Prove Yourself a Man
1 Kings 2:1-3
As David was about to die, he charged his son Solomon to be strong; to prove himself to be a man. To keep the commandments of the Lord - 1 Kin 2:1-3 “When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, "I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn,”. Solomon was blessed to have a godly father; a man after God’s own heart about whom he could later fondly reminisce. Who gave him counsel on how to be a man - Pro 4:3-9 “When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, he taught me and said to me, "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. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown."’
Many men today are not so blessed.... Some are without fathers, either through death or divorce. Some have fathers who fail to provide spiritual leadership. Where can they go to learn what it means to “Prove Yourself A Man”? One source is Solomon himself, who has provided wisdom and guidance for all men in the Bible. For example, if you were his son, he would say Take heed to your counselors; fear God. Such is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom- Pro 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”; 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” It will prolong one’s days, being a fountain of life - Pro 10:27 “The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.”; 14:26-27 “In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.” It is the whole meaning of one’s existence - Ecc 8:12 “Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him.”; 12:13 “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” -- Therefore let the Word of God be your primary counselor in life.
Listen to your parents... Their advice will be like graceful ornaments around your neck - Pro 1:8-9 “Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.” Their advice can guide you through life - Pro 6:20-22 “My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.” -- Benefit from the wisdom of those more experienced who love you.
Beware of evil companions. They will entice you to do evil - Pro 1:10-14 “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason; like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse"’ They will only destroy you along with themselves - Pro 1:15-19 “my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths, for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.”; 13:20 “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” -- Choose your friends carefully, for evil company can corrupt - 1 Co 15:33 “Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals."’
If you were Solomon’s son, he would also counsel you to take heed to your goals. Seek wisdom and understanding. Seek for wisdom as you would seek for silver - Pro 2:1-9 “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;” It will protect you from the evil man and woman - Pro 2:10-22 “for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life. So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.” It will be a tree of life, a source of wonderful blessings - Pro 3:13-24. As his own father told Solomon, wisdom is the principle thing - Pro 4:3-13 -- Thus the acquisition of godly wisdom should be a priority in life.
We will continue to examine and apply the advice of David to our lives today in Part Two of our lesson.
1 Kings 2:1-3
As David was about to die, he charged his son Solomon to be strong; to prove himself to be a man. To keep the commandments of the Lord - 1 Kin 2:1-3 “When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, "I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn,”. Solomon was blessed to have a godly father; a man after God’s own heart about whom he could later fondly reminisce. Who gave him counsel on how to be a man - Pro 4:3-9 “When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, he taught me and said to me, "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. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown."’
Many men today are not so blessed.... Some are without fathers, either through death or divorce. Some have fathers who fail to provide spiritual leadership. Where can they go to learn what it means to “Prove Yourself A Man”? One source is Solomon himself, who has provided wisdom and guidance for all men in the Bible. For example, if you were his son, he would say Take heed to your counselors; fear God. Such is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom- Pro 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”; 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” It will prolong one’s days, being a fountain of life - Pro 10:27 “The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.”; 14:26-27 “In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.” It is the whole meaning of one’s existence - Ecc 8:12 “Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him.”; 12:13 “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” -- Therefore let the Word of God be your primary counselor in life.
Listen to your parents... Their advice will be like graceful ornaments around your neck - Pro 1:8-9 “Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.” Their advice can guide you through life - Pro 6:20-22 “My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.” -- Benefit from the wisdom of those more experienced who love you.
Beware of evil companions. They will entice you to do evil - Pro 1:10-14 “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason; like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse"’ They will only destroy you along with themselves - Pro 1:15-19 “my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths, for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.”; 13:20 “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” -- Choose your friends carefully, for evil company can corrupt - 1 Co 15:33 “Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals."’
If you were Solomon’s son, he would also counsel you to take heed to your goals. Seek wisdom and understanding. Seek for wisdom as you would seek for silver - Pro 2:1-9 “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;” It will protect you from the evil man and woman - Pro 2:10-22 “for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life. So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.” It will be a tree of life, a source of wonderful blessings - Pro 3:13-24. As his own father told Solomon, wisdom is the principle thing - Pro 4:3-13 -- Thus the acquisition of godly wisdom should be a priority in life.
We will continue to examine and apply the advice of David to our lives today in Part Two of our lesson.
