Proverbs 1:5,  A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

We have learned in earlier lessons that Solomon purposes his proverbs to bring the young:

to know wisdom and instruction,

to perceive the words of understanding,

to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment and equity,

and to give subtlety, knowledge, and discretion to the simple.

He now inserts this admonition. A wise man will hear

This admonition must be honored in order for his purposes to be accomplished.

To accomplish any of these there must be a hearing ear!

There must be a yielding of the ear to instruction.

There must be an ear given over to instruction for these high purposes to be carried out.

There must be a separated ear, a circumcised ear, to the things of God if the purposes of Solomon are to be realized.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:15,  He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

This indicates that there are ears that don't hear.

If you have ears that don't hear, then don't hear.

If you don't have ears to hear then expect to be a fool and not wise!

This proverb tells us that a wise man has ears to hear.

A wise man has ears to hear because a wise man knows Jesus Christ.

A wise man will hear! Hearing and wisdom go together.

The wise are hearing people.

The wise are listening people.

The wise realize that when they talk they are only saying what they already know.

The wise realize that they do not learn anything by listening to themselves.

The wise know that ears to hear are ears that hear instruction.

The wise son will bow down his ear,

he will yield his ear and hear the words of the wise,

and apply his heart unto the father's knowledge.

The wise son will hear the instruction of his father.

The wise son will hear and receive the father's sayings.

The wise son will hear the father and not depart from the words of the father's mouth.

The wise son will hear the father speak of excellent things and right things.

The wise son will hear instruction and refuse it not.

The wise son will hear counsel, and be wise in his old age.

The wise son will hear and be wise in guiding his heart in the right way.

The wise son will cease to hear the instruction that causes him to err from the words of knowledge.

But if Solomon's admonition is neglected learning will not take place.

There must be an ear that is yielded if learning is to increase.

And a wise man is interested in increase.

A wise man is interested in growing in wisdom.

The wise are not interested in standing still, in resting on their laurels.

The wise are not satisfied with themselves.

The wise do not concern themselves with esteem of self.

He knows that self esteem is a dead end and he does not go down dead ends.

A wise man simply desires to ever learn of the things of God.

A wise man knows that he has not arrived.

He is not finished until God finishes him.

God has declared him finished in Jesus Christ and now the wise progress toward that finish.

Paul knew that he had not arrived, he had not finished.

He knew that he had not attained.

He knew that he was not perfect.

He wanted to know Christ Jesus as much as Christ Jesus knew him.

Listen to what Paul wrote in:

Philippians 3:12,  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

He knew that he had been apprehended.

He had been an outlaw and now through Jesus Christ he was an in-law.

He knew that he had been arrested by Jesus Christ and now he desired to arrest Jesus Christ as much as he had been arrested.

Jesus Christ as the Chief fisher of men had caught Paul and Paul desired to catch Jesus Christ in the same way.

So he pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul was a wise man, a hearing man and he desired to increase learning.

And the object of that learning was Jesus Christ, Wisdom himself.

Paul's desire was expressed in:

Philippians  3:10,  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Peter admonishes the same thing in:

2 Peter 3:18,  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

A wise man will hear the Word of God and by hearing the Word of God will increase learning of Jesus Christ and he will become a man of understanding.

The word understanding in this verse pertains to the ability to steer.

To know the direction and how to get there.

To understand the way. To have foundational truths to offer.

He will be a man prepared for wise counsel because his wisdom is built upon the foundation of the Word of God.