Hear, O My Son

Brian D. Dykstra, teacher at Hope PR Christian School in Walker, mI.

Proverbs 4:10: “Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.”

As Solomon continues his instruction about the benefits of wisdom, he is very concerned about his audience. He is speaking to his son, a deeply personal relationship. Solomon is not addressing a steward in his household. He is not seeking to increase the productivity of his land by passing on some agricultural insight to a husbandman. Neither is Solomon speaking to a neighbour or friend. Although these relationships can be deep, long-lasting and greatly treasured, each will soon go his own way and live a separate life.

Solomon speaks to his son, one of the closest relationships God has created, a parent to his child. Also, Solomon does not speak here to his sons as a group. This is a one on one conversation, intimate. While the son is under his father’s roof, their lives share many things. They share a great many details in their lives and relationships. A father is responsible to give his son a start in life, not just in making a living, to pay the bills; but a godly father points to the way of developing a covenant relationship with his Father in heaven.

Solomon commands his son to hear. This is already the fourth time this word has been used in Proverbs. Solomon has used synonyms as well on a few other occasions. As teachers, we are painfully aware of the different levels of hearing. There are days when our words appear to go in one ear of students and out the other. When a class is large and talkative, we can feel our presence in the classroom is not all that effective. Perhaps all the students need is a recorded message, repeated every few minutes, telling them to calm down, be quiet and concentrate on their work. That behaviour is not really hearing.

God chose the word “hear” for Solomon to use because of its implications. The hearer is intelligently engaged in the conversation. This instruction is one-on-one, not one-on-twenty-five as is often the case in a classroom where, understandably, a child’s attention can wander. Solomon has the attention of his son. As Solomon speaks to his son, they can look each other in the eye. Solomon also expects obedience from his son. His son will hear, attentively and intelligently, and then will obey.

Once the son hears the instruction, he must receive it. Solomon is not pleading with his son. He isn’t making an offer to his son, an offer which his son can take or refuse according to his whim. Solomon commands his son to receive his sayings, to take it in, in the same way we receive nourishment from good food. It is in us. It becomes part of us. It sustains us. This is Solomon’s goal for the instruction he gives.

Solomon commands his son to hear and receive his sayings. This is a broad term and can include many things. However, what has Solomon been talking about so far in Proverbs? Solomon was quite wealthy. Many people would like to have Solomon teach them about wise investing and how to make money. However, Proverbs does not pass along get-rich-quick schemes. Nor is Solomon instructing his son in posturing, how to show bravado so as not to be taken advantage of by others. We have not read about how to make sure one is not getting the short end of the stick in some deal.

Solomon gives his son the instruction he needs to view the world properly. The world is a dangerous place, filled with temptations for a young man. His son needs discretion to know good from evil. The son needs to see the ultimate end of temptation. Sin appears good. Satan deceitfully presents his way of evil as a path filled with excitement and pleasure. Solomon shows his son the real end of temptation and sin; and it is not pleasant.

Solomon’s sayings have been pointing out to his son the fear of the Lord. Jehovah is Lord. It is His right to give commandments which He demands be obeyed. The Lord has the right to tell how to behave in the various relationships in life. The Lord decrees what has true value and what will last. The son must fear Him who rules over every aspect of life. The son must know the world seeks to turn us away from God and join them in their way of sin. The world demands the son will fear public opinion and the derision they display for those who strive to lead a godly life.

Solomon has a promised benefit for his son for hearing and receiving his sayings. He speaks of a life of many years. This cannot refer to a long earthly life. Although God has given many of His saints long life, a life with many joyful days, and we can desire that God allows us to live out what we believe to be our full allotment of years, such is not always how life unfolds. We know of wicked people who have lived for many years and have enjoyed more than they could have wished. At the other end of the spectrum of life, we are sadly aware that those who love God do not always have long lives. In the summer of 2015, our denomination witnessed that God may take an eight-year-old son or a thirty-year-old father. God’s will is done.

This life of many years is found in heaven. God ultimately fulfils His promises there. There our lives will increase to the full measure of God’s blessing and fellowship. God’s people will not scarcely scrape by in heaven, carefully parcelling out meagre rations. We will not worry about having enough to see us through periods of want. God has heaped heavenly blessings and riches for His elect.

May God work by His Spirit in the hearts of His children so they hear and receive His truth, a truth which will give them a life of everlasting years in the risen and exalted Christ.

Wisdom’s Crown

Brian D. Dykstra, teacher at Hope PRCS in Walker, MI

Proverbs 4:9: “She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.”

So far in Proverbs 4, Solomon has addressed his listeners as children and referred to himself as their father. He wrote of the goodness of his doctrine and that his children are not to forsake his law. He reminded them that the instruction he is giving them is the same as that which he received when he was a child.

Solomon then spoke of wisdom and understanding. In an interesting shift, Solomon then began to speak of wisdom as a woman who is not to be forsaken because she is far too valuable. Those who exalt and embrace her, she will promote and honour.

