We have something more than the affection of the heart for that which is come from God, and in this way of affectionate instruction, that is, keeping the words of this instruction, retaining the commandments of parental wisdom, and living. There is something very striking in the likeness of the language here to the language of Christ in the New Testament. The Sermon on the Mount is just the sayings of wisdom that are to be kept. So the Lord says, “He that keepeth my sayings shall never see death.” “If my words abide in you,” says Christ. “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings.” “If a man love me, he will keep my words.” There is more than that in Christ; but He takes the place of wisdom in all He says. There was a person and source of grace, One in whom in subjection these words were filled, and whose words when He spake were the absolute expression of what He was. Still the analogy between the language of Proverbs and Christ's words is striking. He walked in the daylight of God's will—in the day and did not stumble. So here he who follows wisdom will not stumble. Hence “wisdom is the principal thing.” It is really “life,” the path of life. Power as displayed in bringing in night in the world is not come yet, it will. Our path now is wisdom, the mind of God good, in the midst of evil—not that which puts evil away (that, as to the state of things, is Christ when He shall appear), the will of God good, in the midst of a world departed from Him—subjection and the consciousness that it is riot by the coming in of displayed power, but the walking, in spite of evil, in His paths.
Then, as I have remarked, it is not the child kept authoritatively in the paths of good, but the pressing in the love that, in his own heart as a responsible person, he should cleave to the good he had learned—take this wisdom as an object of his own heart and delight, exalt it, cleave to it. It is the way of life, grace, and glory. Two things flow from it—no straitening of the ways, no stumbling of the feet. Some seen in haste to go forward necessarily, because wisdom is light and guidance. We shall not be straitened and in perplexity in our path, not knowing which way to go, because wisdom, God's discerned will and mind, tells us. There is a voice behind us saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it.” And our goings are held up in God's ways. For in the path of divine wisdom there is nothing to stumble over. This is a great mercy. The heart is at large in walking, and the feet safe in the way. We must bear in mind that the rejection of Christ has in an external sense modified this, though the fire was indeed before already kindled. It is, as regards the flesh, for man's natural heart, a strait gate and a narrow way. The spirit is at large and free in it, truly and wholly so; but when the will and human passions are at work, it is strait and narrow. Hence for man's heart, as such. it is represented. We should need no way, were evil not here. Adam had no need of a way. In heaven we shall have no need of one, but through the world and wilderness we have one. And there is but one—the way of wisdom, Christ, the heart-guided of God Himself in the conduct that flows from Him and suits Him in a world of evil, of which path of wisdom Christ is the perfect expression in His own person; and with this is God's government (not yet outwardly displayed), so that it leads only to the cross, yet has His blessing, He making everything work together for good to those that love Him, and, if it do bring the cross, giving a heavenly crown as the blessed result. All this is clearer for us now, of course, still in substance the way of wisdom was ever the same. It was always the path of life, a divinely marked way since evil came into the world.
From verse 14 we have the contrast. There is a positive part of wickedness, of self-will, that seeks this world. Into that he that fears God is not to enter at all. It too is a marked way. The way depicted in its full fruits, but it is the way of man's will. It is the way of hatred. They love to make others fall. It is a dreadful thing. But it is the sign of power, and malice is in the heart. The mischief inflicted on others is a sign of their comparative powerlessness. But the path of the just has fruit, leads on to something beyond, of which it is the way. There is no fruit in the ways of the wicked, but present gratification in wickedness. It is a departure from the place of peace and blessing, from God, and then self-will gratifying itself. It ends in death, but it is the way, not the end, which is judged here.
