Let us read again verse 8 and then, verse 9 of Proverbs 1.

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:  For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. Proverb 1:8‭-‬9 KJV

Through Solomon, we observe that God encourages us to subscribe to these invaluable pieces of information and heed to them. Oh, how quick you are to subscribe to those websites to receive useful updates on subjects that interest you! In fact, people spend some coins in subscribing to various TV channels or Netflix to have new movie releases always at their palms and to follow any sport of interest. This is because they value such items; they want to be current with the succedendi in these areas of life. In the same vein, God wills that we develop this hunger towards godly instructions and laws.

As we explained in verse 8, these include the instructions and laws from God Himself, not only those from parents. 

If you observe, verse 8 ends with a colon, which means that the sentence that follows illustrates or explains the first. So, verse 9 is meant to illustrate or explain verse 8 in better detail.

In this article, we shall look at the two understandings we can get from that passage – For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

1. How you should obey the instructions and laws of parents/God. 

If you read Proverb 1 verse 9 from King James Bible, you’d observe that two words are in italics – shall be. What this simply means is that both words were not in the original manuscript but were added for a better understanding of that verse. Now, if we are to remove both words, that verse will read this way: for they an ornament of grace unto thy (your) head, and chains about thy (your) neck.

Now, for a better picture let’s read the same verse from the Message version of the Bible, “wear their counsel like flowers in your hair, like rings on your fingers.” Although the Message translation uses rings on your fingers instead of chains about your neck, the essence of the verse isn’t missing. 

Here, Solomon tells us how:-

a. Valuable these instructions and laws are.

The head is such a sensitive part of the human body that only valuable and precious things are placed on it. If and when something is placed on your head, it’s because it adds to your beauty or protects you from harm. So, Solomon asks that we cherish these instructions so much that we proudly wear them as beautiful flowers on our heads. These instructions and laws, when kept, beautify us; they make us appear gorgeous. In subsequent verses, we’ll explore how this happens. 

Also, we should, as a married couple, display our rings with pride. To understand the value of a wedding ring, ask a couple. It’s not only the amount spent on its purchase that matters but the value it represents to them. It is a sign of ownership if you would; that he or she is exclusively mine and should be treated with respect by anyone including his or her boss. And any wanton eyes should look away because he or she must not be looked at nor approached anyhow. 

So, God wants us to value parental instructions and His own instructions so much that we proudly roam the street with them on our head and our finger. 

So, whether they are rings on our fingers or chains on our necks, the main message here should be the value placed on such items. 

b. They should be worn in places that are easily and quickly identifiable by all. 

This is very important. These laws and instructions are meant to be internalised, yes, but also externalised for all to see. We shouldn’t simply agree to the instructions of God and godly parents in our hearts, but should also make them so bold outside that anyone who sees us, even from afar, would identify us with them. You don’t see a person and not notice that they have beautiful flowers on their head or ring on their fingers or chains on their neck; they’re places people spend so much on to have their ornamental items displayed. And Solomon understood that. 

What this simply means is that we should live by what God commands and by the godly instructions of our parents. People should identify us by them. You can’t be a child of God and live in sin, you can’t be a child of God and ashamed to wear your godliness anywhere you are. A good child knows the teachings he’s received from Dad and Mom and values them so much that he is not intimidated by what peers are doing and by what ungodly friends are saying. 

So, never be ashamed of living according to godly commandments. Wear them proudly wherever you are; let the whole world see Jesus in you and identify you with His character even from afar.  

2. Reasons or Blessings for obeying instructions and laws of parents/God. 

This is the second understanding that we can get from Proverb 1 verse 9.

In this case, God through Solomon explains the reasons for the command He gave in verse 8. There are two-fold blessings of obedience outlined in that verse. And they will be on the head of the child that follows the instructions of God and his parents. They are not meant for every child, they’re meant for the obedient child. 

In talking about these blessings, we shall use the Amplified version of the Bible. It reads thus: “For they are a [victor’s] chaplet (garland) of grace upon your head and chains and pendants [of gold worn by kings] for your neck.” 

Let’s briefly analyse both:

a. Victor’s Ornament or Chaplets (garland) of grace: 

Firstly, what this implies is that keeping the instructions of God and parents will make you victorious. It didn’t specify in what area, but seeing that God’s instructions and those of our parents’ cuts across all areas of life, I’ll assume, and that rightly too, that the victory covers all areas of life. So, do you need professional, career, spiritual, academic, family victories? If yes, listen to the instructions of God and your parents. And this irrespective of how old you are. 

Another thing to note is that obedience will beautify you. No better person understood beauty and opulence than Solomon. He was maritally linked to women of all sorts and the beauty of his kingdom was indescribable even for the Queen of Sheba, who was regarded as a symbol of beauty. So, when Solomon represents obedience as chaplets, he definitely knows what he is talking about – they aren’t cheap chaplets or ornaments worn by anyone. They are costly, valuable pieces of ornament that only the wealthy can afford. 

