In Proverbs 4:3-9, King Solomon remembered his father’s words to him:
For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother.
Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.
Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.”
Four things jumped at me as I read the passage above a few days ago:
1.The words in quotations are King David’s words to Solomon.
Solomon’s father’s words suddenly made more sense, and took a whole new meaning when I read them through the lens of King David’s life, and all he had gone through.
David, the shepherd boy, giant-killer, king. The one who danced for the Lord undignified and unashamed. The warrior, the poet, the musician. The man who waited for years to take his position as king, and see God’s promised fulfilled. The man who took his son’s mother from another man. The father who neglected to discipline his older sons resulting in multiple family tragedies. The father who was betrayed by his own son, and outlived several of his sons. But also the man known as a man after God’s own heart. It was sweet to notice that King David was personally involved in Solomon’s training, and to think about the context of this advice.
2. King David taught Solomon to value wisdom.
I imagine after all King David had lived, witnessed, and experienced, one of the main lessons he wanted to share with Solomon was the importance of seeking wisdom and understanding. Especially once he knew Solomon would become the heir to the throne. I can almost hear King David pleading, “Solomon, get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.” I picture him telling this to Solomon regularly, as he had flashbacks of all the times he wished he would have chosen wisdom in his own life. He might not have done it with his older children, but perhaps this time he realized the value of doing what God instructed parents to do in Deuteronomy 6:7. And so, he instructed Solomon in the ways of the Lord as they sat at home and when they walked along the road, when they lied down and when they got up. Can you picture him talking to Solomon? “My son, the beginning of wisdom is this: get wisdom.” “Solomon, have I told you that you need to get wisdom?” “My son, wisdom will protect you.” “Solomon, wisdom will honor you.” Had Solomon been raised in the 80’s, he would have probably thought his dad sounded like “broken record”. But King David loved to talk about wisdom, “Solomon, do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you.”
3. Solomon listened to his dad.
No wonder Solomon wanted wisdom! When God asked Solomon, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you”, his response was: “Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.” (1 Kings 3:1-15). His request wasn’t something he came up with on the spot. He was simply asking for one of the things his dad talked to him about over and over. He had been trained to desire wisdom, and he asked for that above anything else. It might be because of the stage of life I’m in right now raising two teenagers, but that really touched my heart. Just like King David, I find myself desiring that my children value and seek wisdom above all else, knowing that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And I’m sure I also sound like a broken record to my children with all the life lessons I try to instill in them. But I pray they listen to me, just like Solomon listened to his dad.
4. Even wise people make foolish choices.
It would have been wonderful if the story ended with Solomon receiving God’s divine gift of wisdom, and him making wise choices for the rest of his life, but that’s not what happened. If you’re familiar with his story, you know he had 700 wives and 300 concubines who led him to turn his heart away from God and worship other gods (1 Kings 11:1-4). Crazy, isn’t it? But even though we know about his weakness with women, that’s not what he’s mainly remembered for. Solomon is remembered and celebrated for his great wisdom, many proverbs, and the building of the temple.
King David trained Solomon in wisdom, and modeled what it was like to love the Lord. Did he do it perfectly? No, we all know King David’s many flaws. But he planted enough good seeds in Solomon’s heart for him to come back around even after he had strayed far, far away from God.
Of course as moms we pray our children don’t make foolish choices now or as adults, especially choices that could alter their lives in a major negative way. But we really don’t have a whole lot of control over that. However, we can model what it’s like to live for God, and follow King David’s example by talking to our children about God so often that they can quote us by heart, just like Solomon quoted his dad in the above proverb. May God bless all of us with wisdom and understanding too!
Your turn!
- How does knowing the wisest man to ever live made some very foolish choices, impact your belief about God’s plans for your life or for your children’s lives?
- Receive the truth that your flaws and mistakes do not disqualify you from God’s calling on your life.
- Communicate this truth to your children.
Photo Credit: Alex Shute – Unsplash
