Proverbs 4:1 Hear, you children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
‘The instruction of a father.’ The specific father referred to here was David – a godly man. He was the author of many psalms as well as co-author of 1 & 2 Samuel and a harpist and singer of Israel (2Sam. 23:1). The Lord saw in him a man after His own heart in his love for God and in repenting when corrected (1Sam. 13:14; 16:7). He became a mighty man of valour (1Sam. 16:18). David was a type of Christ who was to be a priest-king (Zech. 6:12-13). He had the true qualities of a king (1Chr. 11:1-3; 2Sam. 5:1-5) and was always the standard by which other kings were judged (1Kin. 3:14; 11:6, 33, 38; 14:8; 15:3, 6; 2Kin. 16:2; 18:3; 22:2; 2Chr. 7:17; 28:1; 29:2; 34:2). When he sinned, he was dealt with accordingly, he was faultless where idolatry was concerned. He was practically blameless, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite and numbering Israel (2Samuel 11-12; 24:1-25).
‘Attend to know understanding.’ Pay attention to understand what you are instructed in. People can pay attention to all kinds of social media, literature or conversations, but when their lives depend on it, they cannot seem to want to make the same effort. We can understand God’s Word when we read it frequently, every day (Jos. 1:8), not for controversy, but for profit (Pro. 3:1-35; 2Tim. 3:16-17) and meditatively (Ps. 1:3) and through, and over and over again (Matt. 5:18). We must learn to love it (Ps. 119:97-104), and read it with the consciousness of need (Matt. 5:6; John 7:37-39; 2Pet. 1:1-10; 3:18), in faith (Rom. 10:17; Heb. 11:6), in obedience (Rom. 1:5; 16:26), searchingly (John 5:39) and have an openness to all of it (2Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:12; Jude 1:3). To understand it we must compare scripture with scripture (2Cor. 2:13) and read in the Spirit (John 14:16-17; 15:26; Gal. 5:16, 26). The Holy Spirit is the one who will remind us of every Word of Christ (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-11) and as we read and study it, He can make us understand and interpret it (2Pet. 1:21).
Living the Word 