Pro 4:20-27 | KingComments | STEP | The section of is about life. There follows a kind of “medical examination” of the heart, mouth, eyes and feet to see what condition they are in, to teach the son to use them properly. The whole outward life comes from what is in the heart ( ). By the heart is meant the center of existence, the whole of who a person is as a human being, with his mind, his will and his feelings. In that center, the Word of God must be given its place. The heart must be guarded, we must watch what comes into it. When good comes in, good comes out. What comes out comes out through mouth and lips ( ), eyes and gaze (or eyelids) ( ), feet and ways ( ). If it is right with the heart, the mouth knows what to say, the eyes where to look, the feet where to go. This is possible when the heart is filled with the fear of the LORD. Again, the father calls on his son to give attention to his words ( ). Such a call recurs again and again in this book because Godliness lies largely in adhering to known truths. The son must incline his ear to what his father says. He must be a willing and good listener, because these are words of utmost importance. Nor must he let those words depart from his eyes; he must always keep his eyes fixed on them ( ). He can do this quite literally by writing them down (cf. ). It will help him keep them “in the midst” of his heart. By using his ear, his eyes and his heart, his whole person will be governed by his father’s words. The result is life and health ( ). The words of Scripture, the words of Christ, “are spirit and are life” ( ). They free from evil things that cause pain and hinder the living of true life. Hearing and heeding the teaching promotes the well-being of the whole person. Sin destroys the body. Some examples are AIDS due to sinful sexual contacts and anorexia due to an unhealthy spirit of control. Those who return with confession of sins to the path of wisdom can find healing. After the instruction in to keep wisdom in the heart follows in the instruction to watch over the heart. This means that there is danger of the intrusion of wrong elements who want to take control. This happens through the mind or thought life, will and feeling. The heart can be watched over through constant prayer, listening to God’s Word and sanctification by the Spirit of God. The heart is the starting point of the activities of life and determines the course of life. It includes what a person says ( ), sees ( ) and does ( ). What is present in the heart is shown first and most clearly by the words that come out of the mouth and over the lips ( ; cf. ; ). From our words must be removed what does not come from a heart governed by wisdom. There must be a radical break between the youth and falsity in his words (cf. ). The “eyes” must look directly ahead, that is, the eyes are simple, focused on one goal ( ). That goal here is to gain wisdom, which is Christ, to gain Him. We can also say that the goal is that the son “looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer” ( ). He must constantly look to the precepts of the Word of God that his father holds out to him. In them he sees promises and also examples that encourage him to look straight ahead to the goal. The “gaze” must be kept straight in front of him. Concentration on the goal must be so intense that he does not even blink his eyes. If the eye wanders aimlessly and adulterously, adulterous acts follow. The Lord Jesus speaks of looking straight ahead when He says: “So then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light” ( ). By this He is saying that the whole body knows what to do when the eye is focused on the one goal. The command to look straight ahead has a direct effect on the “foot” of the youth ( ). He must pave the trail for his foot (cf. ). He must make his path passable, clearing it of potholes and smoothing it by clearing it of stumbling blocks. Then all his “ways will be established” that is, he can walk a reliable path that constantly leads straight to the goal. There is a clear connection between what our eyes look at and where we place our feet. Anyone who drives a car knows that looking straight ahead is the only way to keep the car straight on the road. The same is true for the farmer who plows. He also looks to the end of the field to pull straight furrows. If Lot’s wife had looked straight ahead and not looked back, she would not have turned into a pillar of salt ( ). Not looking straight ahead is fatal. The Lord Jesus therefore says: “Remember Lot’s wife” ( ). The principle is clear that our feet tend to follow our eyes. We determine the course of our path by what we focus our eyes on. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews speaks of a race. He emphasizes that the point is to refrain from all other things while keeping our eye focused exclusively on one object, Christ in glory ( ). The instruction in the last verse ( ) connects to the previous verse. The son must not leave the way the father shows him by going right or left ( ; ). To do so, he must listen to the voice of God ( ). Turning to the right means for us not to fall into legalism and orthodoxy, and turning to the left means not to fall into liberalism and idolatry. Nor should threats lead him to deviate from the path, any more than flattery. The same goes for adversity and prosperity. He must go straight on the designated path. By turning his foot away from evil, he will create distance between himself and evil.

‏ Proverbs 4:20-27

Watch Your Heart, Lips, Eyes and Feet

The section of Pro 4:20-27 is about life. There follows a kind of “medical examination” of the heart, mouth, eyes and feet to see what condition they are in, to teach the son to use them properly. The whole outward life comes from what is in the heart (Pro 4:21 ; 23). By the heart is meant the center of existence, the whole of who a person is as a human being, with his mind, his will and his feelings. In that center, the Word of God must be given its place.

