He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
Proverbs Concerning: Our Relationship To God’s
Word: Prov 3:1-4
1) My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart
keep my commandments:
2) For length of days, and long life, and peace,
shall they add to thee.
3) Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them
about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4) So shalt thou find favour and good understanding
in the sight of God and man.
INTRODUCTION:
In chapters 1 and 2,
Solomon has emphasized the importance of these proverbs for daily living. Now Solomon will unveil proverbs concerning different
aspects of life. Solomon begins by sharing
proverbs that address our relationship to God’s Word…
EXPOSITION:
1) My son,
Once
again, Solomon is addressing us as a loving teacher who is sharing these
proverbs to younger students for their benefit.
forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
1. we are not to misplace God’s standard of
morality
2. we are to sincerely desire to guard and
protect the responsibilities He has given to us.
His
Word is to be consistently applied to our lives throughout our lifetime.
“And I will delight myself in thy
commandments, which I have loved. My hands also will I lift
up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy
statutes.” (Psalms 119:47-48)
2) For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to
thee.
When
we live according to His Words…
1. days of long length – days in which much can be
accomplished for Christ.
2. a life filled with many years – a long physical
life on earth (by treating others well and living moral lawful lives) and eternal life with the Lord (by coming to
faith in Christ and receiving eternal rewards for obedience to Him)
3. peace, harmony, prosperity during physical life.
His
Word will reap blessings upon us both now and in eternity.
“Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the
LORD. What man [is he that] desireth life, [and] loveth [many] days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace,
and pursue it.” (Psalms 34:11-14)
3) Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck;
write them upon the table of thine heart:
1. Two main themes of His Word, sacrificial kindness
and reliable knowledge, should not be loosened from us
2. We are to tie them securely to us, not
allowing them to slip away
3. And we are to permanently etch them on our
desires so they will be exhibited in our actions
His
Word is to be permanently incorporated into our beings, by making them a part
of our desires. This will then cause us
to naturally treat others mercifully and apply the truths of the Word to our
actions.
“All the paths of the LORD [are]
mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” (Psalms 25:10)
4) So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God
and man.
1. By living merciful lives based upon His
truths we will be pleasant and desirable, as well as intelligent and successful.
2. In all of this we will find approval in the
eyes of God and man.
By
living according to the principles of His Word results in pleasing lives acceptable
to both God and man.
“But if thy brother be grieved with [thy]
meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom
Christ died. Let not then your good be
evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is
not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these
things serveth Christ [is] acceptable to God, and approved of men.” (Romans 14:14-18)
SUMMARY:
May
we have a right relationship with the Word.
The Proverbs are God’s Word given to us to be held secure within our
minds (mental knowledge) and hearts (etching them upon our desires). By
doing this, God’s Word will become a natural part of our everyday decision
making and lifestyle. When this takes
place, we will treat others mercifully and submit ourselves to the will of our
Lord.
May
we all seek the Lord’s enabling grace to possess a right relationship with God’s
Word.
By
God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value
that they deserve.
May the
Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.
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