I’m reading the book of Proverbs during September, convenient one chapter per day. I like the triplet that runs throughout the book: knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Knowledge is the facts, and understanding must follow before wisdom can help us with application of the truth.
Both chapters four and five begin with “pay attention.” That’s been my motto for several years, for that keeps me from having accidents, even slight ones. For example, while putting on makeup, I once mistakenly applied lip liner to my eyebrows. I left them red until my daughter noticed. I know things like this happen when I’m not paying attention to what I’m doing but thinking about something else. I’m told that’s the way with old folks, especially when doing what we’ve done for years, our minds tend to drift elsewhere.
Wisdom’s path leads to health and long life (3:11; 4:10, 22). Being attentive has value in physical ways, but can also be applied to my Christian walk. Then it means being steady in my disciplines, not stumbling onto the wrong paths, being sure and safe in God’s righteousness. Being attentive leads to better understanding, good instruction, and worthy teaching. “Love wisdom and she will guard you” (4:6). The righteous path is like dawn’s light. The wicked way is of darkest gloom (4:18-19).
In Proverbs, Solomon personifies Wisdom and contrasts her to the “forbidden woman.” We can take that as literal or figuratively, as in falling into worldly ways, seeking what everyone does, going along with the crowd. James writes about this in his epistle: “Don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?” (4:4). Ironically, considering his own life, Solomon closes chapter five of Proverbs writing about the goodness of marriage – one man and one woman being lost in love forever (5:19). It is “stupidity” (5:23) to seek another when you have your own lover, bound by your marriage covenant/vow/pledge. As we say at our house, “It’s in the contract.” We made a vow and we keep it faithfully. It’s good. So pay attention to all these things and wisdom will be ours.
Ann Coker 