He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof Will dwell among the wise. He who neglects discipline despises himself, But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. Proverbs 15:31-32

If you want to be wise, you will have to learn the value of reproof and rebuke. That is a tough thing to do because very few of us take to these things at all. We are fallen creatures therefore a couple things are true of us. First of all, we usually think we are right. This creates a problem because we react with pride and defensiveness when we are rebuked and reproved. Second of all, we are rebellious. Therefore when someone offers correction our first response is to resist and resent it. But as we will see from today's proverb of the day, these things can really hurt us.

We dwell among the wise when our ear is open to "life-giving reproof." I am so glad that when God inspired this He made a distinction between life-giving reproof and other kinds of reproof. The difference between these two is that life-giving reproof is correction that is bent toward blessing us and offering us rebuke that will turn us away from sin and turn us to God who gives us life. To be reproved in this way turns us from our own way, the way of the world, and the way of destruction - which is how the devil will seek to offer us. Thus it turns us away from death and sin, and instead points us into the way of life - or said another way - into the ways of God. Regular reproof is correction based out of an idividual's preferences. Jesus was reproved . . . often. He faced Pharisees who rebuked Him for His teaching, His miracles, and the people He chose to hang around. People will reprove you for walking in the ways of God. This kind of reproof requires both understanding and discernment on our part. Just because someone reproves you, does not mean that they are correct in their reproof. That is why Solomon warns us only to open our ear to "life-giving" reproof.

We read in verse 32 of a person who neglects discipline. The word discipline means instruction that offers truth and a disciplinary rebuke or correction. Godly men and women offer discipline to us to bless us in the end. But the unwise man rejects it outright. When he does this Scripture tells us that he "despises himself." He hates himself when he does these things. The rejection of all discipline and moral limits will destroy our lives. You can easily see in a child who is a spoiled brat this danger. The child gets his own way - and is not corrected so as to learn wise and godly behavior. In the end this child will destroy himself with their selfishness and self-centered behavior.

The one who listens to godly reproof will aquire "understanding." The word here refers to the heart - or the inner moral life and compass that we need to have. When we listen to reproof and learn from it - our inner moral compass is set by God's standards. We learn right and wrong. We may simply respond to discipline by avoiding the pain of it at first. This is the response of a child who is spanked early on in life. The initially avoid the behaviors to avoid pain. But after a while the child, if trained properly, is also learning "why" they are not to do something. The process teaches understanding. The child learns from the wisdom of the parent that there are reasons to avoid the moral bahavior. This understanding will guide them and teach them that when discpline comes - it is from love that people offer it. When followed such wisdom will truly bless any man or woman who will take the time - and often the pain that rebuke often brings - to learn from it.

Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, But he who regards reproof will be honored. Proverbs 13:18

Everyone would like to see their hopes and dreams realized. One of these dreams is that of earning a fortune. The conventional wisdom of this world says that if you work hard and apply yourself these things can be yours. But the Word of God counsels us a little differently. There is more to success than just making a lot of money because you work hard. Far too many men who stepped on the road to their riches - wound up unable to achieve them because they would not listen to counsel and accept discipline. They would not take wise advice - and as a result were not honored in the end.

The Word of God ties the whole idea of wealth and blessing to something more than hard work. The Bible teaches us to work hard and apply ourselves in what we do. That is why we hear about the "protestant work ethic." But there is so much more to "true success" than just having a lot of money. Real success biblically is tied most of all to knowing and walking in God's favor. Beyond that God also speaks of things like character and virtue. These things are developed by not only working hard - but also in submitting to the counsel of wise and godly people. What many people do not understand is that submission to such wise counsel also means being willing to accept criticism. Let me put before you two Old Testament examples from which we can learn.

