Proverbs 4:20

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about bending our ear to hear the Word of God:

Proverbs 4:20 (ESV)

My son, be attentive to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings.

Throughout Proverbs (and the Bible) we are warned, admonished, challenged and compelled to listen to God's Word and make it a priority in our lives.   The writers uses various metaphors to gain our interest and entice our motivations.  It is a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).   It is a sword that cuts into our soul (Hebrews 11:2) and protects us as part of our armor (Ephesians 6:17).   Here, in the above Proverb, we see that we are told to give attention to it and to bend our ear to it.    Wisdom is the speaker (Wisdom being Christ) and our inclining our ear to the Word indicates our submissive nature and that grace has entered our hearts.  For without grace, we could not hear and respond to the Word.  The Pharisees heard the Word but did not respond.   King Saul heard the Word and did not respond.  Josiah heard the Word and it caused a revival in the Kingdom.   Above, the son is told to bend the ear to the Word, which is a metaphor for giving the heart, soul and body to the commands of God.   In the previous proverbs Solomon was telling the son what the evil person does.  Now he starts to tell them what the follower of God does ... listen to the Word.