How Wisdom Should Produce Discernment

Steve Love

Is truth merely generational? Is it, as is commonly held today, subjective, fluid, and relevant only to specific circumstances and times? Or is it a cherished, life-saving treasure to be infused and imparted to posterity? Proverbs embraces the latter.

Proverbs 4 is a homey picture of a wizened, nurturing father and his starry-eyed, naive young son. It’s as if the father is looking into the rearview mirror of life, remembering past mishaps and wrong turns, while the son is gazing through the windshield at the endless, enticing prospects emerging on the horizon. The father speaks with the perspective of sunset, while the child revels in the alluring possibilities of sunrise. The father earnestly seeks to instill the value of wisdom and how it translates into discernment so his son can avoid potholes, detours, and accidents on his journey.

Proverbs 4:3–6 crosses three generations. It narrates a conversation the grandfather had with the father, who, in turn, tells his son. He begins by saying, “For I was my father’s son … he taught me also, and said unto me … Get wisdom … Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee.” In modern-day terms, the parent is saying to the child, “When I was your age …” Will the next generation in our families, churches, or nation merely roll their eyes at such an appeal, or will wisdom be transferred into lives that have gained discernment?