Proverbs 1:7-9

Please take out your copy of God's Word, which I hope you have with you, that it's well read and treasured in your heart this morning and turn with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 1.

Proverbs 1 · chapter mention

This morning we're taking a break from our verse by verse exposition of the sermon on the mount from Matthew chapter 5 through 7.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

We've been working up to Matthew 5, 17 through 20. We've began to talk about the law and the gospel.

And I kind of charged into that whole thing, not really stopping to consider that today was Mother's Day.

And so this week I went, you know, let's not talk about the law and gospel from Matthew 5, 17 through 20 and Exodus 20 this morning.

But let's take a little time to consider all that it means to be a mother.

It is my intention today to be an encouragement to the mothers of our congregation by reminding you of your high calling in Jesus Christ.

You may find some challenge in God's Word to us this morning.

But I want you to know that I believe that the mothers of our church work very hard to excel in their disciple making.

And this does not go unnoticed.

I am proud of each and every one of you.

I know that your job as mothers can often seem mundane and unending and that it is always exhausting.

And so I want to encourage you to persist by grace to train up your children as God will use you to yield fruit in their lives.

So with that in mind, let's take a look at Proverbs 1, verses 7 through 9.

Proverbs 1:7–9

Before I read, beloved, let me remind you that this is God's Word to us.

It was written for His glory and our good.

And we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.

Proverbs 1, verse 7.

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Hear, my son, your father's instruction and forsake not your mother's teaching.

For they are a graceful garland to your head and pendants for your neck.

This morning I want to draw your attention to five observations from Proverbs 1, 7 through 9 in brief.

At least that's my plan.

I know sometimes I plan that and it doesn't go according to plan.

But that is my plan both because I know most, at least many of us, have lots of afternoon things to take care of.

But also, and I'll ask for prayer on your behalf, I just don't feel well this morning.

I've had a morning where I thought I could go back to bed at any time here.

So we'll see how this goes.

You know how I get when I get into the points sometimes.

So, in attempt, five observations from Proverbs 1, 7 through 9.

Number one, God is the originator of the family.

God created the family.

Solomon is the book of Proverbs author.

The wisdom that he speaks of throughout the book is a wisdom founded in the fear of the Lord.

So, he leads his teaching out in chapter 1 with these words from verse 7.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

Which fools despise this knowledge, the wisdom and the instruction that will follow in the books.

And he begins his instruction with a most important note concerning the source of wisdom.

The family.

He instructs his son to hear his father's instruction and to not abandon his mother's teaching.

So, God in his loving kindness towards mankind created the family.

We read in Genesis chapter 1 verses 27 and 28.

Genesis 1:27

So, God created man in his own image.

In the image of God, he created him male and female.

He created them.

And God blessed them.

And God said to them, be fruitful and multiply.

Have children.

And fill the earth.

And subdue it.

And have dominion over fish of the sea and birds of the air.

And over the heavens.

Every living thing that moves on the earth.

God gives to them this multiplying mandate.

And we come to further understand, as is noted for us in Genesis 2.24,

that there's a unit that's created here.

Right?

Moses writes in Genesis 2.24,

Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife,

and they shall become one flesh.

And so, God created this institution of family,

and we create, as we multiply and marry, families.

Right?

We continue to portion ourselves off and create families.

The family was and is meant to be an institution itself with God-mandated responsibilities.

So, second observation.

So, first observation, God is the originator of the family.

Secondly, the family was designed by God to be a school.

The family was designed by God to be a school.

Again, in verse 8.

Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not, don't abandon, your mother's teaching.

Beyond today's text,

let's note together some other places in the Scripture

where God instructs parents to instruct their children,

like Deuteronomy 6, verses 4-7.

Deuteronomy 6:4–7

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

and with all your soul, and with all your might.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your children,

and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,

and when you walk by the way,

and when you lie down,

and when you rise.

Right?

There's a fervency about the teaching,

and there's an ongoing teaching about the ways of God to our children.

Also, in Ephesians 6, verse 4,

Ephesians 6:4

fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,

but bring them up in the discipline,

the training, and instruction of the Lord.

Right here in Ephesians 6,

Paul places the emphasis of raising children on fathers as the head of the household,

but this does not exclude mothers as they are helpers of the fathers in this task.

And the Bible instructs children to be students.

So then it follows that the family, the home, is a school.

Not only in today's text,

but also in places like Proverbs 23, verse 22.

Proverbs 23:22

Listen to your father who gave you life,

and do not despise your mother when she is old.

And Ephesians 6, verse 1.

Ephesians 6:1

Children, obey your parents in the Lord,

for this is right.

Get your children to memorize that and repeat it back to you often.

So, the family was designed by God to be a school,

to be a place of instruction in the ways of God for our children.

This is why many of us,

I venture to say all of us,

but I don't want to err in that way,

but many of us in this church believe in the benefits of homeschooling, right?

Because it creates such good opportunity for this very thing.

But however our children receive their educations,

the responsibility of teaching them

to have a proper fear of the Lord

falls to parents,

and it is not a responsibility that can be given to anyone else.

