8  Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, 9 for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

10  My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. 11  If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason; 12  like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; 13  we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; 14  throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”—

15  my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths, 16  for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. 17  For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, 18  but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. 19  Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.

(Proverbs 1:8-19)

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In 2 Kings, a Syrian general named Naaman was plagued with leprosy. A little Jewish girl, carried off in the spoils of victory and now serving Naaman’s wife, driven by childlike innocence and forgiving grace, dared to tell him there was a prophet in Israel who could cure him. Feeling anything was worth a shot, Naaman headed to Israel, taking a load of cash and clothing to offer this prophet in exchange for his healing. His first visit was with the king of Israel, who was incredulous after hearing Naaman’s request to be healed—How can this man expect us to heal him? But Elisha the prophet heard of Naaman’s visit and invited Naaman his way. Before he arrived, Elisha sent out his servant with the message that Naaman should bathe in the Jordan River seven times. If he did, he would be clean, and his flesh would be restored. Naaman was furious. He expected the prophet to stand before him, call out to Yahweh, and wave his hand in a great demonstration of his prophetic healing power. Instead, Elisha had only sent out a messenger to tell Naaman to wash in the muddy waters of the minuscule Jordan River. Enraged, Naaman departed, only to be intercepted by his own servants who encouraged him not to bury the lede—the prophet had promised healing. Who cares what river or by what method, as long as it works? So he went to the river, did as Elisha commanded, and was healed.

Naaman’s feelings that day might be felt, to some degree, by the readers of this passage in Proverbs. Proverbs 1:1-7 introduces the book with big promises that instruction, understanding, wise dealing, prudence, knowledge, discretion, learning, and guidance are found within its pages. If anyone climbs the mountain of its sayings, they will gain a multifaceted wisdom that will help guide them through the intricacies of our complex world. Proverbs, after this introduction full of promises, has us on the edge of our seats. What will we find in this book? What ancient secrets will we uncover? What transformative truths will we encounter in these sacred writings?

Instinctively, we brace ourselves—This is going to be good, but it is probably going to be profound. I hope I can handle the deep waters we are heading into within this book. I hope I can handle the riddle that is Proverbs.

With that, we turn to the first opening speech of Proverbs. And what is the wisdom that drips from God’s holy book? What are the depths of the wisdom of Yahweh that are meant to shape our lives forever? Three times, the author pulls his son aside and tells him the secrets of wisdom (1:8, 10, 15). Listen to your parents, he says. Don’t join a gang. Be like a bird who avoids the traps he’s seen the fowler set.

The air is let out of our balloon. Really? That’s it? That’s where this book is going? Like Naaman’s expectation of prophetic grandiosity, we hoped for otherwordly insight, but all we got was some basic instruction we feel we might have learned from The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Charlotte’s Web, or Aesop’s Fables. It’s enough to make us close our Bibles, feel we’ve gotten the lesson, and move on to spend the rest of the sermon picking a place for lunch.

However, the discerning reader of Proverbs understands there is always more than meets the eye in this incredible book. The lessons must be mulled and considered. Time and thought must intermix with humility and openness for these words to do the trick. We must not expect the grand wave of the prophet’s hand when in Proverbs, but simple truths, infused with God’s power, that can cleanse us from folly if we allow them.

And, especially since this is the first real discourse or sermon of Proverbs, placed here immediately after the introduction, we would do well to pause upon these exhortations—obey your parents; don’t join a gang; be like a savvy bird. In these words are core, foundational concepts upon which great civilizations, influential churches, and successful lives could be built. They are basic in the same way a well-constructed foundation for a towering skyscraper is basic. Essential. Vital. Impossible to build without. Let’s be wise and consider all three.

1. Listen to Your Parents (1:8-9)

8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, 9 for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

Please don’t be bothered by the repeated male-oriented exhortation from the king and queen to their son throughout this passage (1:8, 10, 15). All throughout Proverbs, this young man will be the target of wisdom and guidance, which causes many of us to wonder if the book is for us. We will read of the father’s warnings about promiscuous women, cranky wives, sleeping in too long, drunkenness, and laziness, and might feel this is a great book to help high school boys prepare for life, and that’s about it. We will also hear this father-king tell his son how to make righteous judgments, avoid corruption, and protect the vulnerable, which might make us want to email them to our member of Congress and move on with our day.

But before we dispense with Proverbs for ourselves on the grounds that they don’t pertain to us, we should remember that Proverbs, like every other book of the Bible, was not written to us but still speaks to us, so it is for us. What I mean is that Romans was written to a first-century church in Rome, Malachi was written to exiles who had returned to Israel after years of captivity, and Deuteronomy was written to a new nation learning how to be the people of God. Our task is to put ourselves in the shoes of the original audience, which helps us learn what was being taught, which helps us know how to apply it today. Second, we should also recall that the introduction already told us this whole book is for the simple, young, and wise (Prov. 1:2-6). You don’t have to be male or royalty to glean from this book (according to this book), you only need to see your need for God’s wisdom. You might have to do a bit of interpretive work to apply it to your own life, but you can apply it. And third, we should rejoice that young men are focused on within Proverbs. If young men were to capture the lessons of this book, they would change the world. For all our society’s beefs and complaints about men, men found living the wisdom of Proverbs are a blessing to any society. In short, if it can revolutionize a young man’s life, it is good for all of us.