We first come to a King in the Old Testament named Rehoboam. He was the son of Solomon who received the kingdom when his father died. The people came to him asking for him to lighten the load that his father put on them. Rehoboam asked his father's counselors what to do. They advised him to take a position of servant to the poeple, lighten their load, and they would serve him. He rejected such counsel and chose instead to listen to his own friends who said to be harsh and tell the people who was king and who was in charge. He rejected wise counsel from godly men. The end was that he was NOT honored. He wound up losing 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel. He also was humbled further when he would not listen to God's life-giving rebuke and turn from his idolatrous ways. In the end, his kingdom was severely weakened and eventually overrun by Egypt.

The second king we seek to learn from is David. David was confronted and rebuked by Nathan the prophet for his sexual sin with Bathsheba. Instead of neglecting this correction and discipline, he received it - and was restored. He had some pretty severe discipline for what he did - but never rebelled against it. He knew he deserved far worse - and therefore submitted himself to God in all of it. David was honored for being a man after God's own heart. Such praise was given because of his repentance and willingness to undergo and learn from discipline. It turned him from a disastrous course and back into the arms of God.

It is so important that we be wise and learn that it takes hard work and discipline to truly succeed in life. Those who do such things will be blessed in the end. Their lives may not be profiled among the rich and the famous - but they will be honored in the one place where it matters. They will be honored before the throne of God in the day of judgment. It is there where we find out whether we are blessed and wealthy - or whether we are going to know eternal poverty and shame. Be wise - choose the former - submit to God - and listen to life-giving rebuke.

He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, But he who ignores reproof goes astray.   Proverbs 10:17

If we are wanting to be blessed in life - we are going to have to embrace two things.  These things are the ability to be taught or instructed, and the ability to have someone correct or reprove us. 

This proverb puts it right out there for us - the path of life is wide open for the one who heeds instruction.  This means we need to be teachable!  Note it is not just the ability to hear someone - but we learn to heed what they say.  The word instruction is important for us to grasp here.  The word means to be instructed and disciplined.  The primary instruction that it speaks of in Scripture is that of a father.  When we learn to be instructed and disciplined by our fathers - it carries over into all of life later.  There is a general ability to receive instruction in general.  The other major figure who instructs in this way is God.  Therefore - if we struggle being instructed by our fathers - it should not shock us when later in life we are unteachable - not only by others - but even by God Himself.  Remember this . . . how we deal with dear ole dad - is a precursor to how we will one day be able to deal with God or anyone else.  Rebel against dad - it is more likely that you will rebel against others and God. 

The second half of this proverb tells us that when we ignore reproof - we will go astray.  The word "ignores" is the Hebrew word "azab" which means to forsake, abandon, or leave something.  The idea is that of walking away - and not caring about someone.  The word is used of those who forsake their wives - of those who abandoned their cities in a time of battle - and of those who forsake God.  Reproof here speaks of someone giving us a rebuke, correction, or an argument that shows us where we have erred.  The erring here is when someone forsakes the warning of God and goes their own way.  They may listen - but they reject what is said - the reject the rebuke or correction.  The end though is that they reject what is said and continue in the way that they want.  We are warned that such choices will lead us away from God.  We will make mistakes when we live like this - with an unteachable and unrebukable spirit.

None of us are born as unquestionable genius' who do not need instruction or correction.  We all make mistakes and err in our thinking.  That is why it is a blessing to have those who love us enough to offer correction and godly training.  They become a source of protection and life to us.  But if we never learn to accept such teaching and correction - we will ensure that we are on a path that will fail in the end.  Therefore - listen!  But there is more to this than listening alone - there is the need to hear with understanding and with a heart that embraces change.  This, dear saints, is wisdom.

And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; Proverbs 1:25

When God's Word comes to us offering us wisdom, God comes to us offering a judgment or decision on a matter.  He also comes to us through the Word offering reproof.  The problem is that in our current religious climate these two things are frowned upon and seen as being negative. 

