Proverbs 13:1 "A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke."
In stating the obvious about two very different people, Solomon informs us all that the absence of wisdom can easily create a scorner. A scorner, or a scoffer is a mocker of good and wholesome things. A scorner opposes truth and virtue. A scorner is a resister of morality and theology. A scorner is born out of a lack of wisdom and because he lacks any heavenly wisdom, he will be quite worthy of his fair share of reproof in life. That much needed reproof will go entirely unheard for he finds no need to make any moral corrections to his life.
A scorner ignores rebuke and doesn't give it any thought, which is why a scorner is a hopeless soul. In the ninth chapter of Proverbs, Solomon warns against rebuking a scorner as doing so will only result in shame for the righteous reprover. The only things he advises his readers to do to a scorner is to punish, smite or expel him. There is no hope for a scorner, which is ultimately why this wise father was urging his son to be wise at a young age. Wisdom in a young soul will prevent the creation of a hopeless scorner.
In contrasting two very different people in this proverb, Solomon shines a light on their EARS. One hears while the other doesn't. One hears instruction while the other refuses to hear rebuke. One is hearing how to do something properly while the other isn't hearing how to change what he is doing improperly. Because the only characteristic of the man who hears instruction is wisdom, we can and must accurately conclude that Wisdom is Scripture's Hearing Aid. Without wisdom, we won't hear instruction, which will in turn lead to rebuke and that too will go unheard.
This proverb shows us the aid wisdom gives our ears in four simple ways:
1. Wisdom OPENS EARS.
Wisdom doesn't magically infuse a person with all of the answers to life's challenges. Instead, it opens the ears of its host so that answers can flood in through them. The wise are first and foremost listeners. The preferred punctuation mark of the wise is not the period nor the exclamation mark but instead, the question mark. The wise have more questions than answers. The wise are ever learning because they are ever listening.
2. Wisdom opens ears EARLY.
If welcomed at a young age, wisdom opens the ears of a child at a young age. Wisdom strips a child of its inner deceit. Wisdom removes, "know-it-all" from the mind of a young soul. Wisdom doesn't need a high school diploma to start working. It doesn't need a college degree to get going. It doesn't need the Bible read from cover to cover before it opens the ears of its host. Wisdom opens ears and it does it early because listening is how a child becomes a wise child. Listening is what makes a son a wise son. Hearing is what makes a wise son wiser.
3. Wisdom opens ears early TO INSTRUCTION.
Instruction is different than information. Information is general while instruction is personal. Information is painless while instruction can be a little uncomfortable. Instruction can offend the ego and test our pride. Being told by someone how to do something means that person doesn't think you know how to do that particular thing and that can be humbling. Information is good and wisdom will direct a soul to learn by listening to information but wisdom will especially open a soul's ears to instruction because it's pointed, specific and humbling. Wisdom isn't afraid of being told what to do. It isn't afraid to ask for help. Wisdom isn't offended when someone thinks you need detailed instruction about something.
4. Wisdom opens ears early to instruction FROM AUTHORITIES.
Human nature struggles with authority. Children, by nature, don't want to listen to their parents or even to their older siblings. Young men and women, by nature, don't want to listen to older men and women. Because of pride embedded in our nature, we typically don't want help. We want to figure it out on our own. We want to be our own teacher. This evil inclination is what leads to foolishness and ultimately to scorning. While human nature closes the ear to parental instruction, wisdom opens the ear to parental advice. While pride closes the ear to experienced instruction, wisdom opens the ear to experienced counsel. Wisdom isn't paranoid of being taught by authorities. It isn't above learning from parents, grandparents, mentors, coaches, pastors and employers. Wisdom embraces the fast track, asking, "why take years of my life to learn something that I can learn in minutes by simply trusting and listening to an older soul?" Wisdom values an older mind, a more seasoned mind. Wisdom is able to sort out the good and the bad in older minds. It is able to separate the applicable and the inapplicable from older voices. Wisdom doesn't disregard parental, grandparental or pastoral instruction.
Because of our sin nature, we are all born hard of hearing...hearing of truth, that is. Without wisdom, a boy, girl, man or woman will remain spiritually hard of hearing. The longer a person lives without wisdom, the more spiritually deaf he or she will become. A spiritually-deaf soul will eventually be a hopeless soul. Wisdom is Scripture's Hearing Aid - it will open our ears and through those opened ears, we can receive the instruction necessary to become wiser and wiser.