And we should rejoice that the Proverbs begin with a son, father, and mother all rowing in unison towards wisdom. The father gives his son instruction to hear, while the mother gives her son teaching (1:8). The people of Israel often recited the great Shema of Deuteronomy 6 that told them to love God above all, which they did by centering upon the Torah (God’s law), and both those words are used here. The father tells his son to hear (or shema) while the mother gives him teaching (or torah). This tells us that Proverbs is parental guidance—it will speak to us like a wise and loving father or mother would.

But the Proverbs aren’t going to tell us all parents are wonderful—some parents in Proverbs will not parent their children, others will refuse to correct their children, some will indulge their children, and others will give terrible guidance to their children. No, the Proverbs aren’t telling us that the guidance of all parents is good, but here, at the outset, this idealized, wise couple provides good parental guidance to their son.

Because their guidance is good, and because some parents in Proverbs will provide poor guidance, Proverbs stands as parental guidance that ulitmately comes from God. This book will encourage us to do the work to look to the ultimate parent and Father we find in God. Through the gospel, we can be brought home to a Father without error, whose counsel and guidance are always selfless and good. And, in a time where many of us have experienced absent parents, insecure parents, controlling parents, main character parents, or permissive parents, it is abundantly good news that our God is willing to become the good and healthy parental voice in our lives. He will provide his voice through his word (Proverbs), spiritual leaders, mature believers, and godly friends.

What his wisdom can produce, if we will yield to it, is beautiful. Just as a graceful garland on the head and pendants on the neck represented beauty, honor, and value in ancient Hebrew culture, so wisdom enhances your life, making it more attractive and honorable (1:9). In the New Testament, we learn how the character of Christ welling up in us as a result of submitting ourselves to the Father’s guidance gives us beautified lives. We become a light on the hill or the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:14-16). When we do everything without grumbling or complaining, we become lights shining in a dark world (Phil. 2:14-15). We become known as his disciples as we love one another well (John 13:34-35). The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). And the holy, honorable nature of our lives means that, even when we are reviled, people will see our good deeds and glorify God for them (1 Pet. 2:11-12). We are the aroma of Christ Jesus, and the character he produces is a huge part of that fragrance (2 Cor. 2:14-15).

This simple concept that listening to our Father in heaven is not a drudgerous experience that leads to a miserable life but a grace-filled experience that causes us to flourish is a bedrock motivation, a secret to success, and a deep well of life. Walking with God, far from legalistic drudgery, makes life attractive and good. We should listen to our parents.

2. Don’t Join a Gang (1:10-14)

10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. 11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason; 12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; 13 we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; 14 throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”—

This father goes on to warn his son with a brilliant recasting of a common temptation he will experience. If a gang of sinners (people who have missed the mark) come along to entice, the son should not consent (1:10). But rather than leave it at “if tempted, don’t give in,” the father unpacks two underlying motivations of this temptation, along with reasons not to give in.

The base motivation of this gang was greed-induced violence, presented here as a quick and easy way to get rich. Blood is mentioned eight times in Proverbs, and almost half are here in this section (1:11, 16, 18). The reason this gang was so interested in shedding blood was all they had to gain if they did—precious goods, plunder, and a fat wallet (purse) were their stated objectives (1:13-14). We should not be shocked by this, as trampling on others for economic gain is a primary temptation of the human species—violence as a tool for quick or undeserved profit. Paul said that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils, and it isn’t hard to find extreme forms of exploitation in human history, all in the name of swift economic benefit (1 Tim. 6:10). Chattel slavery, great wars, and trampled towns, cities, and nations have been the result of humanity’s greed. As we pollute our world, consume our consumables, make affordable housing darn near impossible to construct, navigate financial scams, and look out for ours, doesn’t it feel that blood has been spilled?

Greed-induced violence is a cause of great pain in our species, but Proverbs mentions another motivation that might entice the son to join the gang: the pull of the unrighteous community. They invite him, “Come with us“ (1:11). “Let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent; let us swallow them alive” (1:10-11). “Throw in your lot among us; we will have one purse” (1:14). Us. We. Them. They invited the son to be part of something bigger than himself. It would be a grave mistake to think the appeal of a group has no pull on our lives. Humans are social creatures who long for acceptance and fear exclusion. This gang promised they would become a unified group, and that is still a temptation in our time.

