Pro 4:10-19 | KingComments | STEP | again paint two paths for the young man: the path of wisdom ( ) and the path of the wicked and evil men ( ). One path is that to the full sun, the other to the darkness of night. It is the choice between the narrow and the broad way. The son is again confronted, as it were, with the choice between the two trees in paradise. The choice is ultimately the choice between being obedient or not, with which it is the choice between life or death. The father repeats his instruction to listen and receive his words ( ; cf. ). He attaches to this the promise of many years of life. This concerns not only the number of years, but also the enjoyment of joy in life. It is about the quality of life, a full life, and that includes more than its earthly duration. It is deeply about the enjoyment of the life of the kingdom of peace, life forever. The words of the father contain teaching in going the way of wisdom, words that also show the way that leads to wisdom ( ). He leads him on the way there. It is the narrow way “that leads to life” ( ). If he is guided by the wise words of his father, he will be “led … in upright paths” and not go down winding roads. His conduct will be straightforward, righteous, holy and in truth. The way of wisdom is free from hindrances, obstacles, and free from enemies and dangers, making its progress sure ( ). There is freedom of movement. Although the believer walks in the narrow way, he walks in the freedom of the Word of God. He who lives by the teaching of the Word of God will not be hindered by anything in his progress. Even when running in the race, when hurrying to do the will of God, there is no danger of stumbling and falling down because of being entangled in sin ( ). We see going the way of wisdom in perfection with the Lord Jesus. The instruction to take hold of it and not let go ( ) means that opposing forces are at work. Those forces are bent on getting us to abandon the teaching we have received. ‘Not letting go’ means that the adversary is pulling to take it away from us. We take hold of instruction only if we know its value with our hearts. Wisdom is not only the means to advance in life, but she also herself is life. Something so essential must be taken hold of with vigor and enthusiasm. It can be compared to a rope thrown to someone who is in the water and cannot swim. It is shouted to him to grasp that rope and hold on to it. If he lets go of it, he will drown. That rope is his life. This is how we should grasp and hold the instruction, the teaching we receive.

‏ Proverbs 4:10-19

The Way of Wisdom

Pro 4:10-19 again paint two paths for the young man: the path of wisdom (Pro 4:10-13) and the path of the wicked and evil men (Pro 4:14-19). One path is that to the full sun, the other to the darkness of night. It is the choice between the narrow and the broad way. The son is again confronted, as it were, with the choice between the two trees in paradise. The choice is ultimately the choice between being obedient or not, with which it is the choice between life or death.

The father repeats his instruction to listen and receive his words (Pro 4:10; cf. Pro 4:1). He attaches to this the promise of many years of life. This concerns not only the number of years, but also the enjoyment of joy in life. It is about the quality of life, a full life, and that includes more than its earthly duration. It is deeply about the enjoyment of the life of the kingdom of peace, life forever.

The words of the father contain teaching in going the way of wisdom, words that also show the way that leads to wisdom (Pro 4:11). He leads him on the way there. It is the narrow way “that leads to life” (Mt 7:13). If he is guided by the wise words of his father, he will be “led … in upright paths” and not go down winding roads. His conduct will be straightforward, righteous, holy and in truth.

The way of wisdom is free from hindrances, obstacles, and free from enemies and dangers, making its progress sure (Pro 4:12). There is freedom of movement. Although the believer walks in the narrow way, he walks in the freedom of the Word of God. He who lives by the teaching of the Word of God will not be hindered by anything in his progress. Even when running in the race, when hurrying to do the will of God, there is no danger of stumbling and falling down because of being entangled in sin (Heb 12:1-2). We see going the way of wisdom in perfection with the Lord Jesus.

The instruction to take hold of it and not let go (Pro 4:13) means that opposing forces are at work. Those forces are bent on getting us to abandon the teaching we have received. ‘Not letting go’ means that the adversary is pulling to take it away from us. We take hold of instruction only if we know its value with our hearts. Wisdom is not only the means to advance in life, but she also herself is life. Something so essential must be taken hold of with vigor and enthusiasm.

