Pro 2:9-11 | KingComments | STEP | In the previous verses, the father has urged his son to seek wisdom. Now he says that the LORD gives it ( ). God is the source of wisdom. The search for wisdom leads to the LORD Himself. “For” all wisdom comes from Him. Outside of Him there is no wisdom. When we listen to the words He speaks, we hear “knowledge and understanding”, for they come from His mouth. To listen to wisdom is to listen to Him. We are responsible to seek God’s wisdom in Christ. When we do so with a longing heart, God will give it. Here we find both the side of our responsibility and the side of God. If we seek, God will give ( ). It comes down to seeking wisdom in the Word of God, which is in the words He has spoken and recorded. Outside the Word of God, apart from it, there is no wisdom to be found. He has wisdom in store waiting which He keeps for everyone who is upright and asks Him for it ( ). He is “a shield” ( ; ) for those who walk in integrity. He is their Protector. We first see the mind here (being upright) and then the practice that goes with that mind (walking in integrity). He guards them with the purpose that the paths which they walk “are of justice” ( ). God wants His own to act in accordance with justice, with what is just to Him. If they do so, it will also have the result that He will preserve their way. This He does with “His godly ones”, which are the faithful of His people, who are faithful to Him and honor Him in their life. The results are beneficial. The son will develop intellectual ability and spiritual understanding to discern “righteousness and justice” and “equity” ( ; ). ‘To discern righteousness’ means that the son understands that he must give God what He is entitled to as well as those around him what they are entitled to. ‘To discern justice’ means that he understands that he must do the right thing. If he does the right or good thing, he is just. ‘Equity’ refers more to the inner self. It is the uprightness of heart and from there acting according to honor and conscience. If these characteristics are present in him, he will choose the right path and stay on it. “Every good course” is both the good lifestyle and doing what leads to the good. explain why the son can go the right path of the previous verses. It is because wisdom will take up residence in his “heart”, in the inner life ( ). When wisdom dwells in the ‘boardroom’ of life, the right choices will be made and the right track is always chosen on which to live by the standards of righteousness, justice and equity ( ). Knowledge will be pleasing to the “soul”, which refers more to the emotional life. If a person has wisdom in his heart, it directly affects what is pleasant for the soul. In the soul there is a great desire to grow in the knowledge of God, to know and do His will. There is a desire for the pure milk of God’s Word ( ) because the taste of it is so pleasant. If there is wisdom in the heart and knowledge is pleasant for the soul, “discretion” and “understanding” or the ability to discern can fulfill their protecting role ( ; ). The power of these virtues is guarding and protecting. He who is discrete and has understanding, will be kept from going the wrong way or being tempted to sin. Spontaneity is qualified as a virtue in our days, but often this trait is a source of misery. Discretion is different from reluctance or hesitation. It involves consulting with the Lord and others, then acting with conviction. The father tells his son in the following verses what the wrong way is ( ) and how the temptation to sin comes to him ( ).

‏ Proverbs 2:9-11

Wisdom That Protects

In the previous verses, the father has urged his son to seek wisdom. Now he says that the LORD gives it (Pro 2:6). God is the source of wisdom. The search for wisdom leads to the LORD Himself. “For” all wisdom comes from Him. Outside of Him there is no wisdom. When we listen to the words He speaks, we hear “knowledge and understanding”, for they come from His mouth. To listen to wisdom is to listen to Him.

We are responsible to seek God’s wisdom in Christ. When we do so with a longing heart, God will give it. Here we find both the side of our responsibility and the side of God. If we seek, God will give (Mt 7:7). It comes down to seeking wisdom in the Word of God, which is in the words He has spoken and recorded. Outside the Word of God, apart from it, there is no wisdom to be found.

He has wisdom in store waiting which He keeps for everyone who is upright and asks Him for it (Pro 2:7). He is “a shield” (Gen 15:1; Deu 33:29) for those who walk in integrity. He is their Protector. We first see the mind here (being upright) and then the practice that goes with that mind (walking in integrity).

He guards them with the purpose that the paths which they walk “are of justice” (Pro 2:8). God wants His own to act in accordance with justice, with what is just to Him. If they do so, it will also have the result that He will preserve their way. This He does with “His godly ones”, which are the faithful of His people, who are faithful to Him and honor Him in their life.

The results are beneficial. The son will develop intellectual ability and spiritual understanding to discern “righteousness and justice” and “equity” (Pro 2:9; Pro 1:3). ‘To discern righteousness’ means that the son understands that he must give God what He is entitled to as well as those around him what they are entitled to. ‘To discern justice’ means that he understands that he must do the right thing. If he does the right or good thing, he is just. ‘Equity’ refers more to the inner self. It is the uprightness of heart and from there acting according to honor and conscience. If these characteristics are present in him, he will choose the right path and stay on it. “Every good course” is both the good lifestyle and doing what leads to the good.

Pro 2:10-11 explain why the son can go the right path of the previous verses. It is because wisdom will take up residence in his “heart”, in the inner life (Pro 2:10). When wisdom dwells in the ‘boardroom’ of life, the right choices will be made and the right track is always chosen on which to live by the standards of righteousness, justice and equity (Pro 2:9).

Knowledge will be pleasing to the “soul”, which refers more to the emotional life. If a person has wisdom in his heart, it directly affects what is pleasant for the soul. In the soul there is a great desire to grow in the knowledge of God, to know and do His will. There is a desire for the pure milk of God’s Word (1Pet 2:2) because the taste of it is so pleasant.

If there is wisdom in the heart and knowledge is pleasant for the soul, “discretion” and “understanding” or the ability to discern can fulfill their protecting role (Pro 2:11; Pro 1:4-5). The power of these virtues is guarding and protecting. He who is discrete and has understanding, will be kept from going the wrong way or being tempted to sin. Spontaneity is qualified as a virtue in our days, but often this trait is a source of misery. Discretion is different from reluctance or hesitation. It involves consulting with the Lord and others, then acting with conviction.

The father tells his son in the following verses what the wrong way is (Pro 2:12-15) and how the temptation to sin comes to him (Pro 2:16-19).