Groups, of course, can do great good—our church longs to be an advancing gospel community, for instance. But groups can also do great harm—evidenced in mobs, cults, or movements driven by hatred. You don’t have to turn to extreme examples like the Tower of Babel in Genesis or Nazi Germany in modern history to see evidence that the appeal of the group can drive human behavior. Why do fashion fads, remodeling trends, and parenting styles come in waves? Why do we engage in gossip or tear down people who are different from us? Why are there literal gangs? It is often the draw of belonging, the fear of standing out and being excluded, and the appeal of shared values that causes us to cave.

As Solomon began re-creating the sinners’ plea, imagining aloud what they would say to his son if they could, I imagine his son beginning to roll his eyes—There goes my dad, criticizing my rap music and video games again. However, the wise listener will see that the Proverbs invite us to be on guard against key motivations that subconsciously drive many of our behaviors. For Christ-followers, the antidote to greed and group acceptance is the new ethic of sacrifice and the unshakable acceptance we have in Christ. Through his blood, he created a community, not of predators, but peacemakers. As members of this new family, we are called not to drag others into Sheol but to deliver them from it—proclaiming the gospel and demonstrating generosity, kindness, and love.

3. Be Like a Bird (1:15-19)

15 my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths, 16 for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. 17 For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, 18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. 19 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.

Here, the father points out that the way of the greedy and violent gang enables their feet to run to evil, where they make haste to shed blood (1:15-16). But the surprise of it all is that they are actually lying in wait for their own blood, ambushing their own lives (1:18). The father, for his part, can see the end of their path—everyone who goes down the path of greedy and unjust gain is doomed because that path takes away the life of its possessors (1:19). They are seeking the blood of others, but at the cost of their own lives.

For his part, the father wants his son, and our heavenly Father wants us, to resist such veins of thought and ways of living. So he tells his son that even a bird who watches a net spread as a trap will avoid that net (1:17). To say someone is “bird-brained” is not usually a compliment, but the idea here is that even a bird-brain can see a trap and avoid it. So should we. If seeing the trap in advance can help the savvy bird, then seeing the end of the path in advance should help us avoid it in the first place. I was recently with two friends, one of whom said, “I am allergic to alcohol, it gives me stomach issues.” The other replied, “I am also allergic to alcohol, it makes me break out in handcuffs.” My first friend had the wisdom not to drink because it bothered his tummy, and the second had the wisdom not to drink because he knew he wouldn’t stop until he caused real trouble. He had seen the net spread before him—he saw the end of the path, so he avoided the trap in front of him.

This third and final “my son” section of this opening speech presents us with a major theme in Proverbs: the two paths (1:15). In a sense, Proverbs is a grand attempt at showing you the end of the path in advance so that, just as a bird who sees a trap being set avoids it, you will avoid the wrong direction. Time and time again, Proverbs will reveal the trap in advance, show the path in its entirety, and ask us to choose well. It will speak with candor about the truth behind lust, laziness, and greed. It will show us what will happen if we venture down the path of reckless words, harsh attitudes, and an angry demeanor. It will show you the trap before you walk into it. To be like a bird is to see the wisdom Proverbs offers about financial, relational, emotional, sexual, and other pitfalls and then avoid them. It is to see where the path is going in advance.

So let’s befriend this book by expecting it to give us keen insights into the way things are. We should not expect it to pronounce some deep and unheard-of mysteries but the truest truths designed to help us excel in our lives with God. Like Naaman, we must realize the promise behind the simple words of this book. If we do, we will see the traps in advance and grow to avoid them.

Today, the choice lies before us: Will we lean into God’s wisdom, avoiding the well-worn path of folly, or will we go our own way, only to regret it later? Let us respond like Naaman’s servants, urging ourselves and others to trust in the simple, profound power of God’s word—even when it feels basic or ordinary. In doing so, we will find life, beauty, and the rich reward of walking with God.

Study Questions

Head (Knowledge, Facts, Understanding)

​ 1. What is the significance of the father and mother’s role in imparting wisdom in Proverbs 1:8-9? How does this reflect the broader biblical view of parenting?

​ 2. According to Proverbs 1:10-14, what are the two main temptations the father warns his son against, and what are their underlying motivations?

​ 3. How does the imagery of the bird and the trap in Proverbs 1:17-19 illustrate the consequences of greed and folly?

Heart (Feelings, Impressions, Desires)

​ 4. How do you feel when considering the idea that God is the ultimate parent, offering perfect wisdom and guidance?

​ 5. What emotions arise when reflecting on the appeal of belonging to a group, even when it might lead to harm or compromise your values?

​ 6. How does understanding the beauty and honor that come from walking in wisdom affect your desire for a flourishing life with God?

Hands (Actions, Commitments, Decisions)

​ 7. What steps can you take this week to actively listen to God’s wisdom, as described in Proverbs 1:8-9, in your daily life?

​ 8. How can you identify and avoid traps of greed or harmful group dynamics in your current relationships or community settings?

​ 9. In light of Proverbs 1:15-19, what practical actions can you commit to that demonstrate wisdom in recognizing and avoiding destructive paths?