“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?

“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?