Education In Proverbs

As a homeschooling mom education holds a very special place in my heart. I am very dedicated to making sure my daughters have the best education possible. And God is always reminding me that the foundation of everything I teach must be Him. Here is a sampling of some verses from Proverbs regarding education.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."

"Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching; indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head, and ornaments about your neck." (1:7-9)

"Heed instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it." (8:33)

"The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds of folly." (15:14)

"The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge." (18:15)

"Apply your heart to discipline, and your ears to words of knowledge." (23:12)

As we survey these verses there are some elements that are repeated....

1. Fools despise wisdom. We see this not only in 1:7, but also in 1:22, 1:29 and 3:35.

2. The wise man will seek instruction. As a matter of fact, the seeking of knowledge is a sign of wisdom. We see this in 1:3, 3:13, 3:21, 3:35, 4:5, 7:1-4, 8:5, 8:9-11, 8:17 and 8:33.

3. Listening is an element of gaining knowledge. As seen above in 18:15 and 23:12. The receiving of instruction requires someone to listen more than they speak. To have open ears ready for the reception of wise instruction.

I've had my six year old daughter begin to memorize some of these verses. There are days she just really doesn't want to do her lessons. All kids have those days! But regardless of what form of education your child receives, I think we would do well as parents to remember what education is really all about. It's not just about learning all the facts in a bunch of books. The over-arching theme of Proverbs is that is a person will make wise choices, they will be spared from many negative consequences. It's a great motivation for parents, because we all want that for our kids....

Introduction

This is a blog for one of my college classes, Learning a Living Bible book: Proverbs. I will be posting my thoughts on Proverbs as the class progresses. -Leah B.