“Listen up, men…”
When the coach of our junior high football team started off a sentence this way, we knew to pay attention. Coach was about to lay some information on us for which we were most definitely going to be held accountable.
Usually, he was giving us some general instructions about keeping focused, sticking to the basics, and working as a team.
These three pieces of information were stated often and served as the foundation of all the instruction we received. But coach knew we needed to hear these three foundations often in order for them to sink into our adolescent skulls.
This seems like the similar function of our passage today in Proverbs 8:32-34.
32 “Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. 33 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it. 34 Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.
Proverbs 8:32-34
New International Version
The call of wisdom is to pay attention: “listen to me.” Sit up. Take notice and take notes.
After calling our attention, wisdom teaches us three key points. These three points are not new; they’re stated throughout the Proverbs. Repetition, however, is not an excuse to skip over it. Instead, it’s a call to take extra notice.
First, people are blessed who adhere to Godly wisdom. There is a blessing in and through our lives when we are wise. We gain wisdom by not only learning it as information, but actually putting it into practice.
There is a vast difference between knowing something and doing something. By adhering to wisdom, we are applying it and using it in our lives.
Second, wisdom is gained by holding on to wisdom and not throwing it aside. It’s easy to utilize wisdom until the heat is on. When we’re under pressure, it’s a little harder to put wisdom into practice.
Emotion tends to take over and our rationality recedes into the background. This is when we’re tempted to disregard wisdom. But that’s when we need it the most. That’s when wisdom guides us!
The third lesson wisdom is teaching us here is to search for wisdom. To watch and wait “at the doorway” implies the active nature of our searching and gaining wisdom.
It’s not a matter of soaking up information and then we’re somehow wise. Instead, we must seek wisdom, dig for wisdom, and apply wisdom on a regular basis.
So, pay attention, Solomon states:
- Adhere to Godly wisdom.
- Hold on to Godly wisdom.
- Search for more Godly wisdom.
The benefit is a blessing from the Lord. Be blessed; be wise.
Life Meets Theology 