Introduction⤒🔗

When I think of the horse, I think of a majestic, stately animal. I picture a beautiful, chestnut-colored beast, quietly grazing in the midst of the pasture.

I remember the horse as an animal that calmly comes near to the fence railing to receive a lump of sugar from your hand and to allow you to stroke its velvety head and mane.

Yet, in Psalm 32:9, God tells us, “Do not be like the horse.” I suppose that if I were to attend a rodeo, or watch a horse being broken, I would have a very different impression of the horse, and a better understanding of what the LORD is saying in Psalm 32:9.

By nature, the horse is a wild beast that resists man’s efforts to domesticate him. As soon as the saddle is placed upon him for the first time, as soon as the cowboy lifts himself up onto his back, there is trouble: he kicks out his hind legs, he thrusts back his head, he jumps up and down, spinning round and round in a cloud of dust.

The LORD says, “Do not be like the horse,” (wild and unrestrained, self-willed). He also says, “Do not be like the mule,” (which is known for its stubbornness and resistance). For our next topical study from the Book of Proverbs we turn our attention to the positive side of this subject, the need to be teachable. Let us strive to be teachable in every part of our lives, in order that we may comply with our LORD’s counsel that is for our good and for His glory.

Be Teachable, by Appreciating the Value of Truth (Prov. 23:23)←⤒🔗

Buy the truth and do not sell it; indeed, buy wisdom and instruction and understanding! (Prov. 23:23)←↰⤒🔗

The counsel to “buy the truth,” along with “wisdom, instruction and understanding,” and not to sell them, is emphasizing the fact that these are precious spiritual commodities; they are worth acquiring and retaining. Truth, wisdom, instruction, understanding are things worth “purchasing” and worth keeping. The fact that we are to “buy” these things, as opposed to merely receiving them, points out that there is “a price” to be paid. These precious spiritual commodities are not just casually picked up, they are attained by diligence, obedience and sacrifice.

The reason “instruction” is listed among such valuable commodities as truth, wisdom and understanding is because instruction is the means whereby we acquire those other valuable spiritual commodities. Consider Proverbs 4:1,5-9,

Listen, my son, to a father’s instruction, pay attention so as to gain understanding... ⁵Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget the words I speak or turn away from them. ⁶Do not forsake wisdom, and she will guard you; love her, and she will watch over you. ⁷Wisdom is the primary thing; therefore, get wisdom. Indeed, give all that you have acquired in order to acquire understanding. ⁸Hold her in high esteem, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you. ⁹She will set a garland of grace upon your head, and present you with a crown of beauty.

We may view this passage as a guidance counseling session in which the godly father is offering wise counsel to his son. “Son, let’s sit down and talk about your future.” “Great Dad. Tell me, where am I going to make the most money, how am I going to have the greatest success, how can I attain the best security? What’s the best investment, Dad?” “Son, invest in divine truth and wisdom, (i.e. knowing God and His ways). This is far more valuable than all the money, success, and security the world can offer.”

Verse seven tells us, “wisdom is the primary thing;” and we are instructed to get wisdom. “Indeed, give all that you have acquired in order to acquire understanding.” Take all that you have acquired and make that the payment with which you “purchase” understanding, because there is nothing more valuable.

Note the connection between divine wisdom and the kingdom of God. In His parable about the kingdom in Matthew 13:45-46, Jesus gives us the same counsel as does the godly father of Proverbs: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

Verse six counsels us, “Do not forsake wisdom;” on the contrary, according to verse eight, we are to love wisdom, value it, and honor it. Do not allow other things to become your number one priority, (such things as a career, or anything else). Furthermore, do not toss godly wisdom away as something that belongs to childhood or as something that is irrelevant, outdated or foolish.

Divine truth and wisdom are offered to us in the Scriptures, indeed, the Lord Jesus, in His high priestly prayer to God His Father, declares, “Thy word is truth” (Jn. 17:17). We must appreciate the value of divine truth, and embrace the Holy Scriptures, which are the embodiment of that truth and which contain the wisdom offered by God.

Be Teachable, by Applying Your Heart to Seek Knowledge (Prov. 22:17; 15:14)←⤒🔗

Make your ear attentive and listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to the knowledge I impart. (Prov. 22:17)←↰⤒🔗

Proverbs 22:17a instructs us to be receptive to the truth and wisdom of God. We are to pay attention to it, as opposed to ignoring it; we are to accept it, as opposed to resisting or rejecting it; we are to appreciate it, as opposed to taking it for granted.

We must not succumb to the temptation of dismissing it because it is repetitive, what in life is not repetitive? or because it is not entertaining, there are many things in life that are not entertaining but are nevertheless necessary.

