Series in Proverbs - The Leading of Godly Parents

 

The Leading of Godly Parents

Proverbs 4:10-19

Father’s and Mother’s play an incredibly important role in the life of the family today. It started with the first family, Adam and Eve and the boys. The family was instituted by God and the roles of the parents were instructed from God through His Word and throughout history: Abraham and Sarah, Moses and the Israelites, and many others throughout scriptures. But here Solomon seems to take the primary position in his household even among 700 wives at this time and their progeny, but Naamah was the prominent wife, the beloved mother of Rehoboam and she was a very important influence in the child’s life as well. But also Solomon commonly reflects back to his childhood and upbringing with King David and Bathseba, his mother, “When I was a son with my father (David), tender and the only son in the sight of my mother (Bathsheba). (Prov. 4:3 AMP) The parents responsibility was to raise their children in the ways and the Word of God.

With this background, let’s read the first portion of the text. “Hear, my son, and accept my sayings, And the years of your life will be many. I have instructed you in the way of [skillful and godly] wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. When you walk, your steps will not be impeded [for your path will be clear and open]; and when you run, you will not stumble.” (AMP)

Here Solomon is again addressing his son, probably Rehoboam, but it could be any of the other children as well. Again Solomon exhorts his children to heed the teachings of wisdom and trust it (and put it into practice). The word ‘Accept ‘ is the Hebrew word "yi'mak" and it carries the concepts of "to support, uphold, trust, or depend on". 

Solomon exhorts his children and alludes to remember the 5th commandment from which long life is promised to those who hold to honoring their father and mother. “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Deut. 5:16 ESV) 

The wisdom of obeying the commandments have been proven over a myriad of times throughout the centuries from Moses and the law to Solomon that obedience to them did extend the lifespan of the person. And in this obedience to the Word, it also comes from the walking on the upright path of wisdom and understanding. The families have kept their lives and feet from stumbling because of sin and its wicked acts, for the encumbrances of a sinful life will cause pain and suffering, and great disappointment to self and family which Solomon knew all too well.

Application - We are celebrating the first of the two days of honoring the parents, Mother’s and Father’s day. But heeding our parent’s advice and walking in the way of wisdom comes from the continual training as children from infancy through puberty, and beyond. Like Solomon, we reflect back at the teaching and rearing of our parents, and other responsible adults, for it is through their guidance, determination, diligence, and steadfast love that proves to be the shield of protection around their children. 

We all desire for our children to live righteous and prosperous lives, and it all begins with the instruction of Godly wisdom and understanding, the teaching of the ways of God, and the continual surveillance of watchful eyes. For God is our example of a good parent. “O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” “ Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” “The LORD is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.” (Psalms 139:1-5; Deut. 31:8; Prov. 15:3 NLT)

The goodness of God and of Godly parents instructed by God not only leads us in upright paths, but they watch out closely for the impediments of sins that can cause the child to stumble. I’m reminded of a camping trip with about 20 boys. I and the other leaders instructed them in the proper manners to hike, swim, and play in the woods and around the creek. It went well until some of the young men decided to wander away on to the wooded hills with boulders scattered about. One young man decided to run down the rocky terrain, and lost his footing, hit his knee upon a rock and opened a large gash on his knee. Thankfully, we were nearby and dressed the wound, and took him directly to the hospital about 80 miles away. 

It was a somber afternoon and evening for the rest of the boys, for they found that listening to instruction really mattered. Lesson learned.

Next, Solomon continues in his instructions to grasp and hold firmly to wisdom. So let’s read the next portion of the text. “Take hold of instruction; [actively seek it, grip it firmly and] do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not go the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on. For the wicked cannot sleep unless they do evil; and they are deprived of sleep unless they make someone stumble and fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.” (AMP)

The active instruction of a child never ends. It is like holding the hand of a toddler, who continually desires to explore the world and strains against the firm hold of the parent. But a diligent parent remains resolute in protecting, guiding, and instructing their children, just as wisdom desires to protect against the hindrances and stumbling blocks of wickedness in the world. An observant parent is vigilant to the pathway of their child, so was Solomon and his wife. They knew the path of the wicked and the ways of evil and perverse men and women. They willing and diligently guard and direct their children away from the path of destruction and death. For the wicked are consumed with deranged thoughts and acts of evil. “...the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” ”They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.” (Gen. 6:5; Ps. 14:1b ESV)

Whether they are awake or asleep, their hearts and minds are captive to wickedness, and they continually plan and orchestrate violence and hatred minced with wicked and vile acts of depravity. Solomon's greatest impulse and determination was to protect his children from the path of the evil heart of mankind.

Application - Again, God our Father is our great example of wise instruction and guidance. “The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.” (Psalms 103:13 NLT)  God is always patient and compassionate, and his love and mercy is steadfast. He demonstrates this throughout our lives daily. As Jeremiah the prophet pinned, “The faithful love of the Lord never ends His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lam. 3:22-23 NLT) 

And He gives us his wisdom and His Holy Spirit so that we can walk upright and secure. God holds on securely, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isa. 41:10 NIV)

And God has given us parents as well as His Word to warm us of the evils of this world, and their treacherous pathways. God gives us wisdom and discernment as guideposts to warn us. But sadly there are those who do not listen and follow in God’s way. I just read a headline on my phone, a warning to President Trump from the Sinaloa drug family, “Sinaloa Cartel's Message to the Trump Admin: 'If There Weren't Any Consumers, We Would Stop.'” Yes, evil is pertinent in our days, and evil has permeated much of the world, making the job of parenting even more important and difficult than ever. The enemy of God is defeated as the cross of Christ, but He is still roaming around to kill, steal, and destroy as many wandering lives as possible.  “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV)

So hold fast to wisdom and the instruction from God and Godly parents.

Last. Solomon turns from the discussion of the evil path to the road of righteousness. So let’s read the final portion of the text.“But the path of the just (righteous) is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like [deep] darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.” (AMP)

For the narrow path of righteousness was illuminated with the light of justice and peace of God’s Word. “But the path of the just (righteous) is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day.” The light of God enlightens the spirit, mind, and heart just as the beauty of a morning sunrise on a clear day leads to brighter clarity of God’s strength and glory as opposed to the abject darkness of a moonless night and the vile dissipation of the wickedness of life stumbling through the darkest morass of murkiness and mire or leads to a pathway over a strenuous path of razor sharp rocks and crevices.

Application - It doesn’t take much wisdom to choose the light of day over the murkiness of night.

As I have grown older, I’m not a fan of the darkness for many reasons. Foremost, God gave us the day to do the work, “We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned to us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.” (John 9:4 NLT) As opposed to darkness, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (John 3:19-21 NIV)

As parents, we strive for the safety of our children, and the perfect day is one where there are no problems, obstacles, or unplanned dramas. The perfect day begins with God, ends with God, and has God’s handprint all over the middle. 

As we close this lesson, it is no secret that darkness hides the evil and those who strive to pursue it. But the righteous strive for the perfection of God’s light, leading us in His ways and on His pathway. We live in it, for we desire to live in its eternal truth. Jesus Christ said “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12 NLT) So have a Happy Mother’s Day and seek wisdom and understanding to lead your family in righteousness and safety.

As always, I want to end with presenting the gospel in the form of the ABC’s of salvation for all those who have not yet received Jesus Christ for salvation. For Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I have revised my webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. Thank you. 

http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com