"PASSING ON WISDOM" (An Article by Christian Henry) ~ 3/10/26

“He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.” (Proverbs 4:4-6)

The book of Proverbs explores what it means to truly live well in God’s world, offering practical advice for readers of all ages. Chapter 4 is a fatherly exhortation from Solomon, urging wisdom as the ultimate priority in life. It emphasizes guarding one's heart, avoiding the wicked's dark path, and staying on the righteous path of the just. Wisdom is the centerpiece of this teaching, and we should strive for it. It is to be acquired at all costs, acting as a protector and source of honor. We are to watch over our hearts with vigilance (as neglect to do so is often the source of life's issues) and to stay focused on righteousness. The advice therein is framed as a tradition passed down from father to son, emphasizing the importance of adhering to and preserving these teachings.

Solomon refers to something David taught him long ago. His father taught him many lessons before his death, as well as through the several psalms he wrote. Basically, he is passing down a family saying. David instructed him, and now he instructs future generations. As the father told the son, we are to lay these things up in our hearts and keep them there as a rich treasure. Reflection on his physical father’s advice is something Solomon must do, both as a man and as a king, but future generations must also cling to our Spiritual father’s words.

The instruction, which he is always to remember and meditate on, is a bountiful source of wisdom and understanding, and not only moral and political but spiritual and evangelical. David seeks that his son grow in Christ and in the knowledge of Him, both in the fullness of His grace and in the severity of His judgment. All the advice transferred from father to son is etched with value. Solomon must cling to and never decline from his father’s instructions, and we must do the same.

When David said, “Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee,” he was referring to this kind of knowledge. Often in this life, we are sometimes persuaded to succumb to the weakness of our flesh and the temptations of Satan. Like rabbits bounding through the woods, we sometimes get caught in the snares of the world. To forsake and forget Christ is a very great evil, bringing dangerous consequences and is always to be guarded against. He is to be loved above all things (ardently, sincerely, and constantly) for all He is and all He has accomplished. Those who do will be kept from the evil of the world, the power and dominion of sin, and condemnation by it. Not that loving Christ and cleaving to him are the causes of this preservation, but these are qualities of those kept and preserved. Qualities we must strive for while we still can!