God's Word, and the offer of enlightenment by the Holy Spirit, comes to us as counsel.  This is the Hebrew word, "esah" and it means counsel that offers to us God's judgment on a matter.  It speaks of a decision that God has made in His Word that let us know absolute truth on a matter.  This is soundly rejected by the spirit of our age - seeing that we wince at the thought that anyone, including God, would assert that His decisions on any matter are final.  The post-modern mindset leaves all absolute truth with the individual - thus making anyone else's pronouncements upon us invalid unless we accept them that way.  But the problem here is that God Himself is truth - and whenever He speaks on a matter - that is the absolute truth of the matter that will stand regardless of the latest poll or public outcry. 

Here is where we find some very serious problems develop with the worldview of Scripture - and honestly - ANY other worldview that there is.  God states that He speaks the truth - not that we can get truth from what He says - but what He says is absolute truth.  Anything that disagrees with what He says on a matter . . . is wrong.  When the world hears this - they cut loose from God's Word and His judgments on matters.  Their worldview is wholly incompatible with a God Who claims to speak and have absolute truth.  The god of this world is the individual mindset - and the personal views that we hold.  Anyone who thinks that they can speak absolute truth to anyone - is seen as a extremist.  If that is the case - then God is the ultimate extremist - but - He is also right all the time. 

The world cuts loose from God.  They listen to the counsel of His judgments and decisions and consider such things bondage.  In Psalm 2 they refer to life under God's authority as being in bondage.  The kings and rulers of this world take counsel against God - and against Jesus Christ saying, "Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us." (Psalm 2:2-3)  They hate a God who is sovereign and omniscient.  They consider His judgments as chains and fetters upon their freedom (while actually only being enslaved to their own lusts).  They do not want God's reproof.  They consider His arguments specious - wrong - and very narrow minded.  They do not want His correction - or any kind of argument that their choices or lifestyles are errant.

The reason we do not want negative messages - like ones that correct us and counsel us according to absolute truth - is because the only absolute authority we want in our lives is our own.  We want to call the shots in our lives.  It is the fact of our fallen condition.  We are full of pride - and have the arrogance to say to God that He has no right to tell us what to do.  When He speaks His wisdom - calling us to it - calling us to turn to the reproof that it offers to us - mankind short-circuits.  They want no authority but their own - and will continue to reject Him - His counsel - His judgments - and His reproof.  But as we will see in future posts - this will only take us in a parth of destruction and misery.  The wise man first turns from his own pride and arrogance - and listens closely to God's judgments, decisions, and wise counsel because of them.  He knows that reproofs for discipline are not bad - they are the way of life.

"Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. Proverbs 1:23

Can a person truly walk in wisdom if all they ever want in life are positive, uplifting messages from God?  There are those today who say that the church should not be negative - should not issue rebukes, corrections, and most of all should not dwell on the whole issue of sin.  "Let's be positive," is their cry - and when we are, people will come back to the church!

There is a fundamental problem with this view of things.  It completely ignores that whole, "fall of mankind" thing.  The reason Christianity cannot be "all positive, all the time" is because man is a fallen creature given to rebellion and walking in ways that are destructive and damning.  At some point the honest among us are going to have to address the fundamental flaw in human nature.  If men were naturally disposed to honoring and glorifying God, this would not be necessary.  But the facts are that the heart is deceitful and desperately sick - that there is none who have done good, not even one - and that unless we repent we will all likewise perish.  Man is not a naturally wise creature - unless you count being wise in his own eyes.

Wisdom is personified in Proverbs quite often.  Wisdom shouts in the streets, calls out in the square seeking to get our attention.  What does she say?  Her first words are not exactly positive.  She calls mankind "naive ones" as well as "simple-minded."  She refers to the inhabitants of this globe as "scoffers" and "fools."  The reason this does not sound positive is because it isn't.  The Bible is not into any kind of a positive confession type of tripe - instead it is honest about the condition of man.  As a result, her first command is issued here in verse 23.

Turn to my repoof.  That is her first command to mankind.  If we are going to be wise, it will require us to turn from our present selfish and self-centered ways and turn to the reproof of true wisdom.  Wisdom will require reproof - correction - rebuke.  We need to grasp that our current fleshly thinking is foolish and stupid.  Wisdom will not enter our hearts unless we first unseat the poser who sits there presently.  That is us.  We need to lay aside human wisdom and that which parades as understanding - and choose to conform our thinking to God's ways and paths. 