The heart must be guarded, we must watch what comes into it. When good comes in, good comes out. What comes out comes out through mouth and lips (Pro 4:24), eyes and gaze (or eyelids) (Pro 4:25), feet and ways (Pro 4:26). If it is right with the heart, the mouth knows what to say, the eyes where to look, the feet where to go. This is possible when the heart is filled with the fear of the LORD.

Again, the father calls on his son to give attention to his words (Pro 4:20). Such a call recurs again and again in this book because Godliness lies largely in adhering to known truths. The son must incline his ear to what his father says. He must be a willing and good listener, because these are words of utmost importance.

Nor must he let those words depart from his eyes; he must always keep his eyes fixed on them (Pro 4:21). He can do this quite literally by writing them down (cf. Deu 17:18). It will help him keep them “in the midst” of his heart. By using his ear, his eyes and his heart, his whole person will be governed by his father’s words.

The result is life and health (Pro 4:22). The words of Scripture, the words of Christ, “are spirit and are life” (Jn 6:63). They free from evil things that cause pain and hinder the living of true life. Hearing and heeding the teaching promotes the well-being of the whole person. Sin destroys the body. Some examples are AIDS due to sinful sexual contacts and anorexia due to an unhealthy spirit of control. Those who return with confession of sins to the path of wisdom can find healing.

After the instruction in Pro 4:21 to keep wisdom in the heart follows in Pro 4:23 the instruction to watch over the heart. This means that there is danger of the intrusion of wrong elements who want to take control. This happens through the mind or thought life, will and feeling. The heart can be watched over through constant prayer, listening to God’s Word and sanctification by the Spirit of God. The heart is the starting point of the activities of life and determines the course of life. It includes what a person says (Pro 4:24), sees (Pro 4:25) and does (Pro 4:26-27).

What is present in the heart is shown first and most clearly by the words that come out of the mouth and over the lips (Pro 4:24; cf. Lk 6:45c; Mt 12:34-35 ; Mt 15:18-19). From our words must be removed what does not come from a heart governed by wisdom. There must be a radical break between the youth and falsity in his words (cf. Eph 4:29).

The “eyes” must look directly ahead, that is, the eyes are simple, focused on one goal (Pro 4:25). That goal here is to gain wisdom, which is Christ, to gain Him. We can also say that the goal is that the son “looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer” (Jam 1:25). He must constantly look to the precepts of the Word of God that his father holds out to him. In them he sees promises and also examples that encourage him to look straight ahead to the goal.

The “gaze” must be kept straight in front of him. Concentration on the goal must be so intense that he does not even blink his eyes. If the eye wanders aimlessly and adulterously, adulterous acts follow. The Lord Jesus speaks of looking straight ahead when He says: “So then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light” (Mt 6:22). By this He is saying that the whole body knows what to do when the eye is focused on the one goal.

The command to look straight ahead has a direct effect on the “foot” of the youth (Pro 4:26). He must pave the trail for his foot (cf. Heb 12:13). He must make his path passable, clearing it of potholes and smoothing it by clearing it of stumbling blocks. Then all his “ways will be established” that is, he can walk a reliable path that constantly leads straight to the goal.

There is a clear connection between what our eyes look at and where we place our feet. Anyone who drives a car knows that looking straight ahead is the only way to keep the car straight on the road. The same is true for the farmer who plows. He also looks to the end of the field to pull straight furrows. If Lot’s wife had looked straight ahead and not looked back, she would not have turned into a pillar of salt (Gen 19:17 ; 26). Not looking straight ahead is fatal. The Lord Jesus therefore says: “Remember Lot’s wife” (Lk 17:32).

The principle is clear that our feet tend to follow our eyes. We determine the course of our path by what we focus our eyes on. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews speaks of a race. He emphasizes that the point is to refrain from all other things while keeping our eye focused exclusively on one object, Christ in glory (Heb 12:1-2).

The instruction in the last verse (Pro 4:27) connects to the previous verse. The son must not leave the way the father shows him by going right or left (Deu 5:32 ; Deu 28:13-14; Jos 1:7). To do so, he must listen to the voice of God (Isa 30:21). Turning to the right means for us not to fall into legalism and orthodoxy, and turning to the left means not to fall into liberalism and idolatry.

Nor should threats lead him to deviate from the path, any more than flattery. The same goes for adversity and prosperity. He must go straight on the designated path. By turning his foot away from evil, he will create distance between himself and evil.