Proverbs 1:7-9

As the spring semester has come to an end and we're entering into the summer, we have begun a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Colossians.

So let me invite you to turn there with me to Colossians chapter 1 while I explain to you why I'm not going to be preaching from Colossians this morning.

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

But I want to show you the why and the how of it.

Last week was a very busy week for me, primarily because the Dahlonega Care Center had its banquet on Friday.

And thank you to all of you who were part of that and made it possible.

It went very well, but occupied much of my extra brain capacity.

So I got started very early in the week, hammering after Colossians 1, 15 through 20, this great cosmic Christological hymn.

It's such a precious, precious text.

It's the center, although not in verse counting, but it's the center of Paul's letter to the Colossian church.

It is a phenomenal passage of text.

And so I got an early start on it and went after it hard and have enjoyed my study of it and am prepared to preach 15 through 20.

But I failed my little bit of extra brain bandwidth to realize that I got way ahead of myself in my preparation.

That for our schedule for the summer, I had intended to preach verses 15 through 17.

And then next week, verses 18 through 20.

Which made a mild conundrum.

Not a large conundrum, but a small one.

Just that if I preach Colossians 1, 15 through 20 this week, we'd be a week ahead.

And at some point would have to drop out or finish early and fill in something topical before college students come back in the fall.

Not a major deal, but began to make me go, huh, I wonder if maybe.

All this happening at 5 o'clock yesterday evening.

As I said to you previously, going throughout the week, I heard many, many, I won't be there this Sunday.

And so those two things combined caused me to say, well, let me step away from the text.

We'll pick up next week again, 15 through 20, in Colossians.

But let me step away from it for this week.

And then our main crew will be back next week and we can press on together in the book of Colossians.

So this morning, I'll preach a Mother's Day sermon of sort.

So if you will, join me in Proverbs, the book of Proverbs, chapter 1.

Proverbs 1 · chapter mention

I'm thankful for a church that appreciates verse by verse exposition.

I hope this doesn't offend your sensibilities too much.

Too upset with me.

Proverbs, chapter 1, verses 7 through 9.

Proverbs 1:7–9

This is God's Word to us.

It was written for His glory and our good.

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

And this morning, I want to observe, to pull out from these three verses,

six realities from Proverbs 1, 7 through 9.

A little less complex than last week.

You won't have three lists within a major list.

Just one list, six realities from Proverbs 1, 7 through 9.

Firstly, reality number one, the family is an institution of God's making.

Solomon here, writer of this beginning proverb, writing to his son,

takes for granted that his readers will have fathers and mothers to listen to.

That God's good design would be at play in the world.

God created the family.

The family is God's plan.

God's desire.

To put it one more way, the family is ordained by God in creation.

In the very first chapter of the Bible,

Genesis 1, 27 and 28 says,

And God created man in His own image.

In the image of God, He created them.

Male and female, He created them.

And God blessed them.

And God said to them,

Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

I brought you together.

One of the purposes of Adam and Eve being brought together

was that they would multiply,

that they would be a family.

How were they to do this fruitful earth filling

by indiscriminate mating pregnancies?

The second chapter of the Bible, Genesis 2, 24, gives the answer.

A man shall leave his father and his mother

and shall cleave to his wife

and they shall become one flesh.

This profound relationship between one man and one woman

whose covenant relationship shows the world

the way that God relates to His covenant people

in love and faithfulness

was meant to reproduce little ones

who also honor God as His image bears.

This was God's original intention.

His original design.

All of this by grace

God has sustained countless imperfect people

and countless imperfect situations

for the sake of His name.

But God intended for the family

to be in full function in the world.

Why do you think that Satan

is so going after the family

to destroy it,

to rip it apart?

As goes the family,

so goes the society.

Do you know the three institutions

that God's ordained?

There's three.

The family,

the church,

and the government.

All ordained by God

to serve a very particular role

and function.

And when those roles and functions

are traded,

when the parameters between them

get skewed,

bad things always happen.

The family was created by God

to help God's little ones

worship Him.

And Solomon assumes

the family is exercising its role

in this text.

So the family is an institution

of God's making, firstly.

Second reality,

the family is meant to be

a school.

The family is meant to be

a school.

Note verse 7,

the commendation of knowledge.

Fools despise wisdom

and instruction.

And then Solomon says to his son,

how is it that this wisdom

and instruction

is going to come to you?

It's going to come to you

by your mother

and your father

in the family.

