“Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.”
Kids get tired of being told the same thing over and over by their parents, teachers and coaches. It is an incredibly annoying pattern to them. Adults seem to resent it even more. I use to tell my staff if they didn’t understand something feel free to ask and that it was ok to ask more then once. I let them know that at some point they either needed to understand or move on though. In chapter four we find Solomon is doing somewhat the same thing. He is basically repeating, it might be better to say reminding or even reenforcing, what he already taught us in chapters 1 through 3. Solomon understands man and his nature. It is very human, at least our broken version, to hear and forget or adapt to our desires. Our writer is not allowing that. He wants to be sure we not only hear but that we perceive, internalize and are changed by the Truth. Jesus shared the same truths, in different ways at different times, but the same eternal Truths throughout His 3 year journey. Peter and James unashamedly did the same thing and Paul was close to impatient and obnoxious about it. Today look closely at what God is reinforcing in your story and be sure you don’t miss it. #BeTheEdge
“I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.” 2 Peter 1:13, 15 NIV