Proverbs 22:17b goes on to inform us that being receptive to the truth is not enough; what is absolutely essential is that we apply our hearts to the truth of God. We must let the truth of God enter the ear, pass through the mind, and reach the heart. Let the truth of God penetrate the very core of your being with conviction, asking such questions as these: What does this mean for my life? What am I going to do about it? We must be like those who first heard the gospel on the Day of Pentecost: “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2:37) We must allow the truth of God to penetrate all the way to our heart, and then let it arise from our heart and influence our life, changing and controlling our thoughts and conduct. This is the counsel the Apostle James gives with regard to the Word of God:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. Jas. 1:22-25

We should learn a lesson from the testimony of a young Korean Christian:

One day a young Christian came into a mission station in Korea to visit the man who had been instrumental in his conversion to Christ. After the customary greetings, the missionary asked the reason for his coming. “I have been memorizing some verses in the Bible,” he said, “and I wanted to quote them to you.” He had walked hundreds of miles just to recite some Scripture verses to his father in the faith.

The missionary listened as he recited without error the entire Sermon on the Mount. He commended the young man for his remarkable feat of memory, but then cautioned that he must not only “say” the Scriptures but also practice them. With glowing face, the man responded, “Oh, that is the way I learn them. I tried to memorize them but they wouldn’t stick, so I hit on this plan. First, I would learn a verse. Then I would practice what the verse said on a neighbor who was not a Christian. After that I found that I could remember it.”¹

The heart of the man who has understanding seeks knowledge; but the mouth of fools feed on folly. (Prov. 15:14)←↰⤒🔗

Proverbs 15:14a indicates that the state or condition of the heart determines a man’s ability to receive knowledge and profit from it: “the heart of the man who has understanding seeks knowledge.”

In the light of this fact, let us make such passages as the following to be our prayer:

Give your servant a discerning heart...so that I may distinguish between good and evil. 1 Kgs. 3:9

This was Solomon’s request, a request that was pleasing to the LORD.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷And I will put my Spirit in you and cause you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.Ezek. 36:26-27

Our prayer should be that God would fulfill His promise in us.

...since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰We pray this in order that you may walk in a way that is worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. Col. 1:9-10

The apostle’s prayer for the Colossian church should be our prayer as well.

Be Teachable, Even When It Is Hard (Prov. 19:27)←⤒🔗

Stop listening to instruction, my son, but then you will stray from the words of knowledge. (Prov. 19:27)←↰⤒🔗

In Proverbs 19:27a the godly father of Proverbs facetiously instructs his son to stop receiving instruction. In so doing, the father is addressing that impulse and temptation with which the son grapples, namely, the desire to stop listening and stop submitting to the instruction and discipline (the Hebrew word, רסָ lמ, means both instruction and discipline) of the godly father and the heavenly Father. Note Hebrews 12:11, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

But, as Proverbs 19:27b indicates, if you give in to that impulse, it will not be long before you will “stray from the words of knowledge.” Because of our sinful tendency to drift away from or ignore “the words of knowledge,” the heavenly Father must enforce compliance to His commandments by means of continual teaching and also, when necessary, disciplinary measures in our lives.

The point of this proverb: Divine instruction, especially as it comes in the form of rebuke and corrective discipline, is hard, but it is also essential. Its necessary and gracious function is to keep us on the pathway of life that leads to spiritual maturity. May we acknowledge and accept the heavenly Father's instruction and discipline, as did the Psalmist:

⁶⁷Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I observe your word... ⁷¹It is good for me that I have been afflicted; so that I may learn your statutes... ⁷⁵I know, O LORD, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. Psl. 119:67,71,75

Take note, also, of Proverbs 12:1; “Whoever loves correction loves knowledge; but he who hates rebuke is brutish.” To “love correction” here means to accept it and to appreciate its purpose and its motivation: that it is administered by the heavenly Father as part of His love, (note, again, Psalm 119:67,71,75 quoted above). If you “love correction” you are demonstrating that you have a love for knowledge; you have a desire to know God and His ways, even if it means undergoing a painful learning experience.

“But he who hates rebuke is brutish.” To resist that correction and reject it, spiritually puts you on the same level as that of a brute beast, note once more Psalm 32:9, “Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” The horse does not accept the discipline of the saddle because he does not understand that it is intended to make him useful; indeed, he has no interest in becoming useful, he simply wants his unbridled, wild freedom.

When the instruction God brings into our lives is hard, may our mind be enlightened and our spirit be made accepting by these words of Scripture: “The ear that heeds life-giving rebuke shall dwell among the wise” (Prov. 15:31). The rebukes sent by God are intended to lead us into life and make us fit to inherit a permanent place among the wise; that is to say, among those who know God and who act and think like God.

Be Teachable, In Order to Receive Life and Avoid Destruction (Prov. 10:17)←⤒🔗

He who heeds correction is walking in the way of life; but he who ignores a rebuke will go astray. (Prov. 10:17)←↰⤒🔗

One source of spiritual assurance is our teachability: If you listen to God when He corrects you, and seek to make the changes that are pleasing to Him, you can be assured that you are traveling the road of life. By way of illustration: If a pilot makes the navigational corrections dictated to him by the air controller he can be assured that he is on line to safely reach his destination. But what happens if he ignores those directives? He is headed for destruction.

“He who ignores a rebuke will go astray.” If you forsake the LORD’s correction, you are making a very serious mistake. You may find yourself confronted with a more severe measure of reproof and correction, note Leviticus 26:23-24, “If in spite of these things [i.e. the previously mentioned measures of discipline and punishment] you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, ²⁴I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over.” This is the LORD’s warning to His people, Israel, if they continued to reject His correction and His lordship over their lives.

