Walk With the Wise

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”
(Proverbs 13:20)

After the death of King Solomon, his son Rehoboam succeeded to the throne and reigned in his place (1 Kings 11:43). Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel pleaded with Rehoboam to lighten the hard service and heavy burden that his father, King Solomon, had imposed on them (1 Kings 12:3-4). Before responding to their request, Rehoboam sought advice from two groups of people. On one hand, the old men, who had previously served as counsellors to King Solomon, advised Rehoboam to treat his people with respect by speaking good words to them so that they would be his servants forever (1 Kings 12:6-7). On the other hand, the young men, who had grown up with Rehoboam, advised him to rebuke them by saying, “My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions” (1 Kings 12:10-11). Being influenced by his peers, Rehoboam answered his people harshly and forsook the counsel of the old men (1 Kings 12:13). Consequently, this led to the rebellion of his people and the division of his kingdom.

In contrast, Daniel, while exiled in Babylon, devoted himself wholeheartedly to God and resolved that he would not defile himself with any pagan practices that conflicted with God’s laws (Daniel 1:8). He and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, strengthened each other in the Lord by not conforming to the secular world. Due to their faith and actions,

God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams” (Daniel 1:17).

Even King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished that “among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah” (Daniel 1:19), and “he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom” (Daniel 1:20). In other words, the four of them rose above their peers.  As a result, they were selected to stand before the king (Daniel 1:19).

These biblical accounts attest to the profound truth of Proverbs 13:20, Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”  When we “walk” with others, we do not merely spend time together with them. In fact, when we interact with others, we are sharing our lives, purpose and values with one another. This companionship has the power to influence and change our lives, thereby affecting our spiritual, moral and intellectual growth. For example, the Apostle Paul warns us that,

Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals’” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

Bad companionships have a negative impact on our lives – they shape our thinking, speech, choices and character in ungodly ways. On the contrary, good companionships help us grow in our spiritual maturity, just as “iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). God uses godly people to impart His wisdom to us and to shape our lives in His ways.

This proverb is a divine wisdom of God. May our young people take heed of this timeless guidance for righteous living. As human beings created by God, we are relational by nature. We do not live solitarily – we need companionship of others. However, companionships have transformative power. Therefore, we must be prudent in seeking godly companionships which can compel us to love, fear and honour God by living in a manner worthy of our calling. Who we walk with will determine who we will become and where we will end up. So, young people, who are you walking with?