Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.
Summary: What is your life worth? Satan would have us believe that our lives are worth nothing. The truth is God treasures each one of us.
Solomon wrote instructions for his children (Proverbs 1:8). By extension, God provides the wisdom he gave to Solomon to all of us.
In Solomon’s family, there would be a great value placed on his instructions. The source of the instruction would be known to everyone receiving it. Solomon was their father. Not only was he their father, but he was also king! Everyone had to bow down before dad.
Imagine being the son of the king. Anyone who criticized him or plotted against him risked having their life cut short. People feared him. They feared him because he was their king and because he held their lives in his hand. They also feared him because of the wisdom God had given him. He could see and know things that no other man had ever known. As for his children, they feared him because he could have them punished.
Instruction from the king was worth holding onto. Obeying what the king had instructed you to do would keep you out of trouble, and as we noted above, trouble could include losing your life. Instruction was also important to Solomon’s children because they were all princes and princesses. Each royal offspring could have a special role in the kingdom if they learned their lessons well.
What does this remind us of? We who believe in God? Are not we children of the king? Yes, but with a twist.
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable about the kingdom of God. He uses the example of the man who goes on a journey and leaves his servants in charge of his money. In the same way, we are servants of the King of Kings who is away for a time. When he returns, what will we be able to show him? What will we have done with what he has entrusted to us?
Solomon tells us to, “Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.” He is not joking. In his kingdom, people who opposed the king lost their life. And what about our spiritual lives?
One of the most terrifying passages in all of God’s Word is Matthew 7:21 —
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
The death of our body in this life is like a bee sting compared to the eternal death that confronts those who do not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Application: Holding on to instruction means we have it at hand. Do not lock it away, but keep it with you.
Food for Thought: What are some ways we can guard the instruction God has given us?
One way we can guard it is to pass it on to future generations. We should teach it to reliable people who in turn will share it with others. 2 Timothy 2: 2; Deuteronomy 6: 4 – 9.
2 Timothy 1: 13 – 14 reminds us to guard what is handed down to us with faith and love through the Holy Spirit who indwells us.
Thank you, Rich.
Of course, the best teaching is by example! 🙂
I think the word “guard” takes on a little stronger meaning when it comes to guarding instruction we have received from Him or guarding our heart. In order to guard against things, we must be wise and discerning so we know what/why we are guarding in order to have a plan. To be wise and discerning, we must know God’s instructions. The way to know His instructions is to read and study His word. Of course, reading and studying His word is sometimes (ok, truthfully, it can a lot of times – depending on the season we are in – be difficult. However, if we arm ourselves with the Whole Armor of God (Eph 6:11-18), we can guard the instruction He has given us.
Darla,
Thank you! God’s Word can indeed challenge us. My personal take is that there is a “sweet spot” of being in God’s will for us. When we are there, God’s Word is sweet affirmation. When we are outside of the sweet spot God’s Word takes on the sting of discipline. The good news is that the discipline is intended to move us back into the sweet spot.
What about guarding the instructions buy digging a hole and burying it in the ground to protect it so it will be safe?
Or would it be better to guard it from anything that would oppose the instructions, to protect it from any kind of twisting of the instructions. When teaching still you must guard it beyond just that, because there are snakes willing to try to deceive others by adding or taking away from the original instructions.
However you guard those instructions do it from the heart led by the Holy Spirit. Because some would say that hiding those instructions in the ground is a bad idea and thats what you shouldn’t do. God has a way of turning bad to good. Those instructions/scrolls can turn up later on in an amazing way.
Tim,
You are full of amazing insights today! I agree, these particular instructions are not to be hidden away, but rather used every day. And yes, I agree that we need to guard against snakes!!
Dead Sea Scrolls?
02-21-2022, Proverbs 4:13, What are some ways we can guard the instruction God has given us?
As always, great comments today, Thanks all!
Accepting, growing and guarding God’s Word in our hearts are individual choices made by all.
From birth, an inner voice tells us when we are hungry and need food. So we raise a ruckus until our hunger is satisfied. As a result we grow, walk, talk and become a functioning member of society. Most times.
The Bible tells us we are created in the image of God, “spiritual beings”, with an inner voice, the “Holy Spirit” who is telling all mankind of sin, righteousness, judgement and is the guide into all righteousness to those willing to listen. We learn the Bible is the inspired Word of God which will provide the food for our spirits to grow as we listen to Him. We accept or reject this free gift by an individual choice.
We choose to accept and guard God’s gift as we study and memorize Scripture, meditate on what God tells us. Reading the Bible, praying, and talking to God, knowing that we are building a treasure of truths for our spiritual growth in Christ. The strength of the guard on the instruction we receive will be directly related to the time we spend at the Lords feet, listening to His teaching.
Genesis 1:27, John 16:8-13, 14:26, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Luke 10:38-42
Ron,
You point to an interesting thought when you write “The strength of the guard on the instruction we receive will be directly related to the time we spend at the Lords feet, listening to His teaching.”
The strength to guard God’s instruction comes from God himself.
Yes Sir, we listen and apply!
Blessings!
Ron
What are some ways we can guard the instruction God has given us?
Sometimes guarding is about teaching correctly and learning the right way (the best defense is a good offense?)
You shall teach them diligently to your sons 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 up.
Deuteronomy 6:7
Proverbs 4:7
Sometimes guarding is as simple as – stay away from the opposition.
O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.
1 Timothy 6:20-21
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Colossians 2:8
Sometimes it’s about reminding yourself.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Philippians 4:8
Psalm 136
Sometimes it’s about trusting the right person
I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
John 10:14-15
Ephesians 6:11-18
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
A –
Excellent response! Thank you!
Good stuff “A”, thank you!
Thank you A for your comment.
I enjoy looking up Deuteronomy 6:7 and I do like it more than Deuteronomy 11:19