Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise,
and apply your heart to my knowledge,
for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
That your trust may be in the Lord,
I have made them known to you today, even to you.
Have I not written for you thirty sayings
of counsel and knowledge,
to make you know what is right and true,
that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?Proverbs 22:17-21
At this point we come to another new division of the book of Proverbs. Thus far we have had, after a brief Introduction 1:1-7), a Father's Praise of Wisdom (1:8-9:18) then the Proverbs of Solomon (10:1-22:16). Now, in 22:17-24:22, and 24:23-34, we have 'the words of the wise', in two short sections, which are followed by more Proverbs of Solomon (25:1-29:27). Words of Agur (30:1-33) and Words of King Lemuel (31:1ff). In this new section, we return to the teaching, didactic style of chapters 1-9, with passages of several verses (e.g. 17-21) belonging together.
Kidner entitles 17-21 'The right use of Proverbs' and we could well widen this to call it 'The right use of Scripture', for the passage has much to teach about how we should read God's Word. One is reminded of John's oft-repeated words in the opening chapters of Revelation, 'He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches'. We should ask ourselves whether we use Scripture in the way advocated in 17 with alert and attentive concentration? The idea is of bending low so as not to miss the slightest whisper of the Spirit in the Word. Furthermore, not content with thus hearing it, we are to be diligent in applying mind and heart to what we hear. James echoes this in his well-known words, 'Be ye doers of the Word, not hearers only'. The message in 18 is clear and plain: the sheer joy of reading and studying God's saving and sanctifying truth. Is this how we read the Scriptures? A duty - or a pleasure? The writer has already told us (3:17) that wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace, and the Psalmist that 'At Thy right hand are pleasures for ever more'. Is this what Scripture means to us? The pleasure comes, however, through keeping the divine truth within us (18a), that is, it must be assimilated. And only thus (18b) is it ready for passing on.