The one who habitually rejects the LORD's instruction and discipline will finally be abandoned by God to pursue his own way unto the eternal punishment of damnation: “since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind” (Rom. 1:28). Let us be careful to note John 10:27-28a, where the Lord Jesus declares, “My sheep respond to my voice; I know them and they follow me; ²⁸ and I give them eternal life.”

Conclusion←⤒🔗

Our LORD urges us to be neither like the horse, (with a wild and unrestrained spirit; a headstrong, self-willed spirit), nor like the mule, (with a stubborn and defiant spirit). He also informs us that those who are truly His sheep are responsive to His instruction and direction. A teachable spirit—a positive, life-changing response to the Word of God—is a mark of genuine Christianity; it is a characteristic of a true child of God.

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. What spiritual “commodities” are we exhorted to “buy”? See Prov. 23:23 Do you value these spiritual commodities more that the things the world values? If we are to “purchase” these precious things, what disposition do we need to have? Note Prov. 4:1 As a Christian, do you have a teachable spirit that seeks to grow in your relationship with Christ and the knowledge of God’s Word? Are you more like Mary, or like Martha? See Lk. 10:39-40,

Buy the truth and do not sell it; indeed, buy wisdom and instruction and understanding! Prov. 23:23

Hear, [my] children, the instruction of a father; and give attention to know understanding. Prov. 4:1

...Mary...sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted with much serving... Lk. 10:39-40

2. If we are to profit from the Word of God and grow in our relationship with Christ, what must we do? See Prov. 22:17 What exhortation does the Apostle James give us? See Jas. 1:22 To whom does our Lord Himself compare the man who hears and heeds His word? See Matt. 7:24-25,

Make your ear attentive and listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to the knowledge I impart. Prov. 22:17

...be doers of the word, and not hearers only, [thereby] deceiving yourselves.Jas. 1:22

...whoever hears these words of mine, and does them, I will compare him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock; ²⁵and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not collapse, for it was established upon the rock. Matt. 7:24-25

3. What happens when we are continuously exposed to the Word of God, but choose to ignore it, rather than respond to it with an active faith that puts it into practice? See Heb. 5:11b-12 How should we respond to the Word of God? See 1 Pet. 2:2; 1 Thess. 2:13 How do you respond to the Word of God when you read it or when it is preached to you?

...you have become dull of hearing; ¹²for though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need [someone] to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God...Heb. 5:11-12

...earnestly desire the pure spiritual milk, like new born infants, so that by it you may grow in your salvation... 1 Pet. 2:2

...we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you welcomed it, not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who are believing... 1 Thess. 2:13

The Word of God effectively works in those who actively believe it by applying it to their lives.

4. What should we learn from the Bereans; what two things did they do when the Apostle Paul presented the gospel to them? See Acts 17:11 Are you open to deepening your knowledge of Christ and understanding of the Scriptures? At the same time, what does the Apostle John teach us about the need for discernment when we are exposed to various spiritual teachings? See 1 Jn. 4:1 How may we equip ourselves to “test the spirits”? Note Col. 3:16 With what did the Bereans compare the teaching presented to them by the Apostle Paul?

[The Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word [i.e. the Apostle Paul’s message], and searched the Scriptures daily [to find out] whether these things were so. Acts 17:11

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 Jn. 4:1

The spirit expresses itself in the teaching; if the teaching is inspired by the Holy Spirit, it will be in accord with Scripture and not deviate from the Scriptures.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another; with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col. 3:16

5. What arrogant and spiritually dangerous thing were some of the Corinthian Christians guilty of doing? See 1 Cor. 4:6a Why is this practice spiritually dangerous? See 2 Jn. 9 In 1 Corinthians 4:6, the Apostle Paul presents himself and Apollos as examples of how handle the Scriptures; what example do they provide for the church? See 1 Cor. 4:1 What is the characteristic of a “steward”? See 1 Cor. 4:2 Do you desire to go deeper into the Scriptures, or do you have the inclination to go beyond the Scriptures in search of “relevant” or more “contemporary” doctrines? If the latter, bear in mind the Apostle John’s warning (see, again, 2 Jn. 9 and 1 Jn. 2:24).

Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the [principle], 'Do not go beyond what has been written'1 Cor. 4:6

Some within the Corinthian church were so arrogant as to the Scriptures and adopt whatever teaching were “in style” or were acceptable to their way of thinking.

Whoever “advances” and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 2 Jn. 9

So then, men ought to view us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. ²With regard to this matter of stewardship, it is required that a man be found trustworthy. 1 Cor. 4:1-2

A “steward” must be faithful to guard what has been entrusted to his care, in this case what has been entrusted is nothing other than the Word of God, which would be passed on to us in the form of the Scriptures.

Therefore, let that abide in you, [that] which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.1 Jn. 2:24

That which his readers heard was the Word of God presented to them by the Apostle John­ for us, John’s exhortation would apply to all of Scripture.