The family is God's basic school

for instructing children

how to live in the world.

Unlike many animals,

children do very little

instinctually.

There's some amazing things

they do,

like when a baby's brand new,

first born,

if you knew this or not,

but you can get them

to grasp your fingers

and you can pick them up.

I haven't tried it,

but so I'm told

that this is true.

That if you blow in their face

or hold their breath

and you can dunk them

under water,

also wasn't allowed

to try that one.

They suckle by instinct.

They cry when they're hungry

or tired.

They blink.

Probably it.

Not much more than that.

As humans,

we must be taught

how to eat and walk,

how to talk and read,

how to show gratitude

and other manners.

Just about everything

that we do is learned.

The family is God's intended school

for this massive undertaking.

The family certainly

may employ the help of others

in this effort.

Relatives,

a nanny,

a school,

the church,

I would encourage

all of those things.

But ultimately,

the responsibility

for passing along

the necessary skills

for this life

and,

more importantly,

the next life

is laid squarely

on the shoulders

of the family.

Parents,

future parents,

that is your responsibility.

Proverbs 22.6

says,

Train up a child

in the way he should go.

Even when he is old,

he will not depart from it.

Deuteronomy 6.4-7

Speaking of God's moral law,

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.

Then, verse 7,

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.

The family is an institution

of God's making

and the family is meant to be

a school.

Thirdly,

the third reality in our text,

the proper object

of family instruction,

the great end,

the goal of all of the instructing

that happens

is the fear of the Lord.

Verse 7 tells us,

the fear of the Lord

is the very beginning of knowledge.

It is that foundation

for anything else important in life

that must be learned.

What is the fear of the Lord?

It's not a carnal fear,

a fear that is faithless,

that doesn't depend

on the goodness

and the sovereignty of God,

but rather it's a divine fear.

It's a faith-filled fear,

which is the reverencing

and adoring

of God's holiness,

the recognition

that He is perfect,

that His being

is worthy of our awe.

And it's the setting

of ourselves

always under

His sacred inspection.

Recognizing that

in His holiness,

He looks down upon us

and expects the same.

And we place ourselves

under that

and this causes

a fear

because we fail

at this.

The infinite distance

between God and us

causes this fear.

And it's a good thing.

It's a healthy thing

because it drives us

to the cross.

Fear of the Lord

is the leading grace.

It's the beginning grace.

The thing that God works

in our hearts

to change us.

The thing that sends us

running to the cross

of Christ.

Recognizing that God is holy

and we are not

and we will be judged

and we need someone

to stand in that gap

for us.

To make propitiation

for our sin.

Ecclesiastes 12,

13, and 14.

In the book

of Ecclesiastes,

there's some speculation

about who wrote it

but likely Solomon

wrote it.

And it's amusing

on what is of value

in life

and it sums up

this way.

Ecclesiastes 12,

13, and 14.

The end of the matter.

All has been heard.

Fear God

and keep His commandments

for this is the whole duty

of man.

For God will bring

every deed into judgment

with every secret thing

whether good

or evil.

So if we love our children

properly,

we will seek

their greatest good.

This is the aim of love.

To seek the greatest good

of the object

of that love.

I see so many parents

these days

simply pacifying

their children.

Giving in to their

every whim

and want.

Meeting their children's

felt needs

rather than

their real needs.

Parents,

this must not be so

of us.

We need to give

our children

what is good

for their souls.

Behavior modification

should not be

the ultimate goal

of our parenting

although it is

part of it.

We expect our children

to act appropriately.

I say to my sons

all the time

in punishment

after the fact

when we're reconciling

I say to them

all the time

you're my son

and I love you

and that's why

I want you to obey.

Because of who you are

you will act like

my son.

And I'm hoping

that they'll get this

and that it'll translate

to who they're meant

to be in Christ.

Because you belong

to God

you will do

what God

wants you

to do.

Because ultimately

what we want to see

happening in our children

is heart change.

This is the aim

of teaching them

these things.

This is why

the fear of the Lord

is so important

because it's this

leading grace

in their lives.

Our children need

to fear the Lord

so that they will run

to the cross.

So that they will

embrace Christ

in all that He offers them.

All that He does

in their place.

We need to teach them

the fear of the Lord

so that they will find

God so awesome

that they will tremble

at His holiness.

A proper use

of the word awesome.

They will tremble

at His holiness

and they will also

find Him so beautiful

that they will never

want to leave

His presence.

Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14:26

verse 26 and 27

reads,

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 19.23 reads,

The fear of the Lord

leads to life

and whoever has it

rests satisfied.

He will not be visited

by harm.

So,

the family is an institution

of God's making.

It is meant to be

a school

and the proper object

of family instruction

is the fear of the Lord.

The fourth reality

from the text,

the instruction

in the fear of the Lord

is the responsibility

of fathers

and

mothers.

It is the responsibility

of fathers

and

mothers.

I hope this is fairly

obvious to you in the text,

but it bears

saying.

Now,

as the Father

is meant to give

leadership in the home,

is primarily charged

with leadership

in the home,

this includes also

the instructions

in the way of God.

All things spiritual.

He is ultimately

responsible for this.

But He is not alone

in the task

praise God.

We've been given

a partner,

a helper,

that's suitable for us

to help us

in this task.

Still giving leadership

to it,

but having our dear

wives and mothers

come alongside us

and help us

in it.

Verse 8,

we see both

at play here.

Hear my son,

your father's instruction

and forsake not

your mother's

teaching.

Now,

since today

is Mother's Day,

I'm going to take

a moment to encourage

our mothers.

At this point,

certainly we could

speak at length

about the responsibility

to fathers.

Maybe some other

Father's Day

will do that.

But to mothers

today,

we praise God

as we rightly should

for the mothers

of our church.

Mothers do

so much

and are so

very often

underappreciated.

And the reality

of it is

that many mothers

also undervalue

their work.

Many moms

here today

are very guilty

of being

swayed

by Pinterest.

You know

that the wonderful

moms on Pinterest

took a long time

to clean that

corner of the room

up so it looked

so perfect

and put together

and as soon

as they took

the photo,

it was destroyed

by their children.

So many moms

feel day in

and day out

like such

failures.

But let me say

to you

that from the outside

as an observer,

the mothers

of our church

are doing

a wonderful,

wonderful job.

I admire

each

and every one

of you.

None of you

are perfect

and have it

wonderfully,

perfectly figured out,

but you are doing

so well

and so much better

than many others.

A lot of moms

war against

feminism.

This idea

that women

must have careers,

that simply being

a mom is not

enough,

that that in and of

itself is not

a job,

that you must do

more and make

more,

that you're not

created different

to have a different

task.

Creeping into

the church

is the idea

of egalitarianism,

that men and women

are alike

in all ways.

This is simply

not true.

This is a way

that the enemy

is attacking

the very fabric

of the family.

We are

complementarianism.

Excuse me.

We believe

that men and women

are equal.

Stand before God

equal,

but different.

Created to fulfill

different roles.

We have women

in this church

that are embracing

that role,

and I praise God

for that.

I think that's a

grace working in

your hearts to that

end.

But you war against

feminism.

People ask you

what you do for a

living,

and you say,

I'm a mom,

and I hear it in

your voice sometimes,

like it's less.

It's not as good

as.

Don't believe

those lies.

A lot of moms

wrestle with the

mundane,

trying to find

the value in the

day-to-day,

and the cleaning

up,

and the little

messes,

and all of that.

Let me just

encourage you

that you are

investing in the

future of your

children.

What a valuable,

valuable task.

I remind Sam

often,

she reminds me

at times,

that we're not

raising boys,

we're raising men.

There's going to be

an end product

that we're producing.

And as they're

arrows in my

quiver,

I want them to be

perfect and straight,

that they'll hit

their mark.

Where God

intends for them

to go.

There's a greater

thing at play

in the day in

and the day out

of the spit up

and the messes.

Learn to worship

God in the mundane.

Your task

is so

important.

God has

designed you

in His

image,

in His image

to be caretakers

of the home.

It's valuable,

it's a beautiful

task.

It's something

that should be

revered

amongst us.

Speaking of

the excellent

wife,

in Proverbs 31,

out of 22

verses,

9 refer

directly to

the excellent

wife's work

in the home.

A substantial

amount of them

refer to

this work.

It is a

precious one.

In a letter

to Ann

Landers,

I'm going to

date myself,

I had no idea

who Ann

Landers is.

I don't know

if any of you

know who

Ann Landers

was.

It was a

pen name

for a

Chicago Sun

Times

advice

columnist.

This is a

letter from

1988.

I found it

someplace else

in another

sermon.

But this

woman wrote

this to

Ann Landers.

