Proverbs 4:3-4

For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

The religious education of Solomon

Solomon in these words gives us two pieces of his own private history, in order to account for the zeal he shows in this book for the welfare of the rising generation. The first is, that in early life he had a large share in the affections of his parents; and the second, that he received the first rudiments of that wisdom, for which he became afterwards so eminent, from their early instructions. The affection of his father David did not, by excessive indulgence, stand in the way of his education, as does the ill-regulated affection of many foolish parents, who cannot cross the inclination of their children, nor employ the authority to compel the attention of their light and unstable minds to what is for their lasting benefit. His mother, Bathsheba, took her share with her husband, David, in the delightful task of instructing young Solomon in the things of God. Of this Solomon says nothing in the text. Though he speaks of the affection of both his parents, he mentions only his father’s care of his education. But in another passage of this book we find him referring to his mother’s instructions, and styling them “the prophecy which his mother taught him.” And it gives us a most comfortable proof of the genuine piety of both David and Bathsheba, and of the sincerity of their repentance for their grievous sin which they had committed.

I. What kind of education did Solomon’s parents give him when he was young? We cannot entertain a doubt that David would give his favourite son, to whom he looked as his successor on the throne, the best education which Israel, in his time, could afford. A man of talent and information himself, and possessed of the amplest means, he would certainly grudge no labour or expense to make him acquainted with whatever could serve to fit him for his future station in life. The schools of the prophets were for the instruction of the youth of Israel. Whatever value we may attach to other branches of education, and however important and useful instruction in those arts and sciences which serve the purposes of this present life may be supposed to be, the knowledge of the principles of religion is unquestionably far more valuable, important, and useful. For as the soul is more valuable than the body, and eternity than time, so the knowledge which fits us for spending life as becomes rational, immortal, and accountable creatures, and which, through the blessing of God, may train us up for spending eternity in happiness and joy, must be inconceivably more valuable than what refers merely to this present vain and transitory world. We cannot, indeed, insure that our children, however carefully instructed in the fear of God, will profit by our care so as to serve God in their generation; but early instruction is the probable means of their future and eternal benefit--a means which God has enjoined parents to use, and which He has promised in ordinary eases to bless. Let the means be conscientiously employed, and let the fear that all may be unavailing rather excite to greater diligence than repress exertion, and to earnestness for the Divine blessing on the means of Divine appointment.

II. In what manner did they conduct the business of his religious education?

1. They did not confide it entirely to others. There were good men about David’s court, some of whom probably had a particular charge of Solomon’s education, and in whom, as being prophets of God, David might have reposed the most entire confidence for ability and fidelity. But Solomon’s parents do not seem to have considered this as exempting them from the obligation of the law of God to watch over their young charge themselves. They wished to see with their own eyes, and to hear with their own ears, the progress that he made, and to add their own diligence to that of his teachers, in order to promote his spiritual benefit. A king and queen taking so much pains for the religious instruction of their son is a pleasant sight, and must certainly silence and shame multitudes of persons in private life, who either neglect this duty altogether, or satisfy themselves entirely with the diligence of others, to whose care they entrust it. You have no time, you say. But will you not find time to die? and why should you so involve yourselves in the affairs of the world as not to have time for doing those things which are necessary for your dying well? If you have little leisure on working days, as perhaps many of you have, what deprives you of time on the first day of the week?

2. They adapted their instructions to his years. If we wish to be useful to the young our language must be plain and familiar; we must address ourselves to the imagination even more than to the judgment, must confine ourselves chiefly to first principles, and frequently repeat the same instructions, that they may take the firmer hold on the memory.

3. They instructed him in the most affectionate, serious, and winning manner. They showed by their manner that they felt the importance of the instructions they gave him, and that in the pains they took they were prompted by the sincerest love. Perhaps it is owing in some degree to a harshness and ungraciousness of manner employed by some pious parents, that so little advantage is gained by their children, from all the anxious pains taken on them; and perhaps, in other instances, to a want of due seriousness of manner when instruction is given.

