Proverbs 4:6-10

 

Prov 4:6 (KJB)

Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

 

Just as a loving wife takes care of her husband and as a loving mother takes care of her family, so wisdom when embraced with a passion will keep the one who is embracing it. Godly wisdom has the ability to keep and preserve us because it gives us insight concerning the snares of the world system and when we avoid these snares, we are kept strong in the Lord’s service and it preserves us and grants us long life. There are many things in the world ready to entice us which can cut our lives short such as smoking or drugs, but when we have the wisdom to see the results of these types of things, we will then avoid them and keep our bodies as pure as we can.

 

Prov 4:7 (KJB)

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

 

Is the principal thing - The beginning or the first

 

Here is a very important statement admonishing us to get wisdom right up front. For if we acquire wisdom in the outset of our Christian walk, we will be able to call upon it for every facet of living and therefore will be spared the evils of the world which easily snares a person in. Solomon is saying that we are to get wisdom at all costs, to make every effort to get wisdom. We are not to make it a non-priority in our life. Many Christians obtain knowledge through the study of the Scriptures but without a foundation of wisdom to apply that knowledge, it will not help us. We must be wise in our understanding and application of Scripture.

 

Prov 4:8 (KJB)

Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

 

If we exalt wisdom, that is make it a priority to obtain wisdom, then when we walk in wisdom, wisdom will exalt us. Wisdom will cause others to seek us for advice just as the Queen of Sheba had come a long way to hear the wisdom of Solomon, others will notice that something is different about us and will seek us out. When we counsel others that will cause them to excel in their Christian walk, we will be honored in the sight of those whom we have helped. However, if we do exude much wisdom, we must be very careful to give God the glory for that wisdom or else we could wind up failing just like Solomon did in his later years. We must make wisdom the primary characteristic of our walk and all other things will build upon that wisdom.

 

Prov 4:9 (KJB)

She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

 

Just as a beautiful piece of jewelry is very noticeable on a person, so wisdom by coming with grace, will make a person noticeable. Others will see a difference in the person adorned with grace and that difference will be a crown of glory which the true Christian will wear. The unbeliever wears the crown of death but the believer wears the crown of Christ given to them through the sacrifice of Christ. Salvation not only saved us from hell but the true believer was given a kingship in the kingdom of God. (Rev 1:6 KJV) And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. We will wear the crown of Christ’s glory throughout eternity as we rule in the new Heaven and new Earth.

 

Prov 4:10 (KJB)

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

 

Receive - Grasp or seize

 

God wants to teach us well that when we take His wisdom and live our lives according to it, one of the results will be longer life on this earth. This is because we will see any evil and know the results of making a foolish decision ahead of time. (Prov 22:3 KJV) A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. A wise man will avoid the snares of this world and all its accompanying consequences. As we live in wisdom, it will bring us closer to God and as we walk closer to Him, we will be like Job and eschew evil. (Job 1:1 KJV) There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. As we can see, the Bible describes Job as perfect and upright, that is because he had the imputed righteousness of Christ. To eschew evil is to habitually avoid it and when we live the life of wisdom, then we too, will make a habit out of shunning evil.

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