Proverbs 7:1 (Mini Sermon)

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1.      Pro 7:1 – “My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.”

35. Solomon continues his exhortation to his son regarding the dangers of the strange woman which he began in Pro 2:16-19, continued in Pro 5, and resumed in Pro 6:24-35.
    1. In chapter 7 he moves from a general warning to telling his son a story of a foolish young man who was seduced by a strange woman.
    2. He tells the tale in great detail so as to powerfully imprint it in his sons memory.

• This is likely the reason that he again begins this chapter as he has many times before (Pro 2:1; Pro 3:1; Pro 5:2; Pro 6:20) by admonishing his son to listen to what he has to say and do it.

1. My son, keep my words,
   1. He tells his son to keep his words.
      1. Keep – I. Early senses (with gen. in OE., afterwards with simple obj.). 1. To seize, lay hold of; to snatch, take. Obs.  2. To try to catch or get; to seek after. Obs.  3. To take in, receive, contain, hold. Obs.  4. To take in with the eyes, ears, or mind; to take note of, mark, behold, observe. Obs.  II. Transitive uses (in early use also intr.).  * To have regard, pay attention to, observe.  11. trans. To pay attention or regard to; to observe, stand to, or dutifully abide by (an ordinance, law, custom, practice, covenant, promise, faith, a thing prescribed or fixed, as a treaty, truce, peace, a set time or day; see further under the ns.).
         • He didn’t merely ask his son to listen to what he was saying and consider it.
         • He told him to pay attention to, observe, stand to, and dutifully abide by the instruction he was giving him.
      2. In that Solomon was a prophet speaking under the inspiration of God (2Pe 1:21), his words are also God’s words given to us His sons (Heb 12:5-7 c/w Pro 3:11-12).
   2. and lay up my commandments with thee.
      1. Solomon tells his son to lay up his commandments.
         60. Lay – 60. lay up. c. To deposit or put away in a place for safety; to store up (goods, provisions); to put by.
         61. In other words he was supposed to put his father’s commandments in a place were they could be safely stored for later use.
      2. He told him to lay up his commandments.
         1. Commandment n. – 1. An authoritative order or injunction; a precept given by authority.
         2. He didn’t say, “My son, try to remember my suggestion, request, or plead.”
         3. He told him to safely store his authoritative orders.

• He told him to lay up his commandments with thee.
  1. The commandments of God are not to be stored in a safe deposit box or a fire-proof safe at home.
  2. They are to be laid up in our hearts (Psa 119:11; Pro 6:21) so that we can have them ever with us (Psa 119:98).