January 4

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck.
Proverbs 1:8-9

Solomon reminds his son to listen to the most immediate authority God put in his life. After fearing the Lord (verse seven), listening to one's parents is the next step of wisdom. God upholds parental authority; He is the one who established it. Fathers and mothers are the earliest authority a child knows and happy is the son who submits (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1-3). The home is not only the primary educational agency, it is also the first place for the fruits of God-fearing to be demonstrated.

The wise son who listens to his parents will have around his head a "graceful garland" – a rare word, from the Hebrew root word meaning “to wind, twist,” so presumably this is a turban or other hat of some sort. Authority and honor were marked by such a special headdress (Psalm 8:5; 2 Samuel 1:10; Job 19:9). The wise son will also have "pendants" about his neck. This pendant was a necklace; a masculine adornment, probably made of silver or beads.

Perhaps the point is that it will be obvious who the wise sons are by what they are “wearing.” So what are you wearing? Does wisdom mark you? Are you one who listens to your authorities, in particular, your parents?