Prayer

Lord God Most High, Heavenly Father, all glory, praise, and honour be to you this day. You have sustained my life in the night, and have provided all things needful. Thank you for your steadfast love, your goodness and kindness is always before me and behind me. Thank you for your tender loving mercies, the forgiveness of my sins, grace upon grace, and your continuous instruction in the way I should go. Lord, please help me now, as I read your word, to grow in likeness unto the character of your dear Son. Please equip me for the trials and challenges that are before me in this life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Reading

Proverbs 1:7b-9.

“fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Hear, my son, your father's instruction,and forsake not your mother's teaching,for they are a graceful garland for your headand pendants for your neck.”

Meditation

Would you describe yourself as a teachable person? Following on from the introduction of Prov 1:1-7, Solomon begins to unfold the first main lesson of wisdom in verse seven, and the lesson is about teachability. If we are not teachable, we will never be wise. When you think about this, it actually makes perfect sense. In verses one through six, we learned that none of us are born wise, and that wisdom is something that needs to be imparted to us. The very book of Proverbs is given to remedy this situation, that we may “know wisdom” (1:1). To know wisdom, however, we need to be teachable.

This first “lesson” of Proverbs, focusing in on the topic of teachability, begins in the second half of verse seven: “fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This phrase comes in parallel as a contrast with the first and better known half of the proverb. On one hand, you have those who fear the Lord. On the other hand, you have unteachable fools. This is the contrast laid out in this verse. Those two types of person are polar opposites, and the exhortation of verses eight and nine make it clear which of the two the Lord would have us be:

“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,

and forsake not your mother’s teaching,

for they are a graceful garland for your head

and pendants for your neck.”

These verses are, then, an exhortation to listen and to be teachable. To have any hope of gaining wisdom, we must be teachable. It is an essential, non-negotiable quality of character. It’s significance is made even more obvious from its prominence in the Book of Proverbs as a whole. Consider two further examples:

“Here, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight” (Pr 4:1)

“My son, keep your father’s commandment,

and forsake not your mother’s teaching.

Bind them on your heart always;

tie them around your neck.

When you walk, they will lead you;

when you lie down, they will watch over you;

and when you awake, they will talk with you” (Pr 6:20-22).

The Book of Proverbs divides generally into two parts. The first part is made up of chapters one through nine, and contains a series of exhortations from a father to a son. The second part of the book, consisting of the collection proper of the proverbs themselves, starts in chapter ten. Guess what you find right at the start of chapter ten? What you find is a repeat of the theme at the start of the first section! The difference perhaps being that 1:7-9 is an exhortation to be teachable, 10:1 introduces the principle of the “how” – as though to say: “Do you want to heed your parent’s instruction? Then listen up, because here is how to do that.”

“The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son makes a glad father,

but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.”

Be ye doers of the word…

Again and again we come across the importance of teachability in the Book of Proverbs. Hearkening to instruction is the antidote to folly, and it is essential to wisdom. The application on this point is very clear: we must each give careful attention to what we are learning in our study of the Book of Proverbs. Pay very close attention. And we must stand prepared to repent and change our lives in light of what we learn. If we aren’t teachable, then we are fools, and fools are on the path to destruction. Each of us ought to examine our own heart and life, and be sure that we know in ourselves that we have a teachable spirit. Our souls are on the line.

Are you a teachable person? If we’re not teachable, it’s very simple: we will not get wisdom. We will not be wise. But that those who are wise may grow still wiser (1:5), let us also take note that any aspect of unteachability in our lives will be a roadblock to growing in godliness. In that sense, we can all always do with an added dose of teachability. The indication of whether or not we are teachable will be demonstrated in whether or not our lives change in light of the things we are learning in these lessons. SDG.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Lord, I confess, all to often I have proven myself to be a very unteachable son to you. I have not taken action on your instructions as I ought to have done. All too often I have prioritised my own wants or desires, and my efforts to do your will have been very much lacking. Lord, please forgive me for my unteachability, and help me to fully submit to every lesson in holiness that you so kindly afford unto me. I deserve no good from you, no help, and yet I appeal to your compassion and kindness in Christ. It is you who works in us both to will and to work, and so Lord renew a right spirit within me, that I may use diligence to make my calling and election sure. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Get full access to Old things New. at rcbhpastor.substack.com/subscribe