Proverbs 6:20-22 (ESV)
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them on your heart always;
tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, they will lead you;
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
and when you awake, they will talk with you.
The son is reminded to keep his parents’ teaching and, ultimately, the command of the Lord. The son is to bind this instruction on his heart and tie it around his neck. The image is of wearing it like a necklace, close to the heart. The teaching is not meant to be forgotten but treasured and lived out. He is to take in these words of wisdom so deeply that they remain with him wherever he goes.
Psalm 119:11 expresses the same truth: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Allen Ross explains that the Hebrew word translated “stored up,” tsaphan, “has traditionally been translated ‘hidden,’ but it carries more the sense of ‘laid up,’ ‘stored up,’ or ‘treasured,’ indicating that it is so valuable it will be preserved in the heart (that is, the mind) for any appropriate use. The psalmist has done this so that the word will be continually at his disposal to determine his actions.”
Whether young or old, we should know God’s word so well that it becomes second nature. When someone becomes skilled in a field, he instinctively knows how to respond to situations within it. In the same way, God’s people should grow increasingly competent in the Scriptures. We learn them, meditate on them, and commit them to memory so that when trouble or temptation arises, we know exactly what God calls us to do, or not to do.
One practical way to begin is by memorizing the Proverbs themselves. These sayings provide God’s wisdom for living well, repeatedly contrasting the way of the righteous with the way of the wicked. Memorizing Scripture requires time and effort, but like developing any worthwhile skill, the reward is great.
The father describes the constant help this instruction provides. Like a shepherd guiding his sheep, the command of the Lord leads the one who listens to it. Sheep depend on their shepherd to guide them safely through dangerous paths to good pasture. In the same way, we depend on the wisdom of God’s word as we move through the challenges of life. The wise son walks under its direction, lies down under its protection, and rises ready to hear it again. The words of Scripture become like a faithful companion, always present and ready to guide. Keep God’s word close, and it will guard your way.