Proverbs 3:1 (Mini Sermon)

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1. Pro 3:1 - "My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:" A. A quick summary of Proverbs 1-2. i. Solomon devoted a large portion of Proverbs 1 to warning his son of the dangers of being enticed to do evil by wicked men (Pro 1:10-19). ii. Then he admonished him of the dire consequences of rejecting Wisdom's call of repentance (Pro 1:20-33). iii. In Proverbs 2, he exhorted his son to seek and cry after the knowledge and wisdom of God which, when acquired, would deliver him from the way of the evil man and the strange woman. B. Introduction to Proverbs 3. i. Having taken ample time exhorting his son to get wisdom and understanding, and warning him of the peril that awaits those who don't, Solomon spends much of the third chapter detailing the blessings and benefits of remembering God's law and keeping His commandments. ii. The first 12 verses of chapter 3 are comprised six couplets. a. The first verse of the couplet gives the commandment. b. The second verse gives the reward or benefit of keeping it. iii. These first 12 verses give the formula for living a good life which includes: a. A long, peaceful life (Pro 3:1-2). b. Favor with God (spiritual fulfillment) and man (social fulfillment) (Pro 3:3-4). c. Direction and leading from God through life (Pro 3:5-6). d. Good health (Pro 3:7-8). e. Financial security (Pro 3:9-10). f. Discipline from God (Pro 3:11-12). C. My son, forget not my law. i. This is the foundation for living the good life. ii. In that Solomon was one of God's prophets who "spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2Pe 1:21), these words are not only Solomon's to his son, but they are God's words to His sons warning them to not forget His law. iii. Forget v. - 1. trans. To lose remembrance of; to cease to retain in one's memory. a. Reading and understanding the law of God will be of no value to us if we don't retain it in our memory where it is available to be recalled at any time. b. Thus the reason that the LORD reminds His children to forget not His law (Pro 4:5), but to remember it (Mal 4:4; Jos 1:13; Joh 15:20). iv. The author of Psalm 119, who spent 176 verses magnifying the word of God, not only read the scriptures, but also made great effort to remember them, saying: a. "I will not forget thy word" (Psa 119:16) b. "yet do I not forget thy statutes" (Psa 119:83) c. "I will never forget thy precepts" (Psa 119:93) d. "yet do I not forget thy law" (Psa 119:109) e. "yet do not I forget thy precepts" (Psa 119:141) f. "I do not forget thy commandments" (Psa 119:176). v. When we don't keep God's commandments, we have not only forgotten God's law, we have forgotten God Himself (Deu 8:11). vi. Forgetting the LORD first manifests itself in failing to keep His commandments, which then leads to walking after other gods, and finally ends in death (Deu 8:18-20; Psa 9:17; Psa 50:22). D. But let thine heart keep my commandments. i. Reading the word of God frequently is a necessary step to remember it. ii. But the prescription that Solomon gives for not forgetting the law of God is not merely reading it, but also doing it, and doing it often (keep my commandments). a. Repetition is the most effective method of committing a thing to memory. b. Those that only hear the word of God, but don't do it, are forgetful hearers (Jam 1:22-25). iii. The first commandment that a child of God should keep after he has heard and believed the gospel is to repent and be baptized (Act 2:37-38). a. This will result in him being added to the membership of a local church (Act 2:41). b. When that happens and the new Christian continues "steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine" (Act 2:42) by assembling with the saints and hearing the word of God preached, he will be reminded of God's law week after week and will not forget it. iv. Remembering the law of God by keeping it will not only spare God's children from falling into sin and being chastened by Him for it, but it will also yield the blessing of a long and peaceful life, which Solomon shows in the next verse.