Here is a truth that will help you gain wisdom every day.  Say it to yourself several times before you leave your home for the day.  "If I disagree with God's Word, I am wrong!"  Wisdom calls to us and tells us that something wonderful awaits those who accept reproof.  But the person who in pride refuses to admit that he is wrong - that person will remain mired in the foolishness of his own ways. 

What happens when we turn to God's reproof?  Here is something wonderful!  He pours out His Spirit upon us.  Did you know that the Holy Spirit is the personification of wisdom!  He wants us to turn from foolishness - so He can be poured out upon us - and so that He can teach us.  Each time we turn from self and the wisdom of this world, the Holy Spirit is waiting to make known God's words to us.  Here is a shocker - wisdom is found when the God's Spirit is poured out on us and we come to know the Word of God.  In that moment we know wisdom. 

The way of wisdom is the way of correction and reproof.  We cannot become wise until we embrace humility.  We cannot become wise until we respect and honor God's Word above all other sources of truth.  We cannot become wise unless God in His mercy pours out His Spirit and opens our minds to the truth of His words.  When this happens, we'll know the truth - and see that truth corrects us and turns us to the right thinking and the right path.  The path to wisdom may not start positive - but when the Spirit of God begins to reveal truth and wisdom to us - it surely ends positive.  Be open to God's reproof - to His correction - knowing that when we turn to Him - an abundance of truth and righteousness will be our reward.

To keep you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the adulteress. Proverbs 6:24

Why do we need additional light by which to see in life?  Why is it that we need to be reproved and disciplined so that we choose life?  The answer to these questions and to the reason the Bible spends so much time warning us about sin, is found in the worldview of the Bible when it comes to the basic nature of man.  The Bible teaches that man is fallen and sinful.  Our basic nature is to turn from God and His ways.  If left to ourselves, we will NOT choose life.  If left to ourselves, we will by the very evil in our nature, go in a direction that is contrary to God's way.  That is why we need the light of God's Word to light our way.  That is why we need reproofs and corrections to move us into the path of God's commandments.

Here, after making that clear, the writer of Proverbs then reminds us that one of the ways that we will choose to our detriment, is the way of the evil woman.  The word evil here is the Hebrew "ra" which means an active, pernicious evil.  This is an evil that cannot rest unless it is acting out evil - and encouraging others to do the same.  The woman who is abandoning her vows to her husband - and encouraging other men to do the same - is an evil woman.  But unless you are wise, you will not detect her as such.  The father who is speaking here warns his son to turn to wisdom and the commandments and reproofs of God, so that he will not be led astray by the smooth tongue of this adulteress.  Her smooth tongue is her weapon of choice.  She uses it to flatter a man and use his natural tendency toward pride and a bloated ego as a trap.  That is why we are warned against her smooth, flattering tongue.  And it is also why we need God's commandments to direct us where our egos and our sinful nature will not.  Finally, it is why we also need the Word of God to rebuke and reprove us when we begin to make unwise decisions concerning sexuality and the kind of company we keep with the opposite sex.

A scoffer does not love one who reproves him, He will not go to the wise. Proverbs 15:12

Why is it that even when there is wise and godly counsel available, people do not take advantage of it?  A southern saying that I heard a while back may help us on this situation.  The reason a scoffer does not go to a wise man is the same reason a criminal does not hang out with the police. 

The proverb here tells us that a scoffer does not love someone who corrects or reproves him.  The scoffer is the one who mocks the things of God.  He makes fun of God's commandments and laws - and derides God Himself.  He does this because he does not believe and because in his infinite arrogance he prefers his limited little pea-brain's ability to think - rather than the mind of the infinite God as it is revealed in the pages of Scripture.  But he is not content to just reject the things of God - he scoffs at them - and seeks to get others to reject them as well.  He is the "anti-evangelist" if you will - or at least an evangelist for his own foolish thinking. 