How's your hearing?
"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Jesus (Mt. 11:15)
A scorner ignores rebuke and doesn't give it any thought, which is why a scorner is a hopeless soul. In the ninth chapter of Proverbs, Solomon warns against rebuking a scorner as doing so will only result in shame for the righteous reprover. The only things he advises his readers to do to a scorner is to punish, smite or expel him. There is no hope for a scorner, which is ultimately why this wise father was urging his son to be wise at a young age. Wisdom in a young soul will prevent the creation of a hopeless scorner.
In contrasting two very different people in this proverb, Solomon shines a light on their EARS. One hears while the other doesn't. One hears instruction while the other refuses to hear rebuke. One is hearing how to do something properly while the other isn't hearing how to change what he is doing improperly. Because the only characteristic of the man who hears instruction is wisdom, we can and must accurately conclude that Wisdom is Scripture's Hearing Aid. Without wisdom, we won't hear instruction, which will in turn lead to rebuke and that too will go unheard.
This proverb shows us the aid wisdom gives our ears in four simple ways:
1. Wisdom OPENS EARS.
Wisdom doesn't magically infuse a person with all of the answers to life's challenges. Instead, it opens the ears of its host so that answers can flood in through them. The wise are first and foremost listeners. The preferred punctuation mark of the wise is not the period nor the exclamation mark but instead, the question mark. The wise have more questions than answers. The wise are ever learning because they are ever listening.
2. Wisdom opens ears EARLY.
If welcomed at a young age, wisdom opens the ears of a child at a young age. Wisdom strips a child of its inner deceit. Wisdom removes, "know-it-all" from the mind of a young soul. Wisdom doesn't need a high school diploma to start working. It doesn't need a college degree to get going. It doesn't need the Bible read from cover to cover before it opens the ears of its host. Wisdom opens ears and it does it early because listening is how a child becomes a wise child. Listening is what makes a son a wise son. Hearing is what makes a wise son wiser.
3. Wisdom opens ears early TO INSTRUCTION.
Instruction is different than information. Information is general while instruction is personal. Information is painless while instruction can be a little uncomfortable. Instruction can offend the ego and test our pride. Being told by someone how to do something means that person doesn't think you know how to do that particular thing and that can be humbling. Information is good and wisdom will direct a soul to learn by listening to information but wisdom will especially open a soul's ears to instruction because it's pointed, specific and humbling. Wisdom isn't afraid of being told what to do. It isn't afraid to ask for help. Wisdom isn't offended when someone thinks you need detailed instruction about something.
4. Wisdom opens ears early to instruction FROM AUTHORITIES.
Human nature struggles with authority. Children, by nature, don't want to listen to their parents or even to their older siblings. Young men and women, by nature, don't want to listen to older men and women. Because of pride embedded in our nature, we typically don't want help. We want to figure it out on our own. We want to be our own teacher. This evil inclination is what leads to foolishness and ultimately to scorning. While human nature closes the ear to parental instruction, wisdom opens the ear to parental advice. While pride closes the ear to experienced instruction, wisdom opens the ear to experienced counsel. Wisdom isn't paranoid of being taught by authorities. It isn't above learning from parents, grandparents, mentors, coaches, pastors and employers. Wisdom embraces the fast track, asking, "why take years of my life to learn something that I can learn in minutes by simply trusting and listening to an older soul?" Wisdom values an older mind, a more seasoned mind. Wisdom is able to sort out the good and the bad in older minds. It is able to separate the applicable and the inapplicable from older voices. Wisdom doesn't disregard parental, grandparental or pastoral instruction.
Because of our sin nature, we are all born hard of hearing...hearing of truth, that is. Without wisdom, a boy, girl, man or woman will remain spiritually hard of hearing. The longer a person lives without wisdom, the more spiritually deaf he or she will become. A spiritually-deaf soul will eventually be a hopeless soul. Wisdom is Scripture's Hearing Aid - it will open our ears and through those opened ears, we can receive the instruction necessary to become wiser and wiser.
How's your hearing?
"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Jesus (Mt. 11:15)
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