It can be compared to a rope thrown to someone who is in the water and cannot swim. It is shouted to him to grasp that rope and hold on to it. If he lets go of it, he will drown. That rope is his life. This is how we should grasp and hold the instruction, the teaching we receive.

The Path of the Wicked

The young man is warned to avoid the path of evil men by not taking even one step on that path (Pro 4:14). If no first step is taken on that path, he will never end up wrong. This warning connects with the admonition to hold fast. He who goes in the path of wickedness loses his firm grip on sound teaching; he no longer holds firmly to it and will let go.

In Pro 4:15, in four short sentences in the imperative, the necessity of avoiding the path of evil men is presented to the young man. To choose that path means to choose the path of death. The father is very decisive:

1. First there is the inner attitude of rejecting that path.

2. Attached to that is the clear decision not to go down that path.

3. It is even that he must not even want to come near it; he must turn away from it

4. and pass by it, not set foot on it.

If he gets close to it, the suction can still suddenly become too powerful for him, causing him to end up on that path. He should walk around it with a curve and keep going. He should not dwell on it or look at it, even if from a distance. He should not pay attention to that path, but totally ignore it.

For the practice of life, it means that we should not be influenced by the thinking that determines the path of the world. If we are not commissioned by the Lord for it, we should not get involved in it and stay far away from it. We should not want to know all that can be experienced on that path.

Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, wanted to know what was on that path. She found it out. We see in what she experiences, where ignoring this command leads (Gen 34:1-2). She is a cautionary example. It may be appealing to read all kinds of gossip in magazines and on the Internet. We may want to do so with the excuse that, after all, we need to know what is going on in the world. But we should reject that thought. Not only should we not participate in gossip, we also should not take note of it. We must turn away from it and pass on.

The reason to avoid the evil path is its addictive effect (Pro 4:16). The wicked and evil men are addicted to evil (Psa 36:4). If they have not been able to do their daily portion of evil, they are upset, just as a drug user becomes upset if he does not get his daily dose of drugs. They become more and more restless, unable to sleep if they haven’t done something evil or made someone stumble. They are real children of their father, the devil.

They are not even after money or power anymore. Their concern is with evil itself. There is love for evil. Doing evil is their “bread” and “wine”, that is, their eating and drinking (Pro 4:17). These are the means with which Melchizedek came to the weary Abraham to strengthen him (Gen 14:18). These people, however, do not take this food and drink from the hand of God, but take it from “wickedness” and “violence”. That is what they eat from, that is what they live by, that is what they find their pleasure in. People who go this way lack any kind of human kindness.

Pro 4:18, which begins with the word “but”, shows the contrast with Pro 4:17 and makes it clear how dangerous the way and life of the wicked are. It is the contrast between darkness and light. The path of the righteous is a light that has risen in their life after living in darkness (cf. 1Pet 2:9). It breathes the freshness of the morning and casts around them the beauty of the rising sun.

The path itself is a light because on it truth, righteousness and holiness are seen. Christ is seen and He is the light. The righteous are also called the light of the world, who let their light shine before men (Mt 5:14 ; 16; Phil 2:15). The further the righteous progress on that path, the brighter the light will shine, until they end in full light. Then it will have become full day. That is the day of the kingdom of peace.

The path of the wicked is the deep darkness of sin and unbelief in the middle of the night (Pro 4:19; cf. Exo 10:22) through which they will stumble and fall. They have no idea what they are stumbling over, for they see nothing. Stumbling is also a result of wrong teaching of the law (Mal 2:8). There is darkness around them and within them. He who walks in the light does not stumble; he who walks in darkness stumbles ( Jn 11:9-10). He who walks in darkness ends up in everlasting darkness, where the light of God is changed into everlasting fire.