In this verse, God gives us a promise. The Authorized Version uses the word “shall” two times in this verse. Years ago more people understood there was a difference in meaning between “will” and “shall.” “Will” was used to express something which you hoped. If you said you “will” do something, you admitted that, life being what it is, what you said you would do, you might not be able to do after all. “Shall” was used to express the coming of something certain. We will do this or that, but unforeseen circumstances could change that. However, the sun shall set in the west. We are certain that’s going to happen.

Wisdom has two things she shall give and deliver to us: an ornament of grace and a crown of glory. Ornaments and crowns are not numbered among the necessities of life. We would be interested in the gold, perhaps. Maybe you have heard radio ads talking about how gold is a great investment and a way to protect yourself from some coming social or financial upheaval. Yet when disasters strike, who is in great demand? The people with the gold? Is that where the long lines form? People have a great need for gold in emergencies? No, it is the people who have generators, gasoline for the generators, water and storable food who are in demand.

The value of the ornament and the crown, then, is in what they represent. What is this ornament for the head? Could it be a necklace, earrings or, which was part of the culture in those days, a nose ring? This ornament is a decoration but the word has a verb as its root. The verb refers to twisting or twining things together in order to make them one object. This suggests that this ornament is a wreath. People make wreaths by twisting plant material together.

Wreaths were the rewards of victory. Victors in athletic contests were given wreaths. Did the Jews in biblical times have the same use for wreaths? Athletes earn their victories through careful preparation and exercise. They work hard to earn the victories they achieve. Yes, sometimes victory comes by way of a break along the way but they were ready to take advantage of the break. The athlete had won the contest and could now display the symbol of his achievement.

Wisdom gives us this ornament of grace. It is a wreath of victory but we had better not forget this is not an ornament of works. Wisdom does not reward us for our work. We have the victory but the victory is ours by grace alone. Wisdom gives us this ornament as a gift. We are not given this ornament because we have striven for it. It is not ours because we have expressed more interest in it than have others. It is of grace alone.

Wisdom also delivers us a crown. Deliver often means to be snatched away from trouble. Here it means to hand something over safely. Someone had the task of bringing an item to someone else and he has done so. Again, we did not do any work for this crown. Wisdom delivers to us this crown as a gift of grace. We will not, as a popular hymn states, “Cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.” What! The last great step of salvation is something I do myself? I am just at the threshold of heaven, and now there is something I must do? To obtain this crown of glory must I perform an act, an exchange? Salvation’s final step, obtaining the crown of glory, comes down to my work of making a change? No, wisdom safely and graciously delivers the crown of glory to us, God’s elect.

Kings and queens wear crowns. Royalty rule over earthly kingdoms, often in great, yet transient, splendour. However, we, the poor in spirit, shall rule! By wisdom we do not have our hearts set on some earthly kingdom. We know how long this earth will last. All of this creation will pass away, perhaps soon. When the chess game is done, the exalted king and queen, and the lowly pawns are all returned to the same box together. What good is a crown in the grave? Possessing the true wisdom of God’s Word, we look forward to the kingship of all believers. All the elect will wear crowns of glory as we rule with Christ in His perfect, heavenly kingdom. This crown is not vain but has true, enduring value.

That is the wisdom we hope God uses our churches, homes and schools to give to our children.

A Living Testimony

Brian D. Dykstra

Psalm 119:63: “I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.”

God created man as a social being. Each of us needs to experience that there is a place where we belong. Also, though God saves each individual who belongs to Him, we are not delivered in different individual ways but in the one way of the cross as those who belong to the body of Christ.

We are, however, social to different degrees. Some saints move comfortably only within a small circle of people. Then there are those who are similar to a dear friend of mine. He loves plenty of companionship and conversation. When he was faced with the reality of a 2200-mile solitary drive, he realized this would be a punishment for him. He began to call his friends to find one who would fly out to meet him, then ride/drive with him. I went. We soon settled into a routine for the expedition. When he drove, I would listen; when I drove, he would sleep. We, and the friendship, survived the trek.

In the church, this companionship is expressed as the communion of the saints. This is the fellowship of the living body of Christ. The communion of the saints, fellowship with other believers, is one of the purposes of our school. We desire our children to have godly companions.

We do not expect all of the students to have all of the other students as their best friends. There are differences of personalities and interests. Getting along and showing kindness are the best we can expect in some cases.

Still, we need to remember that we truly are companions for one another. A companion is one who goes along with another. We share in what another is doing. There is a fundamental agreement among us which we must express; not only in words but also in deeds. Each of us, according to the plan God has ordained, is walking the path of faith. God has the same final destination for all His saints. We must remember an important element of this path which we share with our companions. The path is marked by grace. None of us are on this path because of our own choosing or deserving. None of us deserves to be on this path which leads to such a beautiful end.

Psalm 119:63 tells us who our companions are. The word “all” is used. The condition of much of the church world today would lead many to stop the definition of our companions right there. The ecumenical movement once sought to have all those who walked under any banner of Christianity unite and join in brotherhood. Now, there are those who would have us believe our companions on the path to glory also include Muslims, Buddhists and anyone who bows to anything!

