Reflections From The Proverbs: Teaching and Learning

Teaching and Learning

Proverbs Chapter 1
Verse 8. Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
Verse 9. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
On the heels of telling us that a reverent fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, Solomon goes immediately to the next important factor, parental instruction. The King James Version says: hear the instruction of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother.. The word hear is the Hebrew word (shama), it means to hear intelligently with the implication of attention and obedience. The word instruction is the Hebrew word (muwcar), it means chastisement, reproof, warning or instruction. The word law is the Hebrew word (towrah) or (torah) this word denotes a precept or statute especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch.
This passage takes for granted that mothers were teaching their children the ways of godliness and that fathers were backing it up with discipline and reproof.
The flip side of this "obey your parents" coin is the not so subtle message to parents to be sure to teach the Word of God to your children. Do not depend on Sunday school teachers or youth directors or pastors, and do not leave them on their own to find God. It is the responsibility of parents to pass on to the next generation a knowledge of the Creator and how to have a relationship with him . There would be very few parents who don’t want the best for their children. I like how the New Living Translation words this section of scripture, it says: Listen, my child, to what your father teaches you. Don’t neglect your mother’s teaching. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and clothe you with honor.

In my mind, I can picture Olympic winners being adorned with wreaths on their heads and chains of gold around their necks.
The twofold message here is to teach well and to learn well. We might remember that we continue to both learn and teach as long as we live
I want to add one final note. Not everyone is blessed with parents who teach godly ways. You may be thinking, no way do I want to follow the ways of my parents. If this is your situation, ask God to place people in your life that you can look to and learn from. God wants you to have godly instruction and good examples. Ask Him to direct you to godly surrogates. It is God’s desire that we receive an ornament of grace unto our head and chains about our neck.

I pray that parents will will understand the great importance of passing the torch to the next generation.