Proverbs 9:9
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Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
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Good men grow in wisdom and learning. Are you growing, or just growing older? Instruction and teaching are blessings from God, and good men take advantage of them to gain in knowledge and understanding. The character of any man or woman can be easily seen by their degree of growth in wisdom and learning. What is your character?
The proverb and context has two lessons (9:7-9). First, he forbids rebuking scorners, for they do not deserve truth or wisdom; and he commends teaching wise men. Teachers, it is your duty to allocate more effort and resources to attentive and noble hearers. But the second lesson is that character is known by its response to correction and teaching.
Some men get better; others backslide. Children seldom scorn parents openly; church members seldom scorn pastors openly. How do we spot scorners? Measure wisdom and learning! If one thinks, talks, and lives like 10 years ago, he is a scorner. Wise men grow!
You cannot stand still about truth and wisdom. Either you grow in both, or you backslide in both. Either you are defeating the lusts of your mind, or they are defeating you. Either you are rejecting the world's philosophy, or the world's philosophy is capturing you. Either God is guiding you to more truth, or He is hiding truth from you (Luke 8:18)!
You were born totally ignorant. You should crave learning and wisdom, lest you stay ignorant. The pursuit and obtaining of wisdom is the principal goal of life (4:7; 16:16). Is it your chief ambition, reader? If it is, then you will apply yourself to take advantage of every opportunity to learn the truth and wisdom of God from your teachers.
It is folly to squander God's grace and waste learning opportunities. He commanded, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (I Pet 2:2). It is a command to desire the word in order to grow. It is disgraceful, if you have been taught long enough to be a teacher, but you still must be taught (Heb 5:12-14).
What are the causes? Some are stubborn (I Sam 15:23). Some are conceited (26:12). Some are lazy (18:1-2). Some are carnal (I Cor 3:1-3). Some do not focus or prepare; some are discouraged by persecution; some are choked by ambition (Luke 8:11-14).
Without understanding is a sin (Jer 5:21; Rom 1:31). We are to grow in grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ (II Pet 3:18). You can pass your enemies, teachers, and the ancients: keep God's words with you, meditate on them, and obey them (Ps 119:98-100).
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