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Jesus said to judge teachers by the fruit their teaching bears. The fruit of theonomy is often sweet smelling and pleasing to the eyes, but it is rotten to the core. If you are looking to learn more about a theological topic that will instantly have practical applications, I commend this book to you as an excellent starting point for deeper study of theonomy.
The point of this chapter is to exhort all people to listen to the Lord and live. Gill: Listen, “not the commandments of the law only, but the commandments of Christ; and even the doctrines of Christ are so called, as faith in him, and love to the saints, (1 John 3:23; John 14:21,23); which is the way to live comfortably, peaceably, pleasantly, and honourably.” In this context, as in many places in Scripture, listening is more than hearing; it conveys the idea of obedience; that is the goal. Solomon’s warning is that the harlot offers pleasure but delivers death.
There is wisdom from God for everyone – redeemed or not. Bridges: “So graciously has our God made his book, not only our guide to heaven, but the directory of our common life.” Those who know not the redeeming love of God will find their lives better if they heed the wisdom presented in Proverbs and the rest of the Bible. That will not save their souls, but it will make this life better and it may make them wise unto salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus. For us who are children of God, our desire should be to walk as children of the light – according to the wisdom revealed to us in Proverbs and the rest of the Bible. This won’t reduce time in Purgatory – that being a fictional place – but it be pleasing to our Father. And what child doesn’t want to please his Father?
Mere academic studies with no eternal focus will wear a person
out. The sum of man’s duty is to fear God and keep His commandments. Are we
teaching this to ourselves and to our children? We need wisdom from God to do
this. Are we asking Him for this? He delights in giving wisdom to His children.
Let’s seek to delight our Father and humbly ask Him for wisdom, day-by-day.
Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is
your life. Wisdom from God is the way of life. Seek out the Lord of wisdom,
embrace Him, exalt Him. This is the way – walk in it.
In this passage, we see there is a horizontal as well as a vertical aspect of how we live. Coram Deo is a Latin phrase that means to live one’s life before God, aware that nothing is hidden from Him, for the glory of His name; this is the vertical aspect. 1 Corinthians 10:31 is the classic passage on this: whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. We are told in many places that all who name Christ as Lord are to also to live honorably before men; this is the horizontal aspect. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus commands us, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. In 1 Peter 2:12, we are told to have our conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. By living for the glory of God, some people will come to glorify Him. This is our aim, whether we see the results of our obedience or not.
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In some ways, this short passage sums up the bulk of chapter 1 – counsel to a beloved son about the value of wisdom. A big difference is the change in tone. In chapter 1, Wisdom mainly addressed stiff-necked fools, with much warning and rebuke. Here, Wisdom addresses the humble, who desire to know what Wisdom has to say. Proverbs will have a lot to say to us about wisdom. We need to listen.