What is fascinating about the scoffer is that we read that he doesn't love anyone who reproves him.  He is filled with pride and arrogance and therefore always thinks that he is right.  In his own mind he is irreproveable - beyond correction.  In this way it is only fitting that the one who thinks there is no God would consider his own wisdom and counsel very god-like.  He is a god unto himself - and resents it when someone would deign to question his omniscience. 

There is a consequence to this arrogant man's rejection of reproof.  As a result of it, he will not go to the wise.  He rejects them - and their much needed counsel.  This is a sad state of affairs because they could greatly use wise counsel.  Thus this arrogant scoffer will remain a law unto himself - an island of self-sought, self-taught, self-exalting wisdom - that is nothing more than foolishness and arrogance disguising itself as sage counsel. 

This is why the wise man needs to embrace and welcome correction and reproof.  Please do not misunderstand me - these things are seldom pleasant when they come.  In fact they can be very difficult to hear as they are spoken to us.  That is why I am grateful that Scripture tells me that discipline is not pleasant, but painful when it arrives.  But I am also counselled in James and in Hebrews that when received it will bear fruit - creating a harvest of righteousness, truth, wisdom, and understanding when I welcome it and learn from it.  Remember that the next time God in His love allows correction and rebuke to come into your life.  Don't be like the scoffing fool who does not love the ones who reprove him.  Be like the godly man who turns his ear to wise and godly rebuke.  It will help open our ear to wisdom itself, and will bless us by turning us from unwise, arrogant, and unprofitable ways.

For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life. Proverbs 6:23

Today we are going to cover an amazing proverb that applies to every area and every aspect of life itself.  Here, like in the gospel, we are told of "the way of life."  Unlike in the gospel, this "way of life" is not one that can redeem us from sin - but it can be used by the Holy Spirit to make us a lifetime learner - a disciple who knows how God works through His Word and through the way that it is taught to us by the Spirit.  If there was ever a day to listen closely - today would be that day.

We are told of two things at the beginning of this proverb.  We are told of the commandent and the teaching.  These two things are compared to a lamp and to light.  First we have the commandment.  This is the same word that is used for God's 10 commandments.  It refers to God's Law - and I believe beyond the Old Testament it can be applied to the inspired Word of God anywhere in the Old or New Testaments.  We are told here that the commandment is a lamp.  A lamp is something that can emit light if used properly.  The lamp will always have the potential for light to come from it.  It is something that holds light - and if lit it will radiate light.  Interesting for us who understand the figures and types that are used for God's Holy Spirit, a lamp is filled with oil which is a type throughout the Old Testament for the Spirit and His work.  When that oil is lit - the lamp produces light.  In much the same way, the Word of God always has within it the teaching of the Holy Spirit - His leading and His instruction, warning, and rebuke.  When we come to God's Word, the lamp, we have the wonderful working of the Spirit of God as He illumines the Scriptures for us.  But before we think that simply reading or hearing the Word will always produce light, we need to remember that the commandment is a lamp.  It can produce light - but it can also remain unlit and just be a lamp.  There are those who misuse God's Word and no light comes forth.  The devil himself quoted the Scriptures to Jesus - to try and get Him to sin.  In that instance the lamp did not produce light - but it was abused to promote darkness.  There are also professors even at semniaries who do not believe the Bible is the Word of God.  The teaching they do promotes darkness.  This means that we cannot make a blanket statement that when the Bible is taught or read that it always results in light. 

