Proverbs 2:5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God
I was homeschooled, which may explain a lot. We had big cardboard cutouts to represent a nickel and a dime, and I remember my dad trying to explain to me how a big nickel was only worth half as much as a small dime. I could not get my head around that. I wasn’t a smart kid. I’m not as smart as I want to be now, but I am as understanding as I want to be. When it comes to moral precepts, everyone understands what they want to understand. You will understand the truth you want to understand. It is hard to know things you don’t want to know. It is hard to explain things that people don’t want to know.
Proverbs 2:1 says, “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee.” Verse 5 continues it, “Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.” So, you will understand the truth you want. It is conditional. In other words, if you will, then you will understand. If you will receive, hide, incline, apply, cry after, lift up your voice for, seek, and search, then you will understand. What we are talking about here, understanding moral precepts, is a matter of attitude not intellect.
I have a great dog, but he sometimes jumps up on people or doesn’t come when I call. He doesn’t do things he should. Recently we got a shock collar. I know, that is evil and bad and you should positively reinforce. Well, he was pretty positive he wanted to obey dad because when he didn’t, he was shocked for it. All of a sudden, within a day he was smarter than he had ever been before. He understood not to jump. He understood to come. He understood to obey because he wanted to. It is an attitude, not intellect.
Notice the actions of interest in Proverbs 2: receive, hide, incline, apply, cry after, lift up, seek, search. These are actions of interest. I am seeking to understand. I am crying out for understanding. I am making effort for understanding. God is the source, but I am responsible. Verse 6 says, “For the LORD giveth wisdom.” God gives wisdom, but I am responsible for receiving that wisdom. Ultimately, the proof is in the pudding. What happens when I have an understanding heart because I want to understand moral precept? Verse 12 says that wisdom will “deliver thee from the way of the evil man.” Verse 16 says, “To deliver thee from the strange woman.” Verse 20 says, “That thou mayest walk in the way of good men.”
Let me encourage you today to cultivate a taste for the truth. Proverbs 24:13-14 says, “My son, eat thou honey, because it is good: and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: so shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.” That is simply to say when wisdom and understanding and the truth are desirable to me, they are available to me.
Today, you may not be all you want to be or understand all you want to understand, but you will understand the truth you have the desire and heart to understand.