Proverbs chapter 4

vs 1

Solomon knows best, kiddies.

vs 2

If there's one thing that you shouldn't turn away, it's sound learning. Shame so many people do. Perhaps I should preface what I say with Proverbs 4:2.

vs 3

This is probably one reason why Solomon calls on his role as father in vs 1 - because it is the role of a father to teach his children. And it is the role of a son to learn, as he shows here.

vs 4

The father is of course David, who is to be highly respected. David gave a similar entreaty to his son - that his words were valuable and important. And apparently his words go all the way down to vs 9. But you wouldn't know that in the KJV, although it is possible that it is marked in the Hebrew - I haven't looked.

vs 5

David seems to have instilled this value for wisdom into his son. This makes good sense - Solomon asked God for wisdom - but probably because his dad had told him this was the most valuable thing.

vs 6

I know it's silly, but personifying wisdom like that really does help to grasp how it helps you. The idea of having a relationship with wisdom is a little weird, but aren't relationships more important than ownerships? Gives a different perspective.

vs 7

So in fact, the beginning of wisdom is to realise how little wisdom you have. You can't really start on the path to wisdom without a little wisdom. That's such an interesting idea. Far more valuable than anything else. You'd sell everything you had for a son or daughter or wife, wouldn't you? But not to keep a car, or even a house. Wisdom then is not a thing. Just like a relationship with God, really.

vs 8

Wisdom not only protects and watches over you, but it also exalts and honours you. Why is something so obviously valuable not so highly valued?

vs 9

That is the heights to which wisdom will bring you honour. And so it was for those reasons that David instilled a value of wisdom into his son, and this book (parts of it anyway) is one of the things we have to show for it.