For My Grandchildren

Three-toed Box Turtle

PROVERBS

Becoming a Man of God

For My Grandchildren

When your dad reached the age of 14 we went through this book of the Bible together.  At the finish of our study I told him I'd taught him everything I knew about being a man, and that I now expected him to be one.  Your dad did not disappoint me!  He became a godly man I could trust completely.  Don't misunderstand!  Your dad wasn't perfect.  Like all young men he made many mistakes, took many wrong steps, made many bad decisions.  The way he handled those things is what made me so proud of him.

You see, your dad wasn't afraid to try and to fail.  He knew that I would love him just the same if he succeeded or failed, just as the Lord loves us equally in either circumstance.  Your dad knew to get up, dust himself off, try again, and keep on trying.  It wasn't about strength or ability!  Faith, character, determination and commitment were the keys to success.

Eastern Box Turtle

When he started driving I gave your dad my ATM card and the code to use it, and he carried it more than I did.  That's how much I trusted your dad.  With great joy I watched him struggle into the man he is today.  No father could be prouder of his sons than I am of mine.  And now I'm passing on to you the same things I passed on to your dad.  You see, your dad didn't become a great man of God because I was his father!  No indeed!  He made the choice to listen to the Lord, and to follow His teachings.  Far from a perfect dad I made many mistakes along the way.  Our family values became the undergirding framework of our relationships with each other.  God first • Love well • Forgive quickly • Praise often • Walk the talk.  We all decided to listen to the Lord, and to follow His teachings.  Please make that same choice.

Let's begin.

Chapter 1

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:  To know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding, to receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice and equity; to give prudence to the naive, to the youth knowledge and discretion, a wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:1-7 NASB

Florida Box Turtle

Solomon is credited with the authorship of a large portion of the Proverbs.  According to the Bible he was given great wisdom.  In chapters 30 and 31 are found the words of Agur and Lemuel.  Nothing is really known about Agur other than that he is named as the writer of those words.  Lemuel means "belonging to God."  Nothing about Lemuel is known, except that to him the admonitory apothegms of Proverbs 31:2-9, were addressed by his mother.

Apothegms or apophthegm from the Greek apophthegma is a word that means a short, pointed, and instructive saying:  a short usually pointedly concise formulation of a truth or precept:  a terse aphorism.  (It's always good to learn new words!)  Use a dictionary and look up any words you don't know.  You may not know what the word aphorism means.  Look it up!  No . . . look it up right now.  Write down what it means and tell your mom or dad about the new word you just learned!  Actually, as we get back to our study, rabbinical commentators identify Lemuel with Solomon, which seems the most likely conjecture.

Ornate Box Turtle

Proverbs is an amazing collection of moral and religious maxims containing instruction concerning right living.  Also included are brief discourses on wisdom, justice, temperance, industry, purity, and other subjects.  In these pithy sayings a sharp contrast is drawn between wisdom and folly, righteousness and sin.  The main theme of the book is moral instruction, especially for young people.  A principle verse would be 1:4.  A key thought in the book is "the fear of the Lord," which occurs fourteen times.

In order to study this book we need to build a proper foundation upon which to build understanding.  God begins His instruction for us with a proper foundation and a properly laid cornerstone.  The entire purpose of this section is to help us know wisdom and instruction.  I'm not talking about "head" knowledge!  What God is offering is a long-term growing relationship with wisdom and instruction.  Guess what?  Learning never stops!  I'm writing this to you at age 60 and I'm still learning everything I can, discovering things, amazed by my Lord every single day!

Desert Box Turtle

We get to be detectives!  To discern means to sense or come to know or recognize mentally especially something that is hidden or obscure.  It means we go deep, get to the bottom of things, and understand as fully as possible God's mind!  And, as we discover, God will teach us wise behavior, righteousness, justice, and equity.  Prudence is wisdom shown in the exercise of reason, forethought, and self-control and is contrasted with naiveté which exhibits lack of instruction, experience, perception, learning, ready acceptance without consideration.

Young men and women can have knowledge and discretion!  There is no age limit on being useful to God or being a leader.  I Timothy 4:12–Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.  (NASB)

Berlander's Tortoise

Wise men and women listen and learn.  Men and women of wisdom actually go looking for wise counsel.  They do research, study, and seek out people that they know have wisdom to share.  (Trust me, you're not going to get any wisdom from television, movies, or video games!)  Those who wish to understand the deeper things of life do this constantly because they want to be more useful to God.  However, there is a warning included, because not all who seem wise actually possess wisdom!

Only someone who fears the LORD is wise.  There are many in your world who have lofty titles.  Some have achieved a doctorate degree and teach in universities.  Just because they succeeded in school does not mean they are wise!  I've met many who wear the title "Professor" who are dumber than my pet rock!  Psalm 41:1–The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." (NASB)  Anyone who denies God and His Word is a fool.  Any questions?  Many people seem very wise and carry themselves as though they have deep wisdom.  Yet if they deny the Lord and His Word they are fools.  Don't listen to them!

Desert Tortoise

Carefully consider this:  You need to know why you believe what you believe.  It's not enough to believe something.  Knowing why you should believe it is of paramount importance.  I suggest you study the Westminster Larger Catechism or Luther's Small Catechism.  When I say study, I mean exactly that!  Study that book!  Memorize the Scriptures and answers to the questions.  Ask your dad to test you!  By the time you reach your sixteenth birthday you should know that book and your Bible inside out!

Have you read the entire Bible?  Get a copy of the One Year Chronological Bible and when you're done with this study in Proverbs read it from cover to cover!  Again, do it with your dad, or ask him to test you on what you've been reading.  If you read the entire Bible, and know why you believe what you believe, you will be able to determine who can teach you.  Even then you can be fooled!

Gulf-Coast Box Turtle

You won't be fooled for long!  Because you know what is in your Bible, and you know why you believe what you believe, you will soon discern when a man is a deceiver.  Know the truth.  The truth of God makes you free.  Live without fear.  Perfect love casts out all fear!  Jesus loves you perfectly.  I love you, and your dad loves you.  So live your life without fear.  Get into God's word and learn it.  Talk to other believers, especially to those you know are committed to following Jesus!

You should make a plan to read through the entire Bible at least once each year.  Tear into the individual books and study them carefully, learning everything you can about each one.  I've been studying this book for 54 years and I'm still learning new things!  God wants to teach you, to make you wise, to help you live without fear.  That's why He wrote this letter of love to you.

Ornate Diamondback Terrapin

There are no books you can study that are more important than the Bible.  Your Bible should look like mine.  The pages should be wrinkled from constant use, highlighted, written in, and the binding should be falling apart because you use it so much.  Yes, I'm talking about an actual bound book, not your I-Pad, or Kindle Fire, or phone!  Trust me!  Of course, you should have your Bible on those other things as well.  But for your personal study time alone with the Lord you should have the printed Word before you.

Here is your assignment for these first seven verses.  Memorize verse 7.  Write it on a 3x5 card or a piece of paper three times.  Put one piece on your mirror, another on the fridge, and the third in your pocket.  Look at it often and say it aloud.  Have your dad test you at the end of the day, and two days from now to be sure you still remember it.  I love you.