“My
son” (April ‘08)
Our first entry centers upon the
first three occurrences of “my son” in the book of Proverbs.
This phrase is also used by God to describe His Son the Lord Jesus Christ (10)
different times in the Word of God. The Lord Jesus is the Ultimate Source of
Proverbs even though His name does not appear in the book. But, He is
personified as “Wisdom” (Proverbs 8:22-31) for in Him “are hid all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Our primary goal then must be:“to know
Him and the power of His
resurrection and the fellowship of
His suffering being made comformable
unto His death.”
(Philippians 3:10)
The last time God uses the phrase “My
son” is found in the last book of the Bible:
“He that overcomes shall inherit
all things: and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”
(Revelation 21:7)
The Lord is speaking to those who overcome in this life
by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and living victoriously
through His grace. (I Corinthians 15: God also calls Solomon “My
son” (4) times in Scripture. All four of these are spoken by Solomon’s
father David when he tells of God speaking to him concerning the future (II
Samuel 7:14; I Chronicles 17:13, 22:10, 28:6). These verses are in the midst of
what is now known as the Davidic Covenant.
These passages are significant for the
eternal promises made to David by God must have made a clear and lasting
impression on the mind of Solomon when he was told that God called him “My
son”. His father David would soon die leaving Solomon to take the full
load of responsibility for ruling over the people of God.
With this as background, Solomon in his
later years begins the book of Proverbs by speaking to his own sons utilizing
the same phrase that he heard from David, and his heavenly Father: “My son, hear the instruction of thy
father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of
grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.” (Proverbs 1:8, 9)
These verses follow the
introduction to the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 1:1-6) which is one of the few
books in the Bible that gives its purpose in the introduction. Notice the
multiple purposes Solomon gives and exactly who he is addressing. “The Open
Bible” has a good outline of Proverbs which will be helpful for us as we study:
I.
The Purpose of Proverbs (1:1-1:6)
II.
Proverbs to Youth (1:7-10:1)
III.
Proverbs of Solomon (10:1-25:1)
IV.
Proverbs of Solomon [Hezekiah] (25:1-30:1)
V.
Words of Agur (30)
VI.
Words of Lemuel (31)
In chapter one
there are (3) occurrences of “my son”. The first sets the theme of the book (1:8, 9), the second
(1:10) goes directly to one of the biggest negative influences upon “my son” zeroing
in on those with whom he should not consent. The third time (1:15) Solomon
continues his instruction on how to deal with them. This first
chapter of Proverbs is divided into a number of parts:
I.
The Introduction/Purpose (1:1-1:6)
II.
The Theme (1:7-9)
III.
The Instruction Concerning “sinners”
(1:10-1:19)
IV.
The Cry and Counsel of Wisdom (1:20-33)
We can consider the following questions for starters:
1.What are the purposes of the book of Proverbs? (v.2-6)
2.Who does Solomon specifically address in this section of
the book? (v.4)
3.What does Solomon say will be the result of obeying
God’s/parent’s instruction? (v.9)
4.What are some of the tactics and purposes of “sinners”?
(v.10-19)
5.What are the results of listening to God’s wisdom? (v.23)
6.How does Solomon describe wisdom’s results/blessings?
(v.20-33)
7.What does he say to those who refuse to hear/listen to the
cry/counsel of wisdom? (v.24-32)
This passage is loaded with lots of important truth so feel
free to give your input, comments, questions, praises, prayer requests etc. so
we all can take part in this e-fellowship/breakfast/spiritual food!
No comments:
Post a Comment