The second statement made here is that the teaching is light.  First off we need to note here that we are not reading that the teaching is THE light. 
"THE" light is reserved for references to Jesus Christ Himself - God - and amazingly enough, us when we are manifesting God's character to others.  Here we read that the teaching is light.  The word for teaching here is the Hebrew word "torah."  Here torah means instruction or direction.  In the Old Testament the word mean instruction in a general manner from God Himself.  The idea here is that the command is the lamp - and when the Spirit or a Spirit-inspired teacher is instructing from it - the lamp becomes light - or begins to illumine with light.  This is so important for us to grasp because it is the very way that God will instruct and teach us.  We come to the Word, but we covet that when we do the Holy Spirit instructs us as we read and as we meditate upon what the Word says.  Do not misunderstand me to say that the Bible becomes the Word as it is taught.  That is false doctrine.  The Bible is always the inspired Wofrd of God that gives us the revelation of God.  It is just that we are blind to it without the instruction of the Holy Spirit who opens our hearts and spirits so that we can receive what God says.  That is why I think it is important to consciously ask the Spirit of God to teach us when we come to the Word of God. 

There is one other thing this passage teaches us about the functioning of the Word in our lives.  Today there are many who teach that the major reason for God's Word is that we can "confess who we are" in a positive way.  There is a potential problem with this doctrinal view.  We can get to the point where we only receive "positive" messages about ourselves from God's Word - and not conviction of sin.  When we read this passage though, it seems that we are learning something contrary to the positive confession doctrine. 

"And reproofs for discipline are the way of life."  When we read this we have to come to the conclusion that a large part of what the Word of God is going to do is reprove us.  It is probably at least one fourth of what it does because we read in 2 Timothy 3:16 that the Word of God is profitable for reproof.  Actually the 2 Timothy passage says not just reproof, but also correction as well.  The Word of God comes to us often to reprove and correct us.  One of God's complaints against the false prophets is that they would whitewash Israel's sin.  They would constantly talk about blessing without helping Israel and Judah to see that they had sinned against the Lord.  It does not matter how many "positive" confessions you make to yourself, God, and others - if you have unconfessed sin in your life - God will not bless you.  And since we are fallen creatures who live in a fallen world - we need for God to reveal to us that when we are acting "fallen!"  If you read Romans 7 - you do not come away with the thought that Paul just needed to be more positive.  He was wrestling with very real sin - and a very real fleshly, sinful nature that could not be defeated except through Jesus Christ.  That is why we need desperately to see that we need to be reproved and disciplined by God to become all that God desires for us to be in Christ.  Without that reproof and correction, we will not know from what we need to turn. 

The way of life is through being disciplined by God - and that involves the Lord reproving us for our sin.  When we come to His Word - His commandments - He is going to reveal to us how we have sinned against Him.  He does not do this because He hates us.  Contrary to that thought, He does it because He loves us!  He desires for us to share in His holiness (Hebrews 12) - and that means He wants us to share in His life. 

Wisdom is coming to God's Word in the right way each day.  It means that we approach the Lord each day being open to what He wants to teach us.  As we do this we also open ourselves to His Spirit to reveal to us that we may have sinned - or we may be lacking godly character - or a good attitude toward an authority.  There are any number of ways that God might speak to our hearts and help us to abandon sin - and embrace His holiness.  Regardless of what specifics are involved, God desires to bring blessing into our lives through this process.  Remember - the reproofs and discipline are the way of life!  He is bringing you life when He does these things.  Be wise therefore and receive what He is saying each day - whether it is encouragement, exhortation, teaching, or reproof.  They are all in his arsenal of blessing to conform you to the image of His Son and change you to be a better vessel for the blessing of not just yourself - but everyone around you.

Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life. Proverbs 4:13

If we want the life of God, we will have to embrace the ways in which God grants us life.  The way He does this initially is by grace through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  After God grants us His life this way - there are ways that we can experience and enjoy the life He provides in Jesus.

One of the ways that God continues to bless us with life is by us embracing His instruction in our lives.  The word for instruction here is the Hebrew word "musar" which means instruction and discipline.  Throughout proverbs this instruction and discipline comes primarily through the father and the mother in the family.  They come as a teacher to their children offering them this instruction via teaching and at times the rod.  Some might squirm a little when we speak of discipline, but the Scriptures are clear that God disciplines us because He loves us.  Hebrews 12:5-11 is an excellent passage that might help us here in seeing how we receive life through God's instrutive discipline.
 
