

In 1:1, Solomon begins to outline the things that are to follow. That is to say, the goal of this book is represented in what is coming in the remainder of the book.

• To know wisdom and instruction.
• To understand words of insight.

If you are interested in gaining wisdom and instruction and in understanding words of insight, you are wise … so proceed to read to book. If you are not interested in those things, you are a fool … but, proceed to read the book anyway. Your heart may be persuaded to pursue wisdom.

“Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence

    or stand in the place of the great,

⁷ for it is better to be told, ‘Come up here,’

    than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.”

Proverbs 25:6-7

This is a great reminder to be humble. Rather than elevate ourselves, only to be humbled by someone else, it is better to humble ourselves. Then, if others choose to do so, they may elevate us.

Jesus touched on this, too.

“Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, ⁹ and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. ¹¹ For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 14:7-11 ESV

Note the punchline in verse 11: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

How are you doing in the humility department, today?