Taking advice
"Listen my, son, to your father's instruction ..." Proverbs 1:8 [NIV]
The first 10 chapters of Proverbs are in the form of advice from a father to a son. After that follow 20 chapters the wise words of King Solomon with a few wise words of some oracles appended at the end.
The son is advised to seek out wisdom. Appropriately, for advice to a young man, wisdom is personified as a beautiful and honourable woman, the sort he (or his parents) would want for him to choose as his wife! The son is advised at all costs to avoid her counterpart the adulteress who seduces with fine sentiments and false promises, and who tempts with material and sensual pleasures and leads into sin. (You might compare her to Satan).
"Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honour you. She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendour." Proverbs 4:7-9 [NIV]
Advice can too easily be given as a set of rules "do this, do that, don't do this, don't do that.." but the wise parent realises that as children mature and take on more and more responsibility for their own decisions and actions, they need the freedom to learn by taking risks and making mistakes. So the father sets out consequences of courses of action and leaves the son to decide, but he does put up a good case for seeking wisdom and hopes the son will take on the quest for wisdom for himself!
Surely any young man would desire these benefits of wisdom:
"Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men" (2:12)
"It will save you also from the adulteress" (2:16)
"Discretion will protect you and understanding will guard you" (2:11)
"My words will…prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity" (3:2)
Mairi Mowbray
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