A Father’s Instruction
4 Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father,
And give attention that you may [a]gain understanding,
2 For I give you [b]sound teaching;
Do not abandon my [c]instruction.
3 When I was a son to my father,
Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,
4 Then he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
Keep my commandments and live;
5 Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.
7 “The [d]beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
8 “Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
9 “She will place on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”
As we begin chapter 4, Solomon once more encourages his son (and us) to seek wisdom and understanding above, and to make it a high priority. At this point though, it is tempting to say, “Okay, Solomon, we get it, wisdom is important! Can we move on now?” But let’s not be too hasty and miss anything here.
This section ends with the prize of wisdom, if you prize her… That is, one will find honor (great), and grace (huh?), and beauty (really?). If you were going to pick some things to motivate your son to be wise, would you pick grace and beauty? I sure wouldn’t, but here it is!
When we picture kings, often we think of an iron fist, ruthless, tyrannical, a real slave driver. Ironically, that’s the path Solomon’s son chose, because he missed this important lesson. Solomon knew that being gracious was an important part of being king. When confronted with the two women squabbling over a child, there was no iron fist–well, maybe the illusion of one, but that was just an act to expose the truth. Ultimately, it was a gracious deed, to care enough for a poor woman to restore her child.
Likewise, it is important for us to be gracious as well. We have enough ruthless and unkind attitudes in our world, and none of that is born of wisdom. Rather, we are to be generous and kind, and everything else that comes with the grace that is the true fruit of wisdom. That kind of grace will truly stand out in this world, and that leads into the second benefit.
One who displays wisdom in their deeds, who exhibits grace in dealing with their fellow man, is a beautiful thing to behold. Sorry men, but that tough exterior only goes so far, and power under control is far better than it being unleashed at every provocation.
So today (and everyday), let your dealings with others be gracious, and let the beauty of God shine through you. Don’t be an ogre, but let His wisdom guide you, and crown you with honor. That’s not a crown you can choose for yourself, it can only be bestowed by our King. Seek His wisdom and act like the child of the King that you truly are.