DISCIPLING SONS Lesson #2 Proverbs 4:5-9 Acquire Wisdom

1) Review.
We started by seeing if he remembered any key words from the first lesson. He mentioned four key words: father, lesson, son and Solomon. I encouraged him for remembering so well and asked if he memorized any of the verses that week. He didn't (I didn't assign any either. I just wanted to prod him into memorizing on his own). He did, though, on his own start reading Proverbs and showed me what he read. I complimented him.

2) We continued with prayer. He still wanted me to lead him in prayer. This means I would say a line, he would repeat after me. I was glad to do this.

3) Before the lesson, we began to share a little how this week went. I can see how much he wants to talk about things. I am usually very busy; he is too, though. I got a piece of paper out for notes. He said, "Oh, oh." I said, "Don't worry; I'll take the notes."

4) Then I had him read the text, Proverbs 4:5-9. We would read one or two verses at a time later as we got ready to discuss them.

Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. "Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. "The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. "Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. "She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty." (Proverbs 4:5-9, NASB).

5) We continued by focusing on verse 5. He would read just this verse first.

5a) Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
5b) Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. (Proverbs 4:5, NASB).

We started our discussion by trying to understand the meaning of acquire. I listed some synonyms such as "buy, purchase; get and obtain." I reflected that sometimes we need to exchange our money to obtain some things in life. In this case, though, money didn't seem to help. Later it would discuss how to get this wisdom.

We noticed that the words 'wisdom' and 'understanding' were used once before.

My son seemingly got off the topic by talking about the sun. He wondered at times whether heaven was located in the sun. He explained how the streets of heaven were gold. I told him that this is the right attitude we are to have when we search for wisdom and understanding. This is the eager spirit of understanding that brings us to understand much of this world. I also mentioned that the sun is not where heaven is. This sun is yellow not golden. Other suns are red. But heaven is a place we can't see yet.

We went on noticing that 'Acquire wisdom' was his first command in these verses. Verse 5b mentions a second. We discussed verse 5b more.

He said, "Do not forget," and "(do) not turn away." I asked him what was it that was not to be forgotten? He mentioned (from last week) the ten commandments. I expanded on this by having him look specifically at what it said. He read the answer, "my words." We again went back to last week and mentioned that no doubt it included the ten commandments but also many other very specific instructions from the father to the son. The father knows specific instructions that will protect and help the son.

I realized that we were moving a bit slow. So I tried to keep moving through the rest of the lesson.

6) We then read verse 6. We saw that there were two main statements, each with a result.

"Do not forsake her ... > she will guard you;
Love her ....> she will watch over you.

We joked around a bit with the word 'guard.' Wisdom would act like three guards. I mentioned how riding his bike up and down the street and how these three guards would be right beside. He would be well protected which these 'chubby' (son so described) guards with him. However, if we left them home, then they would do him no good.

We needed to desire wisdom in order for her to be with us.

7) We read verse 7.

The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7).

My son after reading this jumped in and excitedly mentioned how this is like we read earlier in verse 1: wisdom and understanding. And then again in verse 4. I took the old Bible I was using and mentioned how some people like to study the Bible by taking notes in it. I put one line under each time acquire was used starting in verse 1, a double line under understanding and circled wisdom. We could see it all very clearly then.

I also mentioned how verse 7 uses the synonym 'get' for acquire. I went off in a quick speech stating how Hebrew poetry often used synonyms like this to emphasize and help memorize.

We talked a bit about people who don't want wisdom. Some of them are the kids in our neighborhood. I also took this time to mention a drug bust down the street and how drug pushers often influence younger children. We went into the details about how they do this.

8) I had him read verses 8-9.

Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. "She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty. (Proverbs 4:8,9).

When I quickly read these verses, I saw the pattern. I reviewed it with him and wrote it down on my notes.
She will ..... was the pattern. She was of course wisdom. So we observed the four things mentioned.

1) Exalt you if we prize her
2) Honor you if we embrace her
3) Place on your head a garland of grace
4) Present you a crown of beauty

I could see he was getting a bit edgy so I quickly concluded here after discussing what a garland was.

9) Conclusion
I wanted him to understand how wisdom actually brought these things to a person's life. I mentioned the process. God's knowledge would be passed on through the Dad and then enter his son's mind. When the son prized this wisdom rather than rejecting it, it would control what he would do. This control would result in the making of wise decisions. That wisdom would guard and keep him. I emphasized this by making an illustration about playing with matches. Dad's instructs him not to play with matches. If he was wise, he would accept this. Then a fire would not start by accident. The home would be protected.

My son interrupted me by mentioning a time when he saw a box of matches near our neighbor's home. He asked her if she needed them. I used that to follow up just what this verse was speaking of. I went back to the pattern discussed beforehand.

I charted it out on the note paper and mentioned each stage. (Actually I neglected on telling him how God taught me). Dad told him before not to play with matches. This thought went to the son's mind. From there it helped him in his decision making process when he discovered the matches. He knew they were dangerous and shouldn't play around with them so he decided to see if they were his neighbor's. What a beautiful way the Lord ended this lesson. None of it planned by me.

10) We closed in prayer. He said he didn't know what to pray. I took out our notes and pointed to three items he could pray for. After he prayed, I close. One thing he did pray about was for the neighborhood friends that they might want wisdom.