There’s a famine in the land! It’s not about physical food, but a dearth of knowing the true God and His Word. Not only the Gospel of Christ must be proclaimed to sinners, but saints also need to get to know their God. How can this be done?
The following is an excerpt from my commentary on Proverbs.
Prov. 2:1---My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
Having given the key verse for all of Proverbs in 1:7 (regarding the "fear of the Lord"), Solomon now sets out to reveal how that quality may be obtained. He affectionately addresses "My son", which evidently refers to Rehoboam, but is certainly applied to all who follow the LORD. (See this pattern in 3:1; 5:1; 6:1; 7:1, etc.) Keeping the Word was and is a family matter, even though Rehoboam failed to take his father's advice (1Kings 12).
Here he exhorts his son to "receive my words, and hide (treasure up, store) my commandments with thee." Note that these steps to the fear of God (F.O.G.) are conditional, preceded by "if." To acquire the fear of the Lord is basically a matter of obedience to the Word--an "I will" situation. It comes down to what we think is most important in life or what is priority. David said: "wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way; by taking heed thereto according to the word of God.... Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against God" (Psa.119:9,11).
Prov. 2:2---So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
The quest for the "fear of God" continues. Key verbs in vs.1 were "receive and hide" the word within. Here in vs.2, the progression involves "inclining the ear unto wisdom"; the idea is paying strict attention to the word (lit. pricking up of the ears). Obviously, the "ear" here indicates the inner, spiritual ear (heart) whereby spiritual understanding takes place. How useless are the words that simply ring in the outer ear. Wisdom must have an impact on the soul. We must therefore get serious about God and His Word.
"Apply thine heart to understanding." The word "apply" is the parallel to "incline"; while the ear is inclined (stretched out toward), the heart (parallel of "ear") must apply---stretch out, and bend to understanding. The word of God must not only be taken seriously, but then applied by obedient faith to the heart. What is taken seriously in heart will be manifest in everyday life.
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