Proverbs 9:9-10 (ESV)
9 “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. Scripture does not present the wise as those who have arrived, but as those who keep growing. The wise person listens, receives, and responds. She knows there is always more to learn, more sin to put off, and more obedience to pursue. Righteousness is not perfection, but a pattern of humility that gladly welcomes correction.
A wise person is marked by teachability. She does not assume she knows enough or resist input from others. Instead, she recognizes her need to grow and gladly receives counsel. Instruction does not threaten her. It strengthens her. Correction does not diminish her. It refines her. The difference between the wise and the foolish is not intelligence but posture. One leans in and grows, the other pulls back and remains unchanged.
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. As we saw in Proverbs 1:7, this truth is the foundation that undergirds the entire book of Proverbs. Just as a house cannot stand without a foundation, a life cannot be truly wise apart from a right view of God. To fear the Lord is to recognize his authority, submit to his word, and acknowledge that he alone is qualified to define what is right and wrong. Wisdom begins when we stop trusting ourselves and humbly bow our hearts and minds before him.
True understanding is not merely acquiring information but knowing God as he has revealed himself. The knowledge of the Holy One is insight. As Jesus taught in John 17:3, eternal life is found in knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. We trust in what Christ has done to atone for our sin and reconcile us to God. As we grow in our knowledge of him through his word, our desires are transformed and our lives are increasingly conformed to his character.
So again, when correction comes, do you receive it or resist it? Do you drink it in like water to a thirsty soul, or do you push it away because it exposes you? Pride will keep you from wisdom, but humility will lead you to life. Ask God for a heart that fears him rightly and welcomes his word fully. Then act on what you have already been shown. The wise do not just hear. They put what they have learned into practice and change.