CRITICAL NOTES.—
Proverbs 3:6. Acknowledge, “take notice of,” “recognise” Him. Direct, “make level” or “smooth.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH— Proverbs 3:5-6
EXHORTATION TO CONFIDENCE IN GOD
Man is so constituted that, in some respects, he must have objects outside of himself to lean upon. As a child, he leans upon a wisdom and strength which is superior to his own, and few men are so self-sufficient as entirely to lay aside this habit in after life. In many things we must, whether we will or not, depend upon the guidance and help of others. Every man, in common with the lower creatures, must of necessity lean upon a power greater than his own. “The eyes of all wait upon Thee” (Psalms 145:15). But this is a leaning which needs no exhortation: it springs from necessity. The exhortation of the text implies that in some things men have to choose whether they will lean upon God or not.
I. What is necessary in order to comply with the exhortation.
1. A knowledge of God. We cannot place entire trust in any person of whose character we have no knowledge; or, if we do so, we show our want of discretion. If a traveller across Central Africa were to give himself up to the guidance of the first native whom he met, he would probably find that his confidence had been misplaced. The youth who trusts in the first companion who offers his friendship is like a blind man placing his hand in that of any stranger who may offer him guidance. All lasting trust is based upon knowledge. “They that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee” (Psalms 9:10). The confidence of a wise man is born of knowledge of character. God can be known. His only-begotten Son hath declared Him (Luke 10:22; John 1:18; John 17:3).
2. Love to God. The character must be known, and, being known, must be loved, if there is to be a lasting confidence. We shall not lean with much weight where we do not love. The trust of a Christian will be in proportion to his love to his Lord. The more intimate the knowledge, the deeper will be the love; the deeper the love, the more entire the trust. Our Lord Jesus Christ knew His Father (John 17:25) as no creature could know Him, and His love being based upon this profound knowledge, His trust was entire and His obedience perfect, even in His darkest hours. “But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.” “Arise, let us go hence” (John 14:31). We cannot do better than write after this copy.
II. The necessary effect of such a confidence. We shall acknowledge God in all our ways. This must mean—
1. A practical recognition of His presence. We may be in the presence of a superior, and know that we are in his presence, without acknowledging it by showing him the respect that is due to him. If this is the case, we virtually ignore his existence. A child whose behaviour is not deferential to his parent practically ignores him. Acknowledging God in all our ways implies a reverent attitude of soul towards Him.
2. A belief in God’s care for the individual life. God makes Himself known as the God of the individual man. The care of the individual is his self-imposed task. “I am the Lord God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of Isaac, … and behold I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest” (Genesis 28:13; Genesis 28:15).
3. The reference of all our affairs to His guidance, and a submission of our will to His. This will be easy and natural in proportion to our knowledge, and love, and conviction that God will not think any of our concerns beneath His notice. Our submission will be in the ratio of our confidence—our confidence in the ratio of our knowledge.
III. The promise of direction guaranteed to compliance with the exhortation.
1. Men have many ways in life. Man’s many ways spring from his many needs. He has a living to earn in the world. His hunger must be satisfied—his body must be clothed and fed. His social wants must be met—he must have companions, form relationships. His mind must have food as well as his body. The aspirations of his spirit form another way, and demand direction and enlightenment. But one way—the way of acknowledging God—is needful to make any and all the other ways profitable and pleasant.
2. The certainty of right guidance from the foreknowledge and power of the guide. An Alpine guide, who has traversed a road many times, knows from memory what is at the end of the journey. He sees the end while he is on the way. God’s foreknowledge answers to our memory. He sees the end to which He is bringing us while we are on the way. And His power makes the accomplishment of his plans certain. He can speak of them as finished before the means are set in motion to bring them to pass. He said to Joshua: “Behold, I have given into thine hand Jericho” (Joshua 6:2), before any steps had been taken to overthrow it. His guidance makes it certain that His designs will be accomplished, whatever becomes of our plans.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Proverbs 3:5-6. The heart, the seat of the affections, and also, in Hebrew psychology, the conscience, which is not a sure guide unless it is regulated by the Lord’s will and word.—Wordsworth.
Once, indeed, man’s understanding gave clear, unclouded light, as man’s high prerogative—created in the image of God. But now—degraded by the fall, and darkened by the corruption of the heart—it must prove a false guide. Even in a renewed man—a prophet of God—it proved a mistaken counsellor 2 Samuel 7:2; 2 Samuel 7:5). Yet throw it not away; cultivate it; use it actively; but lean not to it.—Bridges.
“He shall Himself,” i.e., by His own Spirit. There is an emphatic pronoun. When we walk, it is not we that walk, but God.—Miller.
“Leaning to our own understanding” is, as far as it prevails, a kind of practical atheism. To form and prosecute our plans in this spirit of self-confidence, is to act as if there were no God—as if the fool’s thought, or the fool’s wish, were true.—Wardlaw.
I. The duty enjoined.
1. Entire.
2. Exclusive.
3. Uniform.
II. The blessing promised—Direction. Necessary on account of—
1. Our fallibility.
2. The hazards of the way.
3. False guides. Promised.
1. By the pointings of Providence.
2. By the lessons of the Bible.
3. By the influences of the Holy Spirit.—Outlines by Rev. G. Brooks.
The fundamental principle of all religion, consisting in an entire self-commitment to the grace and truth of God, with the abandonment of every attempt to attain blessedness by one’s own strength or wisdom.—Lange’s Commentary.
The distant and unconfiding will come on occasion of State formalities to the sovereign; but the dear child will leap forward with everything. The Queen of England is the mother of a family. At one time her ministers of State come gravely into her presence to converse on the policy of nations; at another, her infant runs to her arms for protection, frightened at the buzzing of a fly. Will she love this last appeal because it is a little thing? We have had fathers of our flesh who delighted when we came to them with our minutest ailments. How much more should we bring all our ways to the Father of our spirits, and live by simple faith on Him.—Arnot.
We may be led for the exercise of our faith into a way of disappointment, or even of mistake. But no step well prayed over will ever bring ultimate regret.—Bridges.
Every enlightened believer trusts in a Divine power enlightening the understanding; he therefore follows the dictates of the understanding more religiously than any other man.—M. Cheyne.
The moralist, in preaching this trust in God, anticipates the teaching that man is justified by faith.—Plumptre.
See your confidence be not divided, part on God and part on man. Such a confidence may keep you from the lions (2 Kings 17:25) but it cannot keep you out of hell. A house built partly on firm ground, partly on sand, will fall. To trust in God is so to lean upon Him that if He fail thee thou sinkest.—Francis Taylor.
He shall direct, as He carefully chose out the Israelites’ way in the wilderness; not the shortest, but the safest way.—Trapp.
1. That our reliance may be rational we should know what it is that God has promised, and what we may expect from Him; else we may be disappointed in our hopes.
2. Reliance must be accompanied with obedience, with a purpose, and endeavour to do the things that are pleasing to God.
3. Reliance must also be connected with particular supplications to Him to bless us.
4. It must be accompanied with diligence and prudence in our worldly affairs.
5. It excludes immoderate cares, vain desires, fretful discontent.
6. Although reliance be so advantageous to us, even for the present, that it ought to be considered rather as a privilege than a duty, yet it is a noble virtue and a disposition of mind most agreeable to God. It is the greatest honour we can pay to Him. By it we show our belief in His wisdom, power, equity, and goodness.—Jortin.