Third,

the fear of the Lord is meant to be the theme of the family's curriculum.

The fear of the Lord is meant to be the theme of the family's curriculum.

And it's the reality that ties all things we teach our children together.

Again, in verse 7,

the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

It's the prerequisite course of knowledge, right?

It should infiltrate everything our children learn

so that they have a right and proper worldview.

All education has,

at its foundation,

a worldview.

We are teaching our children something about the world

even by not talking about God.

Our education these days,

our public school education,

I'm okay if you're a fan of public school education,

I love our public school teachers

that are part of our church

and for the work that you're doing,

but has at its foundation

secular humanism, right?

By not talking about God at all

and by suggesting that education

is the answer to all of your problems,

you build a worldview for your children, right?

All education has to sit on a base of something.

The Christian family is to be sure

that the fear of the Lord

is set as the base

for all other education.

Now, this phrase, fear of the Lord,

does not mean that we are working

to send our children towering from God.

It carries rather the idea

of reverence and humility.

A child that fears the Lord

will recognize

that they are a created being

and they live in a created world

and will, as such is true,

desire to live in accord

with the creator and sustainer

of that created world.

Right?

They will see that it's all built upon

the fact, the reality,

that God created this world

and intends to rule over it

as its good king.

They will see the world's goodness

under God's rule

and they will also see

the world's brokenness

in rejection of God

as king.

Let me show you the importance

of such a theme

from a couple of psalms.

So, Psalm 31 and verse 19.

The psalmist says,

Oh, how abundant is your goodness,

which you have stored up

for those who fear you

and work for those

who take refuge in you.

Psalm 112 and verse 1.

The psalmist writes,

Praise the Lord.

Blessed is the man

who fears the Lord.

Blessed, doing well

as the man who fears the Lord,

who greatly delights

in the Lord's commandments.

And Psalm 115 and verse 13.

The Lord will bless those

who fear the Lord,

both the small and the great.

So, there is a promise

of goodness and blessing

from God to those who fear Him

and want to follow in His ways.

We want our children

to be declared by God

blessed.

And building all that we do

in instructing our children

on this fear of the Lord,

letting it be the foundation,

ultimately,

has its final good

in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If our children are humbled

because of their sin and parents,

we have so many opportunities

to teach them about their sin.

And they are amazed

at the magnificent holiness of God.

They will want to know

the good news of Jesus Christ.

We create for them the problem.

We don't create a problem.

We create for them the problem.

It is a problem that exists.

They are born in sin.

As Voddie Bauckham likes to say,

do you know why babies are so small?

It is because if they were any larger,

they would kill you.

We have seen the rage

in our young ones.

They are sinful from birth.

Reject the good rule of God as king.

If they did not,

they would listen to the loving kind,

help and instruction of their parents.

If they do not,

they transgress the fifth commandment

from day one.

We want to show them

their great need

of a Savior,

Jesus Christ.

They need to put on

His righteousness

before God.

John Piper,

in a sermon on this very text,

said,

the family isn't just a place

where children learn

to hold spoons

and walk on two feet

and say please

and tie shoes

and read

and look both ways

and cut grass

and put on makeup

and drive a car.

The family is where

all of this and more

begins in God,

is guided by God's Word

and is shown to be

for the glory of God.

The fear of God,

the reverencing of God,

the standing in awe of God,

the trusting of God

is what families are for.

So that was the third point.

The fear of the Lord

is meant to be the theme

of the family's curriculum.

Fourthly,

both father and mother

are responsible for teaching.

Verse 8,

the son is instructed

to hear his father's instruction

and to not abandon

his mother's teaching.

Solomon tells his son

to heed the teaching

of both his father

and his mother.

in the normative family,

both exist.

And both work

to the great end

of teaching children

to fear the Lord.

But in a world of death

and severed relationship,

not all families

are normative.

Some children are raised

by single mothers

and there is grace

for this.

Some children are raised

by single fathers

and there is grace.

Probably extra measures

of grace for this.

Some children do not have

God-fearing parents

or one who is

and one who is not.

And there is grace

for this.

And most regularly,

the means of said grace

is the church

called together

as a faith family.

God employs

the efforts

of the church

to aid us

in raising

children.

And I want to show you

this manifold grace

from the life

of Timothy.

Timothy's father

was a Greek

and not a follower

of Jesus Christ

by all that we can tell.

Most likely.

Maybe he converted

at a later age.

But the way Paul writes

concerning Timothy's father

doesn't appear

that he was.

But Paul tells us

in 2 Timothy 1

and verse 5

as he's writing

to Timothy,

he says,

I am reminded

of your sincere faith.

The faith

that dwelt first

in your grandmother Lois

and your mother Eunice.

And now,

I am sure,

dwells in you as well.

And then further instructs

Timothy in 2 Timothy 3

2 Timothy 3:14

verses 14 and 15.

But as for you,

continue in what you have learned

and have firmly believed,

knowing from whom

you learned it.

And how from childhood

you have been acquainted

with the sacred writings

which are able

to make you wise

for salvation

through faith

in Jesus Christ.