I'm so

tired of

all those

ignorant

people who

come up to

my husband

and ask him

if his wife

has a full

time job

or if

she's

just a

housewife.

Here's my

job description.

I'm a

wife,

mother,

friend,

confidant,

personal

advisor,

lover,

referee,

peacemaker,

housekeeper,

laundress,

chauffeur,

interior

decorator,

gardener,

painter,

wallpaper,

remember I was

in 88,

dog groomer,

veterinarian,

manicurist,

barber,

seamstress,

appointment

manager,

financial

planner,

bookkeeper,

money manager,

personal

secretary,

teacher,

disciplinarian,

entertainer,

psychoanalyst,

nurse,

diagnostician,

public relations

expert,

dietician and

nutritionist,

baker,

chef,

fashion coordinator

and letter

writer for both

sides of the

family.

I'm also a

travel agent,

speech therapist,

plumber and

automobile maintenance

and repair

expert.

From the

studies done,

and there's

been a recent

Facebook post

going around,

some of you

may have seen

where the guy

writes,

I can't afford

my wife,

from the

studies done,

it would cost

more than

75,000 a

year to

replace me.

It took time

out of my

busy day to

write this

letter,

Anne,

because there

are still

ignorant

people who

believe a

housewife is

nothing more

than a

babysitter who

sits on her

behind,

also a

1988 word,

I think,

all day and

looks at

soap operas.

And all of

this was found

in a book by

Linda Weber

from Focus on

the Family

called Mom,

You're

incredible.

You ladies do

a massive

amount of

work.

Guys,

stay at home

for two

days with

no help

from your

wife and

you'll

appreciate her

to a very,

very high

degree.

So this

responsibility

of raising

up and

instructing in

the fear of

the Lord is

the responsibility

of fathers

and mothers.

Ladies,

thank you for

your hard

work in

this regard.

Fifthly,

children are

responsible for

submission to

this instruction.

And this

includes both

at home and

away from

home.

See the words

in verse 8,

Hear my son

your father's

instruction.

Present,

you're here.

Hear my

instruction.

Use my

instruction.

And do not

forsake your

mother's teaching.

When you leave

our presence,

when you go

out into the

world,

college students,

when you walk

away and you're

in a different

place living on

your own,

do not forsake

your mother's

teaching.

These people

have been placed

over you by

God to help

you in this

life.

One commentator

has said of

verses 7-9,

verses 7-9 may

be regarded as

a summary statement

of the principle

on which the

whole book of

Proverbs is

based,

and of the

duty which it

enjoins.

The principle

is that true

wisdom is based

on the fear

of God,

and the duty

is to listen

to parental

instruction.

That this

proper worship,

the true

wisdom,

is based on

the fear of

God.

And how

ought we to

gain that

wisdom?

Listen to

your parents.

God finds

this so

important that

it is part of

his moral

law.

Exodus 20-12,

honor your

father and

your mother.

Paul states

it again,

Ephesians 6-1.

Children, you

should be

familiar with

this one.

Children,

obey your

parents and

the Lord,

for this

is right.

That is,

it is what

is proper

for children

to do.

Thomas Watts,

a 17th century

English Puritan,

stated that

fear of the

Lord leads

to industry.

And I like

that.

would have

to come

from a

17th century

Puritan to

use that

type of

language.

But that

is that

it leads

to action.

That if

we're going

to properly

worship God,

our parents

should have

led us to

a fear of

God.

But even

if they

didn't,

a fear of

God ought

to lead

us to

being obedient

and listening

to our

parents'

instruction.

Now,

I recognize

that many

of us

don't have

perfect

parents.

And the

reality of

it is that

none of

us have

perfect

parents.

Because all

of our

parents are

dealing with

sin in

their own

lives.

Most,

if not all,

of our

parents have

really tried.

And they've

really done

their very

best.

I know a

lot of you

struggle with

very,

very difficult

parents.

Consider for

a moment who

Solomon's parents

were.

David,

who certainly

possessed

much wisdom,

and his

mother was

Bathsheba.

We don't

know a

whole lot

about

Bathsheba,

except that

she was

beautiful.

But these

two came

together under

a messy,

messy

circumstance.

There had

to have

been some

challenges in

their marriage.

A marriage

that began

with adultery

and murder

on David's

heart.

But yet,

Solomon says,

listen to

the instruction

of your

parents.

The same

applies.

