My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-27 ESV)
Pay Attention
In Proverbs 4:20, we are first called to “be attentive” which is also translated “listen” or “pay attention.” This exhortation suggests that choice, diligence and even self-control are being called for by the teacher. We must choose to listen or pay attention, and we must apply ourselves or employ diligence to continue to be attentive, and we must use self-control to not allow distractions or other desires to pull our attention from what is being taught.
Be Teachable
In the second part of the couplet, we are told “incline your ear” which could be emphasizing or repeating the idea in the first part of the verse, which is not uncommon in Hebrew poetic or wisdom literature. It is also possible, that this phrase is offering a slightly different nuance. One could argue that it might be speaking to teachability. We need to both pay attention to receive information (physically), but also we need to receive information into our thinking, to allow it to change our ideas and behaviors. This speaks of maintaining a teachable heart.
What might interfere with teachability? I generated a short list of some of the attributes often associated with the fool, who is, at best, unteachable.
Unrighteous
Self-reliant
Divided heart
Arrogant
Lazy
Any one or more of these characteristics or patterns of behavior can render us unteachable. Let us examine ourselves to see where we fall short and how we may have allowed such patterns to become ours.
In Proverbs 4:21, we are exhorted not to let the sayings of the teacher escape from our sight–to “keep them within your heart.” The word “heart” here is also translated “mind.” In the ancient world, the heart was seen as the seat of the emotions and thoughts. The idea is that we should keep the scriptures–the words of the Creator before our eyes at all times. This would suggest, daily study, meditation (and memorization), and reminders of scripture throughout the day. This is similar to the teaching in Deuteronomy 6:6-9, “these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” This requires strategy, diligence and effort. It is the “working out” of one’s salvation spoken of by Paul in Philippians 2:12.
But the rewards will outweigh the effort required as we are told in Proverbs 4:22. “For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.” In these sayings (the Torah) is life and physical healing. What more could we desire?
It is our desire to help you grow in your knowledge of Adonai and His Word. If you are looking for additional information and/or materials, please visit our website at RootedinHisWord.org and our Facebook page.
Rooted and Grounded 