Timothy finding himself

as a prominent Christian leader

in the Ephesian church

owes so much

to God's grace

to him

through his grandmother

and his mother.

So God having great grace

to Timothy

and giving great grace

to Lois and Eunice,

God also gave great grace

in giving Timothy

a spiritual father.

It would seem

that his biological father

was not this for him.

But in 1 Timothy 1,

the beginning of verse 2,

Paul addresses his first letter

to Timothy

with these words.

To Timothy,

my true child

in the faith.

It would seem

that there was

some kind of

spiritual adoption

on Paul's mind here.

He was willing

to father Timothy

in the faith.

And Paul tells us

that he instructed Timothy

in the way of the Lord

in 2 Timothy 3,

2 Timothy 3:10

verse 10,

and the first part

of verse 11,

where he writes,

You, however,

have followed

my teaching,

my conduct,

my aim in life,

my faith,

my patience,

my love,

my steadfastness,

my persecutions,

and sufferings.

Doesn't that sound

like Deuteronomy 6?

This teaching,

passing on diligently

to your children

these commands.

Dwelling on these things

and the rising

and the sitting in the house

and the walking along

the way

Paul had instructed

Timothy

as a spiritual father.

So today,

I want to exhort

childless women

to have

spiritual children.

children.

And I want to exhort

women with children

to have

spiritual children.

Train those

younger than you

in the faith

and impart

a fear of the Lord

to someone

else.

We are meant

to be disciple makers

both within the house

and without

of the house.

Mothers,

you provide

many necessary

things

for your children.

You keep them

clothed

and fed,

some better than others,

but they are surviving.

But your children

do not need

a perfectly clean house

or the most exciting meals.

They do need you

and they need

your careful instruction

in Scripture.

Make that the priority

of your efforts.

On your bulletin

this morning

is a Charles Spurgeon

quote,

as I like to do.

I keep awaiting

the jokes

made about my

Spurgeon quotes.

You'll be a clever one

if you can come up

with good jokes

concerning that.

He wrote this,

Fathers and mothers

are the most natural

agents for God

to use

in the salvation

of their children.

I am sure

that in my early years

no teaching

ever made

such an impression

upon my mind

as the instruction

of my mother.

And today

you get a bonus

Spurgeon quote.

Those who think

that a woman

detained

at home

by her little family,

so let me just repeat that.

Those who think

that a woman

detained

at home,

busy,

so busy,

at home

by her little family

is doing nothing.

Think the reverse

of what

is true.

There is so

much

value,

ladies,

in the hard work

you do

the day in

and the day out

with your little ones.

Fifth,

children who obey

their parents,

heed their parents'

instruction,

are promised

a reward.

Verse 9,

for they,

and what

Solomon is referring to,

for they,

your father's instruction

and your mother's teaching,

right,

are a graceful

garland for your head

and pendants

for your neck.

To the Israelites'

mind,

no signs

or badges

of joy

or glory

were higher

in worth

than the garland

around the head

or the gold chain

around the neck.

They were worn

by kings

and they were worn

by the favorites

of kings.

They were doled out

by kings

to honor

people.

This is the promise

of a parent's

instruction

themed by the fear

of the Lord.

We must make

that caveat,

right?

Parental instruction

themed,

held together

by the fear

of the Lord.

The promise

is

the favor

of the Lord.

The fifth commandment

found in Exodus 20

and verse 12

says,

Honor your father

and mother

that your days

may be long

in the land

that the Lord

your God

is giving you.

In Proverbs

Proverbs 14:26

chapter 14

verse 26 and 27

says,

In the fear

of the Lord

one has strong

confidence

and his children

will have

a refuge.

The fear

of the Lord

is a fountain

of life

that one

may turn away

from the snares

of death.

And Proverbs

19 and verse 23,

The fear

of the Lord

leads to life

and whoever

has it

rests

satisfied.

He will

not be visited

by harm.

And this is not

wisdom

for the

day to day

of harm

and avoiding

death.

This is talking

about eternal

favor found

in God

by faith

in Jesus Christ.

And the teaching

of the good news

of Jesus Christ

has its start

at the very

foundation

in understanding

who we are

and who

God

is.

We will see

the great

chasm

fixed

between us

and be

desirous

to cross

that chasm

when we cross

it by faith

in Jesus Christ.

And we want

our children,

we desperately

want our children

to cross

that chasm

with us.

And so

we see

in brief

from Proverbs

Proverbs 1:7–9

chapter 1

verse 7

through 9

God is the

originator

of the family.

The family

was designed

by God

to be a school.

The fear

of the Lord

is meant

to be

the theme

of the

family's

curriculum.

Both

father and

mother

are responsible

for teaching

and children

who obey

their parents

are promised

a reward.

And so

beloved,

let's take

up the task

of this

great charge

that's been

given to us

as those

with kids

and as

part of

a church

that has

children

to preach

the gospel

well.

To

found

everything

that we

do

as

families

and

with

our

children

in

the

fear

of the

Lord.

This

reverence

for who

He is

and how

He intends

for us

to walk

in the

world.

And let's

do this

from the

joy of

obedience

and by

grace.

Let's pray

together.