III. The motives by which they were induced to devote their attention to the religious education of their son.

1. The warmth of their affection for their son. Did the affection of his pious and penitent parents, think you, expend itself in the endearments of parental fondness? in endeavours to gratify the passions of their darling child, and to anticipate, were it possible, every foolish and preposterous wish of his heart? Was it the only effect of it that they spoiled his temper by indulgence, and neglected his education by their aversion to cross his humour or subject him to necessary restraint? Such is the effect of the foolish fondness of many parents; they do their children the greatest injury by the injudicious manner in which they show their regard; they “doat too much,” as saith the poet, “and spoil what they admire.” Not so the parents of Solomon. Love to their son excited them to labour for his welfare. And what does a good man or woman consider as best for their children? Doubtless what they consider as best for themselves--the knowledge of God, the fear of God, the enjoyment of God. When parents neglect the religious education of their children, I can account for their negligence only in one of two ways--either they do not really love their children, or they do not themselves believe the truth and necessity of religion. The first I am reluctant to admit; for bad as the world is, the instances of parents who do not love their children are few, and natural affection shows itself, not unfrequently, very strong in the conduct of the most abandoned of men. To be “without natural affection” is to be worse even than the brutes. I will not say, then, that those parents who do not educate their children in the fear of God are destitute of natural affection: the truth is, that they do not really believe the religion which they profess; for did they believe it, they love their children so well that they would use every conceivable means within their power to make them acquainted with it, and so put them in possession of its inestimable advantages. Did you believe the gospel yourselves, you could not indolently look on and see your beloved children perish. You would “travail in birth till Christ were formed in their hearts.” You would, like the parents of Solomon, teach your children, while they are yet young, “the things which belong to their peace.”

2. The example of their godly ancestors excited them to educate their child in the fear of God. And why should not we also follow the commendable practices of our godly forefathers? We are sufficiently prone to follow customs which we have “received by tradition from our fathers,” which, perhaps, can scarcely be justified; and must it not much more be our wisdom and honour to imitate them in what is so praiseworthy? What evidence do we give that we belong to the family of God, if the customs and manners of the family are not adopted by us--if, instead of “bringing up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,” that they may be “a seed which shall serve Him, that shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation,” we shall suffer them to continue ignorant of the first principles of religion, and a ready prey to every temptation?

3. The positive injunction of the law of God, though last mentioned, must have been first in its force on the conscience of Solomon’s parents, exciting them to see to his religious education. And this law is still obligatory. It is not one of those things peculiar to the old dispensation, which have passed away, but part of that law by which we are bound, under the dispensation of the gospel. Our obligation to attend to the religious education of our offspring is inseparable from our relation to them as our children. When God gives a person the blessing of children, He unites duty with privilege, the duty of educating them for God with the privilege of enjoying them as His gift.

IV. The use which Solomon made of his parents’ instructions. Here I can only remark, in general, that it appears, from the text, that he had profited by them. His parents, who had instructed him with such pious care in his youth, at least his father David, were many years dead before he wrote this book; but we find that, at the time he wrote it, they still lived in his affectionate remembrance of them and their pious care; and, in token of this, he quotes some of their early instructions, and, in imitation of them, enforces on his son attention to the same duties. And good reason had he to cherish a grateful recollection of them; for, in thus training him, they had done him the greatest kindness--a kindness for which he could never repay them, and which it would have been the highest ingratitude if he should ever have forgotten. (James Peddie, D.D.)

Let thine heart retain my words.--

Education: the child’s thought of the parent

This chapter begins with a charming little piece of autobiography. The grateful memories of a father’s teaching and of a mother’s tenderness give point and force to the exhortations.

I. The importance of early impressions. It is almost impossible to exaggerate the permanent effects of those first tendencies impressed on the soul before the intellect is developed, and while the soft, plastic nature of the child is not yet determined in any particular direction. We learn to love, not because we are taught to love, but by some contagious influence of example, or by some indescribable attraction of beauty. Our first love to religion is won from us by living with those that love her. The affections are elicited, and often permanently fixed, before the understanding has come into play. The first thing is to give our children an atmosphere to grow up in; to cultivate their affections, and set their hearts on things eternal; to make them associate the ideas of wealth and honour, of beauty and glory, not with material possessions, but with the treasures and rewards of wisdom.

II. What is to be the definite teaching of the child? The first object in the home life is to enable children to realise what salvation is, as an inward state, resulting from a spiritual change. We are tempted in dealing with children to train them only in outward habits, and to forget the inward sources which are always gathering and forming; hence we often teach them to avoid the lie on the tongue, and yet we leave them with the lies in the soul, the deep inward unveracities which are their ruin. We bring them up as respectable and decorous members of society, and yet leave them a prey to secret sins; they are tormented by covetousness, which is idolatry, by impurity, and by all kinds of envious and malignant passions. The second thing to be explained and enforced is singleness of heart, directness and consistency of aim, by which alone the inward life can be shaped to virtuous ends. The right life is a steady progress undiverted by the alluring sights and sounds which appeal to the senses. Here, in the passage, is a great contrast between those whose early training has been vicious or neglected, and those who have been “taught in the way of wisdom, led in paths of uprightness.” It is a contrast which should constantly be present to the eyes of parents with a warning and an encouragement. (R. F. Horton, D. D.)