Proverbs 4

Written on 05/09/2024

Verses 1-12

  • Verses 1-3. Listen to the wisdom that comes from God's Word.

    • The teaching of the Word is good for us.

    • Verse 4. Also obey the Word. The Word will only benefit us if we obey it (James 1:22,25).

  • Verses 5-7. This is another reminder to love wisdom—be passionate about knowing the Word. Why?

    • “Wisdom is the principal thing” means that wisdom is the first and most important thing. Why?

      • “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Without the knowledge of what the Word says, and its wisdom, people go to hell. 

      • For us, as believers, if we do not learn the Word and act on it, we cannot follow Jesus or grow in our faith.

    • Therefore, one of the first things that you should master, as a Christian, is the practice of reading the Word every day.

  • Verses 8-12. This is another reminder that having wisdom from the Word will make you respected, it will give you a long life, and it will keep you from sinning (2 Peter 1:10).

    • Without the Word we cannot learn how to stop sinning.

 

Verse 13

  • When you are corrected by the Word or by wise people, do what is necessary to remember the words, and be careful to apply them. This is the only way to live well.

    • Write things down, record them, post them on your walls, or set notifications on your phone, etc.

    • Everything in the Word corrects our thoughts and actions in some way, and constantly. If you do not value correction or remember what is said, you will not have the life God wants for you.

 

Verses 14-18

  • Verses 14-17. Don't start sin in anything. Once you start, if you don't repent, it can only get worse. 

    • Eventually, it will so rob you of rest that you won't be able to be content unless you keep sinning. This is a bad place to be. Sin is hard to get out of once you start. Don't start!

  • Verse 18. Conversely, when you choose to live right, your life will only get better, getting you closer and closer to being as you will be in heaven.

Verse 19

  • When people don't know the Word says and are in sin, life is complicated, hard, and confusing; and they don't know why.

    • Knowing the Word will show you what causes bad things to happen in your life, and what you can do to avoid them wherever possible.

 

Verses 20-27

  • Focus on learning the Word and doing what it says, and guard yourself from letting sinful things into your mind.

    • Be careful what you watch, listen to, think about, etc. (See Isaiah 33:15-16).

  • Verse 23. Your life experience flows from how you think. If you have the Word in your mind, peace will be in your life. If you have sin in your mind, evil will be in your life.

  • Verses 21,25-26. If you focus on the Word and think very carefully about your choices, you will be the healthiest that you can be in your body and mind, and you will make choices that will lead to success (Psalms 1:2-3).