"Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning."
Proverbs 9:9
As a young man just fresh out of college, I headed into the ministry (youth work) and teaching (7th graders). I had the naïve idea that whoever I had the privilege of preaching to and teaching would be eager to glean from everything I laid out on the table for them as the truth. I was seriously mistaken in my thinking, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that! Sadly, some teens were not interested in the Gospel message or how to live for Jesus. And some 7th graders didn’t want to learn Life Science. On the one hand, I had to learn how to preach and counsel truth to those who were the “hard cases.” On the other hand, I discovered ways to make an unwanted class interesting and help the students learn.
During those beginning years in the Lord’s work, I learned the truth of Solomon’s words in Proverbs 9.
“He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee” (Proverbs 9:7-8).
In time, I began to see that there are always scorners around. They hated being told anything and would mock anyone trying to do right.
“The scoffer: “He is the person who will not live by wise and moral teachings and is not content to let others do so without his cynical mocking” [1] (Ross – EWC).
I gradually realized that fools only want foolishness, but the wise are always looking for more wisdom.
“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser.”
God’s wisdom begets a strong desire for more of the same. Later in my teaching ministry, I had the fantastic opportunity to teach Pacific Islanders several classes, at Harvest Baptist Bible College. These young students knew several island languages, and English was not their birth tongue, and they were bright! I found with them that those who sensed God’s calling in their life for future ministry had an insatiable desire to learn the Word of God. They were the “wise” students that kept on reading and studying the Word outside of class, and they even studied subjects not covered in the course. It was beautiful to watch their wisdom grow and grow as they applied God’s Word to their lives. These students proved to me the validity of the following –
“The more a wise man learns, the more he loves wisdom” [2] (JFB).
“Throughout Proverbs, the wise person exhibits wisdom by humbly looking to increase in wisdom…” [3] (FSB).
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (Proverbs 12:15).
“When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge” (Proverbs 21:11).
“Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”
Teach a good, righteous, just man, give him the learning tools and watch him go! This is not so with fools.
“Fools, scoffers, and the simple like to have their own way and be told they’re doing fine, but wise men and women want the truth. Teach wise people, and they’ll accept the truth and become wiser; try to teach fools, and they’ll reject the truth and become even greater fools” [4] (Wiersbe – EWC).
Believers, it is vital to our service to the Lord and others to keep that “learner’s spirit.”
“By being teachable … one becomes wiser (cf. 1:5). As elsewhere in Proverbs, a wise person is a righteous person. Godly character should underlie one’s mental sagacity” [5] (BKC).
“…the benevolent, wise and righteous person who continues to learn more. The wise never reach the point where they cannot become wiser still ….” [6] (CSB).
Quote: “Give instruction to a wise man – Literally give to the wise, and he will be wise. Whatever you give to such, they reap profit from it. They are like the bee; they extract honey from every flower” [7] (Clarke).
[1] EWC – David Guzik. Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.
[2] JFB, Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 394.
[3] FSB, John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Pr 9:8.
[4] EWC ibid.
[5] BKC, Sid S. Buzzell, “Proverbs,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 924.
[6] CSB, David K. Stabnow, “Proverbs,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 965.
[7] ACC – Adam Clarke. Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.