What kind of life was Solomon promising?

My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.

Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine
.

So wisdom brings long life, peace, favor, good success, straight paths, healing and refreshment, filled barns and bursting wine vats.

And yet the author of Hebrews invokes the very next words in Proverbs to tell his readers to be prepared to face martyrdom:

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

One thought on “What kind of life was Solomon promising?

  1. Chuck Summers

    Mark,

    All of the admonishments above make us turn away from ourselves to serve God, a very difficult task and certainly goes against our very fallen nature. God’s commandments are a gracious gift to us who are His sons and He is a good Father to give us incentives to obedience. Does it go against the idea of the Holy Spirit working in us to obedience when God promises blessings in response to our obedience? Or does God use these means to make us obedient? Heaven forbid that we should look to God’s blessings when we obey Him! :^)

    Will we also be good fathers when we follow His example by giving good gifts to our children when they obey us? Are we buying their affection? I don’t think so. Does God buy our affection by blessing us with so many good things when we obey? He already did that with His own sacrifice of His Son.

    Thanks Mark

    your friend,
    Chuck

    Reply

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