“My son” in Proverbs 2:1 appears, on the surface, to be a different kind of “my son” than that which appears in Proverbs 1. It is still personal, intimate. But the difference lies in what follows.
My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,
One can’t help but wonder which commandments King Solomon is referring to in this verse. He certainly didn’t issue any commandments that contain eternal value. None that I’m aware of. However, there is a Father who has. In this case, I believe Solomon is speaking for the God of creation. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
It’s not that Solomon isn’t speaking for God in Proverbs 1. I believe he is. But he makes it so much clearer in Proverbs 2.
If, he says. The holy “if” exhorts his readers to accept my words and hide my commandments within you. But who is this “my?” It can be none other than Jehovah, Yahweh, the God of Israel Himself. He is using his servant, the wise king of Israel, Solomon son of David, to encourage His children to be wise. And what is wisdom? Keep reading and we’ll figure it out together.
Direct Your Heart to Understanding
The next three verses each contain their own holy “if.”
Verse 2 exhorts to “incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding.” This is simply rephrasing verse 1. Accepting the words of God and hiding his commandments within you—that is, within your spirit—is directing your heart to understanding. It is inclining your ear to wisdom.
He repeats the call in verse 3:
if you truly call out to insight
and lift your voice to understanding,
If you truly call out to insight—if you are sincere in seeking wisdom—and lift your voice to understanding—not merely paying lip service to it but proclaiming it with every word you speak—then … what?
Using classic parallelism, the king drives his point home with another way of saying the same in verse 4:
if you seek it like silver
and search it out like hidden treasure,
The allusion to silver is to show the value of wisdom. Like a precious metal, it can be hung about one’s neck like an ornament. In the ancient world, silver was a means of monetary exchange, but it was also used to make all sorts of things including jewelry. Searching for understanding is like searching for hidden treasure. The one who finds it is wealthy beyond measure. How sad it is in our day that so few people search for it and so few find it.
The Divine Consequence of Searching
If one accepts the words of the creator and hides His commandments in one’s heart, if one inclines one’s ear to wisdom and direct’s one’s heart to understanding, and if one truly calls out to insight and lifts one’s voice to understanding, then one will receive the promise that goes with it. And what is that promise?
then you will discern the fear of the LORD
and discover the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2: 5, Berean Study Bible)
This harks back to Proverbs 1: 7: The beginning of knowledge is fear of the LORD.
God’s promises are testable. When he says “seek wisdom and you’ll discover the knowledge of God,” that’s not some empty promise one can brush off as if one’s buddies is telling a fish story over beer and bacon-wrapped snack food. It is to get to the heart of who God is. Wisdom is fearing God and knowing God. To know Him is to fear Him; to know Him is to love Him. And that doesn’t just happen. It is a direct consequence of searching for Him.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) was as true for the sons of Solomon as it is for you and your sons today. This is the beginning of wisdom.
Allen Taylor is the founder and publisher of Crux Publications. He has been walking (and wavering) with the Lord for 28 years. He has served local churches as a Sunday school teacher, a small group leader, a worship leader, a prayer group leader, and a minister of the Word. His journey isn’t over yet, and he still needs discipling.
“I am Not the King” is a personal testimony of how Jesus Christ has worked in my life. It is available at Amazon and Smashwords.