Provided that

their instruction

does not

oppose the

command of

God.

Your parents

have wisdom

for you

even if

they're not

followers of

Jesus Christ.

Remember that

Proverbs is

aimed at

helping us

walk wisely

in this

world.

Ultimately

aimed at

toward

culminating with

the fear of

the Lord,

the glory of

God.

This is the

direction that

it's taking

us in,

but there are

still good

and wise

things that

we can learn

from our

parents.

Let me

encourage you

if you have

difficult

parents,

to find

those things

that they

are good

at,

that they

know to

be true.

Respect

your parents

and listen

to them.

Remember

that God

gave you

your

parents.

Recognize,

embrace

His

sovereignty.

He gave

them to

you.

I love

Romans 8.

28.

It should

be so

familiar

to you.

You

suffer

in this

world,

and we

know

that for

those who

love God,

all things,

including

parents,

difficult

parent

situations,

work

together

for good

for those

who are

called

according

to His

purpose.

God

knew

the parents

you

needed

to gain

the best

for you,

the greatest

for you.

He knew

the parents

that were

necessary

for that

to take

place.

God

is using

even the

sins

of our

parents

to bring

us

to Him.

I want

to read

to you

a poem

as an

encouragement

to that

end by

John

Piper

called

On

Grace.

It speaks

to this

very

thing.

He

writes,

Some

people

tell me

I was

free

when I

believed

in

Christ,

and by

my

power

got

victory

when

all

the

world

enticed.

I

think

they

did

not

know

my

heart

nor

theirs.

Let

it

be

said

that

I

for

one

had

sought

no

part

in

rising

from

the

dead.

They

wonder

at

the

sovereign

rights

that

I

allow

my

king

and

puzzle

at

the

worship

heights

to

which

his

rule

gives

wing.

But

I

will

rest

God's

grace

today

on

this

I

need

no

other.

He

did

not

give

any

say

but

chose

for

me

my

mother.

My

reading at

the beginning

of this

morning

in Psalm

139

had this

in mind

God's

personal

care

for you

includes

the grace

of your

parents

being given

to you.

So the

family is an

institution of

God's making

meant to be a

school

with the

object of

the instruction

of that family

aimed at the

fear of the

Lord.

The

responsibility of

fathers and

mothers and

of children to

listen to it

and obey

it.

And then

sixthly and

lastly,

last observation

from the

text.

There is a

promise given

in this

instruction

is submitted

to.

There is a

promise given

if this

instruction

is submitted

to.

Verse 9

For they are a

graceful

garland for

your head

and pendants

for your neck.

They are a

graceful garland

for your head

and pendants

for your neck.

These were

signs of

victory.

If a race

was won

or a battle

was conquered,

these were

signs of

victory of

the day.

The rest of

Ephesians 6

after verse 1

beginning in

verse 2

and 3,

this is Paul's

commentary on

Exodus 20

12.

He says,

Honor your

father and

mother.

This is the

first commandment

with a promise

that it may

go well with

you and

that you

may live

long in

the land.

There were

many promises

given along

with the

commandment,

but later on

in the text,

this is the

first one as

God gave to

Moses the

Ten Commandments,

the moral law

that contained in

the actual

commandment a

promise that it

may go well

with you and

that you may

live long in

the land.

Do you

remember the

Proverbs I

read previously?

Proverbs 14

26 and 27?

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.

In Proverbs 19

23,

the fear of the

Lord leads to

life and whoever

has it rests

satisfied.

He will not be

visited by

harm.

This is the

wreath on your

head.

And the

ornament on

your neck for

embracing the

fear of the

Lord that your

mother and

father taught

you.

A fountain of

life and

strong confidence

and deep

satisfaction.

And so the

family was

created by

God and

ultimately for

God.

He designed

that the

family should

be a school

of instruction

and godliness.

Fathers and

mothers instructing

their children in

the ways of the

Lord so that the

children will

have Godward

lives with a

sure eternal

confidence.

Whether or not

our families have

been a perfect

representation of

God's intent and

purpose, we ought

to always recognize

that He is good

and given our

particular families

to us for our

good.

fathers and

mothers, let us

strive together.

It's one of the

great graces of the

church that we can

work together and

encourage one another

and support one

another in this

endeavor.

Let us strive

together to fulfill

the high calling

that God has placed

on our lives to

instruct our

children and let us

praise God that He

provides for all

that He commands.

Let's pray together.

Let us pray together.