Our companions on this path have traits which allow us to recognize them. We are companions to those that “fear thee,” Jehovah. Fearing any god of one’s choosing will not do for a foundation of true godly companionship. We must be companions of all those who fear God. All on the path share the realization of what God has done for us. We fear to offend this merciful God who has so graciously delivered us from our sins.

Do we see someone who fears the Lord? Then we are a companion to them. We must not be willing to be companions only to the popular, sociable, physically attractive or talented. It is very well possible that there are fellow saints with whom it seems the only thing we have in common is the grace which delivers us from our sins.

Showing companionship is easier when we remember what we are: sinners saved by grace. There are not two paths to heaven, one of grace and one of works. We may not say, “Well, that brother is good enough to be saved by his works, but that other one? He is definitely saved only by grace. I do not share the same experience of salvation with him!” We are saved in the same gracious way, from the same deserved fate and to the same awaited glory.

When we live as companions to each other, we will give a powerful testimony to the world. Hope School’s Constitution (Article II, 4) mentions this under its purpose statement. “This school shall be a living testimony by word and deed in this community whereby all students and teachers demonstrate that the Kingdom of God comes first in their lives.” A little later we read, “We actively seek out and help those in need, as what we do for others is the same as doing it for God Himself.”

May God dwell in us by His Spirit so we and our children experience the encouragement we need as we walk as companions on the path which leads to glory in Jesus Christ.

Back in the Trenches

Brian D. Dykstra, teacher at Hope PRCS in Walker, MI

Psalm 28:7: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”

Unless I have lost track, which is a possibility, the first Song-of-the-Week for the new school year comes from Psalm 28. This Psalm serves to remind us of the purpose of our schools.

Many of the Psalms have a military (or militant) theme which is not surprising when we recall David’s life. We know of David’s conflict with Saul, his fighting against Saul’s house after Saul’s death, his warfare against the Philistines and the rebellion of Absalom. However, we sometimes overlook David’s struggles when he watched his father’s sheep. Being a shepherd was not always a peaceful job where one could sit in a pasture and constantly count sheep. Before going out to meet the defiant challenge of Goliath, David recalled his killing a lion and a bear to protect the sheep. Militant Psalms are consistent with David’s life. In the age of forsaking truth for the sake of worldwide religious unity, such militant Psalms are not popular.

We and our children need to remember that we are part of the church militant. At school, our children do not always treat each other as they should. Harsh words are spoken and echoed. Angry looks are given and returned. As adults, we sometimes have disagreements about decisions relating to school policy. We do not expect total agreement all the time and brotherly disagreements are not bad. Yet, we must be careful that our children do not have the impression that we are the church militant because we fight, instead of disagree, among ourselves. We are a militant church because we fight against sin, evil and temptation.

In Psalm 28:1, David says that God is his rock. Rock sometimes refers to a natural shelter from storms, but it also refers to a sharp, natural formation which could be used as a fort. If other men had the success in battle which David had, they might have boasted of their own strength or ability to take care of themselves. David knew and confessed God to be his rock.

As a spiritual soldier, David also prays against his enemies by asking God to “Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours” (v. 4). Yet, David is careful in the definition of his enemies. He does not ask God to punish all of those unclean, uncircumcised Gentiles. Some of his countrymen might have agreed with such a prayer. By his own experience, David knew some Gentiles who served God as he did. His personal body guard, the Cherethites, Pelethites and Gittites were Philistines. Were all these Gentiles loyal to David only because they could share in the spoils of his military accomplishments or did some, or perhaps many, love David because of a shared love for Israel’s God? In verses three and five, David defines his enemies as those who are deceitful and do not regard the works of the Lord.

We, as members of the church militant, also need to recognize the enemy. David did not use a broad brush and paint all Gentiles as his enemies, nor did he assume all Israelites were loyal to him. As soldiers, we require spiritual discretion to recognize those who are true spiritual enemies.

Spiritual soldiers also need strongholds and shields. My concordance tells me that the word “strength” in verse seven is sometimes translated as stronghold (Nahum 1:7). We need a place where we can keep our weapons at hand and sharpened for battle. We can meet there with fellow soldiers to defend ourselves or go out in strength to meet the enemy.

Would anyone care to go to a biblical era battlefield without a shield? Battlefields are not friendly places. David knew better than to propose to meet the enemy with a “group hug” to dispel all feelings of animosity. David’s second proposal would not have been to meet in conference with the enemy’s king to find “common ground” between Jehovah and the enemy’s idols. Our spiritual enemies do not have our well being in mind. They may say they have the good of all mankind at heart, if we were only to join them, but they are deceitful. The world tolerates sin and blasphemy in many forms, but it will not tolerate the truth as was evidenced by the world’s and the false church’s reaction when the Truth came in our flesh. We had better have the shield of faith as given by God because there are sure to be hostilities in our spiritual warfare.

Let’s rededicate ourselves to the support of our schools as members of the church militant. God will bless our efforts when performed in faith and in obedience to His command. What success as soldiers could any of us have if we were to rely on our own ability, strength or natural discretion? May God use the instruction given in our schools so our children confess God to be their rock, strength and shield. May our lives be a song of praise to Him.