Solomon has some good thoughts in this chapter. Of course, since he was inspired by God to write these words in his style, they were not written in the same manner Paul or John would use. Solomon just had a different style so he is not writing in an orderly way. I have combined some of these verses into four categories.
The first category is wisdom. Solomon wrote, “Though good advice lies deep within a counselor’s heart, the wise man will draw it out. (Verse 5). In other words, when you seek advice, think about all the possible things that might get in the way of success and make a list of questions to ask your counselor. “Good sense is far more valuable than gold or precious jewels.” (Verse 15). “Don’t go ahead with your plans without the advice of others; don’t go to war until they agree.” (Verse 18). Solomon wasn’t talking about literal war; what he was saying is if you have strong opposition to your plans, try to find common ground before you proceed.
The second category deals with family. In verse 7, Solomon wrote, “It is a wonderful heritage to have an honest father.” Often when we are young, we fail to thank God for our parents. Then in verse 11, he wrote, “The character of even a child can be known by the way he acts – whether what he does is pure and right.” Solomon, of course, is not speaking about perfect children; he knew there aren’t any. Yes, every child is born with a different personality even in large families. And in verse 30, Solomon writes, “Punishment that hurts chases evil from the heart.” We can see the results of the “don’t spank a child” theory by the crime and violence in today’s society. Because we have no final control over our children, many believers have relied on Acts 16:31 as an answer where Paul and Silas told the Philippian jailer, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, and your entire household.” We must by faith put our children in God’s hands.
Solomon deals with sin in the third category. “Who can ever say, ‘I have cleansed my heart; I am sinless”? (Verse 9). Then in verse 27, he wrote, “A man’s conscience is the Lord’s searchlight exposing his hidden motives.” But John provides good information for all of us who claim Christ. “If we say that we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He can be depended on to forgive us and cleanse from every wrong. And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins. If we claim we have not sinned, we are lying and calling God a liar, for He says we have sinned.” (1 John 1:8-10).
Finally in the fourth category, Solomon deals with praise. “If you have good eyesight and good hearing, thank God who gave them to you.” (Verse 12). “Since the Lord is directing our steps, why try to understand everything that happens along the way?” (Verse 24). “If a king is kind, honest, and fair, his kingdom stands secure.” (Verse 28). “The glory of young men is their strength; of old men, their experience.” (Verse 29). These are only a few of the things we need to praise the Lord for.