Sermon Tone Analysis

Proverbs 6:20-23

 

! Introduction

            In the movie Forrest Gump, the hero of the story always says, “My momma always said…” and then finishes that sentence with a phrase like, “life is like a box of chocolates…or some other statement.

We take him for a simpleton, but, was he really?

Isn’t what he said more true than we often think?

Aren’t the words of our mothers and fathers much more a part of our life than we often even care to admit?

Some might want to suggest that this is a bad thing, but I don’t believe that it is.

In fact, this morning, I want to speak to the young people of our congregation and encourage them to embrace the teaching of their parents.

The Bible says that you ought to do so.

It says in Proverbs 6:20-23.

“read text.”

The passage is addressed to “my son.”

This is a frequent phrase in the proverbs.

Proverbs 1 says that the proverbs were written “for giving knowledge and discretion to the young…” Proverbs 1:8 says, “Listen, my son” Proverbs 2:1 says, “My son…” It seems that Solomon was concerned to teach his sons, particularly, because he knew that he was preparing them for life in leadership.

The words that he gives in Proverbs are, however, terrific for all young people.

When our children were approaching their teenaged years, we got a children’s version of the Proverbs and read them daily.

There is so much wisdom about how to live well in God’s world.

The passage we want to look at today is also a passage written to “sons” but I think it is a passage which can give important lessons for both sons and daughters.

!

I.

The Command

!! A. Parental Instruction

            What this section speaks about is the teaching of your parents.

It talks about “your father’s commands” and “your mother’s teaching.”

The very first place that we learn anything is in the home.

The place we learn things most deeply and most thoroughly is in the home.

In the times when this was written, it is most likely that the training of very young people was the task of mothers.

As children became older, it was usual for the fathers to teach their sons, which is probably why Solomon speaks about “my son” all the time.

The task of training the girls fell mostly to the mothers.

The command for children to accept this training is often repeated in the Bible.

The ten commandments tell us “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you."

(Exodus 20:12, NIV)

            Ephesians and Colossians, in the New Testament, also repeat this command.

Ephesians 6:1 says, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."

The issue is the teaching which we receive from our parents, but it is worth thinking about what kind of teaching is meant.

The word for “commands” is the same word as is used elsewhere in the Bible for the law of God.

What parents must be teaching is the truth of God.

I would like to talk to the parents for just a moment.

Parents, it is important that the truth you live and teach before your children is the truth of God’s word.

This is so critical that it cannot be ignored.

If your children are not seeing God’s truth in your words and in your life, then you are missing out on a very important responsibility.

As Christian parents, you know that God’s way is the best way, and as we shall see, the way to life.

If that way is not exemplified in your life and words, how will your children ever catch it.

The task of parenting is far too important to take lightly.

I know that you as parents take it very seriously and I want to encourage that and challenge you to do it deliberately and faithfully.

!! B. Part Of Your Life

            So the task of teaching and training you wisdom, truth and God’s way lies with your parents.

But, did you ever realize that you as children also have a tremendous responsibility?

In verse 20, 21, the words are commands given to children.

The words “keep,” “bind” and “fasten” are all imperatives.

That means that they are things that you must do.

When a baby doesn’t want to eat a certain food, parents engage in some creative ways for their children to eat - here comes the airplane… It is so much easier if a child wants to eat.

This matter of parents finding creative ways to get their children to “eat” also applies to getting them to “eat” the food of wisdom and understanding.

Sometimes, children don’t want to learn the lessons their parents want to teach them.

Have your parents ever engaged in creative ways of forcing you to learn?

When you didn’t want to clean your room, have they ever told you, no TV until it is clean?

If you didn’t get home on time, did they ever help you learn by grounding you?

How much easier if you chose to want to learn.

Can you imagine if you sat down and asked your parents for advice?

You would blow them away!

According to God, you are responsible to do just that.

Look at the words in Proverbs 6:20, 21.

The first word is the word “keep.”

That simply means obedience.

You are to do what your parents tell you to do.

The next word is “do not forsake.”

This word means don’t drop the ball.

Don’t forget.

Have you ever gotten home and your mother asked you if you did something and you said, “oh, I forgot.”

God’s word tells you “don’t forget,” don’t stop doing the right things.

The next word is “Bind them upon your heart forever.”

The Hebrew word here means to bend or to wind about.

The picture that comes to my mind is to twist tie the teaching of your mother and father around your heart.

In other words, keep it in your memory, keep it with you all the time.

The last word is “fasten them around your neck.”

Some of you wear chains or necklaces.

They are close to you, you see them and if the necklace or chain has a special meaning, that meaning is with you all the time.

What the wise writer is saying is that you need to put the teaching of your mother and father around your neck like a necklace or a chain to keep it close to you all the time.

So you see that you have a significant responsibility to follow the teaching of your parents.

It is not just the responsibility of your parents to use all kinds of tricks to force you to learn.

It is also your responsibility to make an effort to learn.

!

II.

The Value

            One of the questions which I often asked when I was young was, “Why?”

I was not satisfied with just being told to do it.

I wanted to know why it was a good idea.

I am still that way and perhaps you are too.

Well the writer of this passage understands that kind of thinking.

He gives a whole list of reasons why you ought to follow this instruction to learn from your parents.

!! A. Life

            Please notice the imagery used in verse 22.

It talks about walking, sleeping and waking up.

What is that about?

That is life.

What is the first thing you do in the morning?

You wake up and as you wake up, your mind begins to make plans for what is going to happen all day.

All day long, you walk about and things happen to you in the different places you go.

When night comes, you go to sleep.

This is the daily cycle of life.

The Bible uses this same picture language in other passages.

One of the key passages of the Old Testament was Deuteronomy 6:4 and following.