Starting on radio in 1949 and transitioning to television in 1954, Robert Young brought Jim Anderson to life for 6 seasons in the classic series Father Knows Best. During that timeframe, a new show started in 1957 starring Hugh Beaumont as Ward Cleaver on Leave it to Beaver. As Father Knows Best was ending, at least two other shows were coming to air portraying Dad as a sagely leader in his home and family in both The Andy Griffith Show and My Three Sons. In these stories, the role of father was revered and associated with wisdom and hard work. But across the decades since, things changed.
Moving from the sixties into the seventies, Archie Bunker came to epitomize dad – a name-calling jerk. Transitioning to today, among others we’ve had Tim Taylor on Home Improvement and Ray Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond portraying dad as a bumbling idiot who doesn’t know what to do with his kids or how to relate to his wife. However, at least dad has a role in these shows. In many children’s shows on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, there’s no father to be seen.
This modern notion of Dad in entertainment is a far cry from what we find in the fourth chapter of Proverbs. Here, the father is speaking to his children and there is an unwritten understanding that Dad’s words matter, and that is all the more important, given what Dad has to say.
“…Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.”
Proverbs 4:4-5 (ESV)
And, again,
“The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.”
Proverbs 4:7 (ESV)
Within a few short sentences, the author of Proverbs repeats the same commands – Get wisdom; get insight. Given that repetition of concepts and phrases in ancient Hebrew is meant to illustrate importance. This magnification of wisdom continues throughout the following verses as Solomon recalls the teaching given to him by David, describing wisdom as a female to be cherished and loved above all else. Solomon continues, describing the full value of wisdom. That one is to “keep hold” of her, “guard her.”
The understanding here, continued from portions of the previous chapters, is that there is no greater treasure than godly wisdom, or as James puts it, wisdom from above.
Solomon sums up this discussion of wisdom with a piece of practical advice.
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
Proverbs 4:23
Let’s dissect this notion.
Solomon, perhaps the wisest person in all of human history, has relayed to us his father’s repeated teaching to get wisdom and insight. Solomon has relayed teaching after teaching in the first 4 chapters of this book about how precious wisdom is and how we should seek it, find it, keep it, and cherish it. And now, as he prepares to transition into other teachings, he gives us this statement that so many have memorized (but which the NIV translators saw fit to change from 1984 to 2011). “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
Guard your heart. Actively, intentionally, specifically, guard it. Protect what gets in there and affects you because your motives, your desires, and ultimately your actions flow from that source. The next chapter reveals just how important it is to guard your heart on purpose.
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