What is the meaning of Proverbs 19:27? If you cease to hear instruction - Solomon starts with a conditional: “If you cease to hear instruction…” (Proverbs 19:27). The verb “cease” warns against a conscious decision to stop listening, not a passive drift. When a believer plugs his ears to godly counsel, he cuts off the very lifeline God uses to shape wisdom in the heart (Proverbs 4:13; Proverbs 13:1). - Scripture repeatedly urges active, ongoing attentiveness: “Incline your ear and hear…” (Proverbs 22:17), “Listen to counsel and accept discipline” (Proverbs 19:20). Hebrews 2:1 echoes the same urgency: “We must pay much closer attention… so that we do not drift away.” - Practical takeaways: • Keep placing yourself under solid preaching and teaching (2 Timothy 4:2). • Invite trusted believers to speak correction (Proverbs 27:6). • Guard against pride that resists reproof (Proverbs 16:18). my son - The paternal address reminds us that instruction flows from a loving relationship. Solomon writes as a father appealing to his child’s heart (Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 3:1). - In Christ, every believer is treated as a beloved child: Paul calls Timothy “my true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2), modeling the same mentoring tone. - The phrase reassures us that divine correction is never harsh or distant; it is the Father training those He loves (Hebrews 12:6). you will stray from the words of knowledge - Neglecting instruction has a predictable outcome: wandering. “Stray” pictures a gradual, almost unnoticed departure until truth is lost from view (Jeremiah 14:10). - “Words of knowledge” points to God-breathed revelation—Scripture itself (Proverbs 22:20–21). When we stop listening, we drift from the Bible’s clear path, much like those in 2 Timothy 4:3–4 who “turn aside to myths.” - The result is spiritual vulnerability: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Staying anchored requires daily Scripture intake, eager obedience (James 1:22), and fellowship with truth-speaking believers (Hebrews 3:13). summary Proverbs 19:27 warns that refusing ongoing instruction is the first step toward drifting from God’s truth. A childlike, teachable heart keeps us close to the “words of knowledge,” while shutting our ears leads inevitably to error and loss. Continual listening, humble submission, and steady engagement with Scripture safeguard the believer from straying and keep us growing in godly wisdom. |
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