Sam Jones
Proverbs
1: 8 - 9
March 9,
2014
Listen, my child to what your father
teaches you. Don’t neglect your mother’s
teaching. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and clothe you with honor.
In
biblical times, crowns and clothing were symbols of prestige and honor. The Pharaoh was adorned with crowns, jewels,
and luxurious robes. Joseph, after
gaining Pharaoh’s trust was dressed in fine linen and was decked with rings and
with chains around his neck. So if one
wore a crown and “fancy” clothing, he could be considered to be important and
of a high social status.
Crowned
with grace, however, holds a totally different meaning. If you consult a dictionary for the meaning
of the word, grace, you will encounter a fourth of a column of explanation,
hoping that one definition will suit the circumstances you are facing. One such
theological definition of grace is as follows: “a condition of being in God’s
favor.”
To
me these verses point out the importance of listening to what Mom and Dad
say. It’s an inducement for youth to
show obedience toward the instruction of the father as well as the mother. And this obedience toward the parents will
enhance the child’s virtue and moral character.
But
in a deeper sense, if you listen to and obey the teachings of God, our Father,
we will be crowned with the grace of being in His favor, a gift far greater
than earthly crowns and clothing. And I
believe that this is the true meaning of this passage.
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