Hebrews 12:5-11 says, "You have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."  It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.  Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?  For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.  All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. "

God's instructive discipline does many things.  First it reminds us that God loves us as His sons.  Second, we know that God disciplines us for our good - not because He is angry and disgusted with us.  Third we learn that God's discipline is done for good, that we mighy share His holiness.  Without discipline we would rebel against Him - but the discipline reminds us that we are being conformed to His image - and that involves being conformed to His holiness.  Lastly, His instructive discipline will yield peace in our lives.  As we are conformed to His image - as we are made righteous as He is righteous - there will be great blessing - as well as great peace added to our lives. 

God's instruction is not solely disciplinary - much of it is instructive as God is showing us the way to God - the things to say - the people to whom we need to minister.  But for us to get the full blessings of it we will have to follow what Solomon is telling us to do here.  We need to "take hold" of this instruction and "guard" it.  Taking hold of instruction means that with great strength we grab it.  The idea behind this word is to grab something with a powerful grip and not let go.  Elsewhere in Proverbs we are told to listen intently with a view toward obedience.  This is what we are being told in another way here.  We have such a tendency to partially hear someting - or to hear it with no intent to obey or make what we hear an integral part of our lives.  We need to latch on to whatever we are taught by the Holy Spirit - and to put a death griip on it - so it does not slip away from us. 

The proverb tells us to "guard" the instruction - the teaching - the discipline that we receive from God.  This is the word "natsar" that we have encountered so often in this book.  It means to watch, the guard, and to keep something.  It has the idea of setting a guard - a watchman - a sentry over our instruction from God.  We cannot come away from this admonition without seeing clearly God is warning us NOT to forget something - NOT to let it go - NOT to let it slip away from us as we think of other things later.  Our Lord knows how prone we are to be distracted and forget things.  If we want life, we will have to counteract this by forcefully taking hold of the things God teaches us.  Wisdom is taking what God teaches us very seriously - and taking His discipline the same way.  If we do this we will be fully embracing the life that He desires to pour into our lives. 

Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold Is a wise reprover to a listening ear. Proverbs 25:12

How well do we accept reproof when it is offered to us?  Do we consider such reproof and correction a blessing - or to we view it as that which causes us problems and grief.  The fact of the matter is that someone who reproves us is a wonderful friend.  It is not often that men will be of such godly charcter and strength that they will offer reproof.  When we run into one God speaks in proverbs to tel us what a wonderful thing it is that we have. 

The earring of gold here is thought by some to be a nose ring.  This however does not fit the context at all - as what is being said refers to a hearer.  The earring of gold speaks of a reward or an ornament given to another of great value.  But what is truly of value here is the ear that is listening to the reproof offered to it.  That is something that is special - and deserves to be rewarded and decorated. 

There are wonderful rewards for the man who listens to reproof.  Proverbs 1:23 says that the Spirit of God will be poured out on such a man.  There is something we don't hear often enough by the Holy Spirit movement.  Proverbs 13:18 says that the one who regards reproof will be honored.  Other verses in Proverbs speak of the one who receives reproof as being sensible, wise, and understanding.  Much wisdom comes to us when we will listen to reproof and respond to it as the Lord directs us.  Finally, we read in 2 Timothy 3:16 that the work of the inspired Scriptures of God is to bring reproof to us.  So, if we want the Word of God to truly do its work in us - we will have to have an ear that is open to reproof. 

There is also mentioned here an "ornament of fine gold."  When we have someone who can offer to us "wise reproof" we should realize that we are being rewarded and blessed.  The word for ornament most likely refers to a necklace of some sort.  These were usually given to show a position of honor.  It is an honor to be wisely reproved by a godly man - or by the Word of God. 

Wisdom is the ability to receive and learn from reproof.  May God Himself give us a humility that will receive that reproof when offered.  May we also consider such reproof as ornaments of gold, silver, and precious jewels.  That reproof will turn us away from ourselves and toward the Lord Who offers to us great wisdom and understanding.