But there is a way which comes from God, a spirit and mind from Him, in which the just walks in the midst of evil, though here viewed practically and as from without. And though we have it here as guidance in the midst of darkness, and it is simple obedience of heart to God's directions, in the abnegation of will, yet it is of God and leads on to Him, to the perfect day. It is His path, though for a man (hence perfect in Christ all the way), and clothed as to circumstances in the path of this world, yet His way in it; and it issues in what it is in itself, and in its source, the perfect day. It is a beautiful image, for the dawn is from and in itself perfect light; but it is, so to speak, making its way through the darkness, but it issues in perfect day. So this path, coming from God and in which man owns his relationship to God and all to whom God has placed him in relationship, according to His will and in subjection—it issues in the full light of the relationship itself. In Christ we have the perfect expression of it—come from God, walking as man perfectly according to God in the midst of evil. He ends in glory as man, Himself indeed light all along the way, and forming the path of wisdom in the world. He that follows Him does not walk in darkness, but has the light of life. Christ Himself contrasts the way of the wicked with that of wisdom in the language almost of this passage. Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.” (John 12:3535Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. (John 12:35).) This as regards others believing in Himself: as regards His own path doing the will of His Father, see chapter 11:9, 10. And note in this last passage, He looks for light in Him: it is not in the wicked, and the world is always in darkness; so is it not with him that has Christ—God in man as light, as wisdom of man in this world, the light of life.
The rest of the chapter (ver. 20-27) is urgent exhortation. The ear must be attentive, the eye fixed on them, in the midst of the heart, the center and spring of walk, they must ever be kept. And this is indeed what is needed, as indeed it is urged; “keep thy heart with diligence for out of it are the issues of life.” All goes well if that source of thought and object is filled with the word of God. Christ's words must abide in us, the heart's affections be formed in and by them, and we shall find the truth in good as in evil of the saying, mine eye affecteth my heart. There is power in the word and revealed wisdom of God for the renewed man (not to speak of its being the instrument by which we are begotten of God) to lay hold on heart and conscience, and to fix the mind of the inner man with formative power. It produces good in us: we live by it, we are changed into the image of what we contemplate. “Sanctify them by thy truth, thy word is truth.” “For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” It is the way of life, and health, and freeness of heart to the whole man.
But we have to deal with evil (here the ways of evil for the Old Testament does not deal with old and new man, that supposes knowledge of Christ) in ourselves. “A froward mouth and perverse lips” are to be put away. He that governs his tongue, the same is a perfect man, able also to govern his whole body. It is the first index of the will and passion of man unsubdued, or of his having perfect rule over himself. This we must put away, not only following evil. (Comp. Col. 3)
Next, singleness of eye as to the object we pursue. If the path is strait, it is also straight, and, looking right on, there is energy in following. “This one thing I do” —consequent purity of affection; we are morally what we love and think of as an object. It is our φρόνημα, our mind. There is not a distraction nor a setting of the mind on vanity, and so a shutting out of what is holy and good, and a coming in of what is beside Christ but God is obscured, His love and light hidden, if not doubted of, communion gone, the free peace of a holy heart—the power of evil is felt. It lies at the heart—not so easy to get it out, though grace does it. It is not faith which is at work—the new man in the things which belong to it, but the conscience making us feel we have wronged the love and favor we enjoy.
But further, we have to ponder the path of our feet. A careless imprudent walk is not the fear of God. It is carelessness about God who has given us a path of wisdom in which our steps can go. “And let all thy ways be established.” (Comp. Psa. 19:55Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. (Psalm 19:5), the same word.) It is exhortation, but I think exhortation to secure the fruit of the first part of the verse. We are not driven about by influences or distractions. There is firmness in our path, because it is a known one. It is not blown about by winds of doctrine, or counsels taken not as wisdom but because we do not know what to do—the influence of the world. There is firmness of purpose. God's mind and God's will command the judgment, the heart, and the ways. There is not counsel with flesh and blood. It is the simple settled intention of doing God's will as a delight and obligation both. It is then pondered before God to find His will in the particular case, and the feet guided. But it is a settled thing with the heart to walk in God's way. It may have to ponder and seek from Him what it is, but as it only seeks that, it waits till that is discovered, and then all is clear. There is no uncertainty of purpose, nor distraction of will or motive, where God's will is discovered. There is one straight path, nor is there then any turning to the right or the left. It is sufficient that God's will has been found.