Day 5
This week we’re letting the book of Proverbs show us how to bring joy to our fathers. Let’s finish up the week with one more passage to think through.
Read
Proverbs 23:22–25
22 Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth and do not sell it—
wisdom, instruction and insight as well.
24 The father of a righteous child has great joy;
a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.
25 May your father and mother rejoice;
may she who gave you birth be joyful!
Ask Yourself
- Sum up what Proverbs has shown us in this passage and the other ones we’ve read about bringing joy to our fathers. Read what others say
Read what others say
On Proverbs 23:22–25
From Tremper Longman:
“This passage reminds us of the admonitions of the first part of Proverbs, and the connection between the emotional well-being of parents and the wisdom quotient of children reminds us of a number of proverbs (e.g., 10:1). It all begins with one’s willingness to pay attention to the instruction that wise parents impart to their children. The emphasis in the text on “begot”/“bore” underlines the basis for the accountability that children have toward those who want to instruct them. After all, the very life of the child is the result of the union between father and mother. Besides appeal to birth, v. 22 also specifies the advanced age of the mother. This reference to age is not an appeal to pity but rather fits in with the wisdom idea that advanced age has the consequence of additional experience, and therefore the mother is a source of great wisdom. This is a resource that should not be ignored, not to speak of despised.
Verse 23 adopts a commercial metaphor to emphasize the importance of wisdom and its associated qualities of truth, discipline, and understanding. The son should buy (acquire) wisdom but not sell it. After all, as we have seen in many places in Proverbs, there is no amount of wealth that would be worth parting company with wisdom.
Finally (vv. 24 and 25), if the son listens to the parents and pursues wisdom, then the parents will rejoice. This seems to be presented as a motive to the son. It assumes that the son would want the parents to be happy.” [1]
Explore on your own
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads!
Check out these 10 Bible verses that you can use to encourage Dad this Father’s Day.
Pray
Heavenly Father, thank you that you are the ultimate Father. Thank you that your love is so complete that it can fill in any gaps left by my earthly father. Because of the relationship I have with you, I am free to love and bless my earthly dad. Out of the grace you have given me, I can extend grace to him. I can praise you for the good in our relationship and seek your redemption for the bad. Thank you for being our great redeemer — the one who can bring beauty from ashes, joy from sorrows, and life from death. Amen
Talk about it
- Look back at your summary. Discuss what Proverbs teaches us about how we should relate to our parents, particularly our fathers. How can we apply this wisdom during different stages of life? From child/teenager to young adult to middle age and beyond?
Coming next week
Church kids of the 80’s, sway back and forth and sing it with me “Friends are friends forever, if the Lord’s the Lord of them…”
Next week we’re going to hear from another wonderful guest speaker who will help us discover what Proverbs has to say about friendship.
[1] Tremper Longman III, Proverbs, 429.