So, obedience to godly instructions and laws guarantees inward and outward beauty. For example, if I obey godly instructions on abstinence from alcohol, cigarettes and hard drugs, I’ll reap the health benefits of that. If I abstain from immorality, I’ll also significantly lower the risk of STDs. If I listen to my parents’ instructions on love, forgiveness, gratitude and peace, I’ll be doing my internal and external self a lot of good. So, obedience to godly instructions guarantees inward and outward elegance.

Next is the term “grace.” The word grace used in that passage of scriptures is the Hebrew word, Chen. The basic meaning of the word Chen, as a noun, is favour. So, this means that the ornament around your head will be a chaplet of favour. To better understand this, please note that favour is different from reward. While reward is a commensurate pay for your efforts – labour, the value you offered etc. – favour goes beyond that. Favour is giving you a mansion when the agreed wage was 10 dollars. It is unmerited, not attached to your worth, completely gratuitous. This is why we call salvation and sanctification the works of grace because Jesus, through His death, made all these and more available without our efforts whatsoever. I’ll return to this concept in another article. 

So, isn’t this wonderful? That a simple obedience to God and parents grants us favour before God and man, and such favour touches all aspects of our lives. This is why I view verse 9 as a blessing. This is why you need to wear a godly lifestyle as a badge of honour wherever you are; wear it with pride and boldness, and be uncompromising about your stand in Jesus and the wise godly counsel of your parents, no matter the pressure from the world to do the contrary. For the blessings are enormous and transcends mortal men and women, boys and girls that may try to make you renounce your faith in God. You have a sign on your forehead written boldly, FAVOUR. That outweighs what any ungodly person may say or offer. 

When we follow godly counsel, the prayers and wishes of our parents are so powerful that they’ll break every barrier of the enemies. And remember that length of days come as a result of obedience to parents and God. (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:2; 1 Kings 3:13)

b. Chains and pendants of gold about your neck. 

Again, when Solomon made use of chains to describe the blessing of obeying godly counsels, he knew exactly what he was talking about. He was inspired by God’s Spirit to make use of the things he knew and understood so well to pass a message to us. As I pointed out earlier, Solomon was a famous king, whose fame both in wisdom, administration and riches was well known beyond the shores of Jerusalem. So, when he makes use of certain figures of speech, they are well intended and should be understood as such.

So, the chains Solomon refers to here are chains of high quality, gold chains, that are only worn by a certain calibre of people in the society. In a previous article, where I talked about permanent hormonal decisions, we saw that a signet is a seal with one’s name on it or an emblem that is worn around the neck of wealthy men or those in position because it was used to certify all legal documents. The point here is that when Solomon talks about chains worn on the neck, he is referring to political dignity, to political authority or influence. 

In Genesis chapter 41 verse 42, we see that Pharoah put a gold chain about the neck of Joseph, signifying political dignity and authority to carry out whatever he deems fit for the survival of the Egyptians during the seven years of abundance and famine. In Daniel 5 verses 7 and 16, we see that Belshazzar promised to put a gold chain on the neck of the interpreter of the writing on the wall. Daniel did and in verse 29 of the same Daniel 5, he was clothed with scarlet and a chain was put around his neck, and he was declared the third ruler. So, having gold chains on your neck by an authority is an investment of political influence on a given area.

So, do you want exaltation, honour, prominence, influence, political dignity? Here is one of the sure ways to achieving that and more – obedience to God and parents. 

In conclusion

Beloved children, we may not have fully grasped those instructions, but that doesn’t render them useless. As a child who has been away from the parents for some years, I think I understand A LITTLE what it means to be an orphan. People who have their parents always with them may not appreciate how invaluable parental tutelage is. As you speak with your parents, don’t be easily satisfied with the life-saving and future-securing truths.

I understand that you want to explore the world, have so many experiences, make and correct your own mistakes, but remember that not everyone will have the opportunity to repent not to talk of correct the mistakes already made. Not every risk is worth taking, and quite frankly, I think you have made enough mistakes. Now, LET’S GET BACK TO WHAT MOMMY SAID AT HER BEDSIDE.

The benefits outlined in verse 9 – ornaments of grace unto our heads and priceless chains about our necks – are truly worth more than diamond and any precious stone. As Matthew Henry wrote, ‘‘those are truly valuable, and shall be valued, who value themselves more by their virtue and piety than their worldly wealth and dignity.’’

Beloved, in a world where the family structure and values have been ramshackled, there is a need to go back to Proverb 1:8-9.

Chinua Achebe wrote, ‘‘to say my father told me is to swear the greatest oath.’’ I extend that also to the things my mother told me.

Thanks for reading. I hope you were blessed reading this article as I was blessed writing it. As usual, I shall be expecting your input on these verses of scriptures. Feel free to comment, share and invite your friends and family to read this post and other posts on this blog – there’s something for everyone.

God bless you and have a blessed day.