Proverbs 23:16

Proverbs 23:15-16 Proverbs

Pastor Martin expounds Proverbs 23:15-16, emphasizing that a father's greatest joy comes from his children possessing true wisdom, which is evidenced by their speech. He argues against the worldly standards of success (academic achievement, physical attractiveness) and instead champions the biblical standard of a wise heart manifested in righteous lips. Martin applies this to parenting, encouraging parents to instill in their children that God-given wisdom, even in humble vocations, is the ultimate source of parental pride and God's glory.

2 illustrations in this sermon

The Father's Joy in a Wise Heart and Righteous Lips

compare analogy

Divine Heart-Reading Spectacles

Driving home: my son if thy heart be wise my heart will be glad even mine yea my heart will rejoice now notice when thy lips speak right things son do you want to make me glad then have a wise heart

Martin uses the analogy of 'divine heart-reading spectacles' to humorously illustrate that a father cannot directly see his son's heart, but discerns its state through the son's speech, connecting heart and mouth.

verses 15 and 16 my son you see he hasn't left the fatherly role so must not make a hard break at the end of chapter 9 i've not appreciated some of the commentators that would say that only chapters 1 to 9 have the admonitory framework of the father and son it's simply not true my son if thy heart be wise my heart will be glad even mine yea my heart will rejoice now notice when thy lips speak right things son do you want to make me glad then have a wise heart now how in the world is the father going to read the wise heart of the son god's going to give him some special spectacle called divine ...

0:01 - 1:21 Read in full sermon

Redefining Parental Pride: Wisdom Over Worldly Success

auto_stories story

Garbage Collector Son

The point: Teach your children that true parental gladness comes from their having the wisdom of God in their hearts, evidenced by their lips, not from worldly achievements or appearances.

Martin shares a personal anecdote of how he reared his children, telling them that even if their capacity was only to collect garbage, he would be proud if they did it heartily for God's glory with a consistent testimony.

in other words we're teaching our children that the thing that will make us glad is not that they're phi beta kappa in college, that they're valedictorian of the class, that they're pretty, that they're handsome or anything else, but they have the wisdom of God in their hearts, and it comes out on their lips. That's what will make us glad. Do you rear your children telling them the things with which I reared mine in this area? Your capacity in life, son, may be no more than to collect the garbage, a noble and necessary function in society, and if time proves that that's the limit of your capac...

1:21 - 2:25 Read in full sermon

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