Proverbs 1:8-9 (ESV)
8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
9 for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck.
Solomon addresses the hearer as his “son,” but since he uses no specific name, he seems to have intended that his wisdom be passed from Israel’s parents to their children, and ultimately from God to his followers. The son must hold onto his parents’ teaching. Why? The instruction and teaching of his parents are like a “garland” or victor’s crown for his head and a “pendant” for his neck. In the ancient Near East, a garland symbolized social status, and a pendant signified protection from harm. Whether or not we wear garlands and pendants, applying the teaching of the Lord to our lives will make us distinct from those around us. When we make decisions consistent with God’s law and principles, those choices display to the watching world that we belong to the Lord. How does the world view you? Are you seen as a set apart daughter of the King? If not, what change can you make today to show off your “garland” and “pendant” and “in everything adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:10).