Under Gods command

 “Good doctrine”: There is no wisdom but that which is linked to good doctrine, which should be the focal point of all instruction.

Sometimes in the Proverbs, it seems as if we are covering the same ground all over again. Whether this is to drive home a lesson, or whether we are picking up extra fragments of truth and that is the reason for repetition is not clear. As we said in previous lessons, wisdom is the subject. We see here, also, that a doctrine (belief) has been established.

Instructions in God’s law came from father to son in these times. It was very important not to leave out even minor details in that law. We are told again here to remember in detail the law of God and to live by it (do not forsake it).  In fact, we should make it our doctrine or way of life as well.

One of the greatest responsibilities of parents is to encourage their children to become wise. Here Solomon tells how his father, David, encouraged him to seek wisdom when he was young.  This encouragement may have prompted Solomon to ask God for wisdom above everything else.  Wisdom can be passed on from parents and grandparents to children, from generation to generation.  Ultimately, of course, all wisdom comes from God; parents can only urge their children to turn to him.  If your parents never taught you in this way, God’s Word can function as a loving and compassionate parent to you.  You can learn from the Scriptures and then create a legacy of wisdom as you teach the next generation. 

Proverbs 23:29-35 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.  Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.  Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things.  You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging.  “They hit me, “you will say, “but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I do not feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?”

The soothing comfort of alcohol is only temporary.  Real relief comes from dealing with the cause of the anguish and sorrow and turning to God for peace.  Do not lose yourself in alcohol; find yourself in God.

Be alerted to the dangers of wine (drinking) It dulls the senses, it limits clear judgment, it lowers the capacity for control, and it destroys a person’s efficiency.  To make wine an end result in itself, a means of self-indulgence, or as an escape from life is to misuse it and invite the consequences of the drunkard.