Bearing the family image is also important to the Lord. As we read Proverbs 17, we’re not only reading of a man who wanted to keep a good reputation through his sons; we’re also reading the Holy Spirit’s inspired words. God is telling us that our character and lives reflect our family image. Though the imago Dei was corrupted through sin, it has been restored in Christ. Christians bear the image of a new family, the family of God. God the Father has adopted us as sons and daughters. Jesus Christ has become the firstborn among many brethren. Our fellow Christians are our blood-bought brothers and sisters in the Lord. The wisdom in Proverbs 17 is given to us that we may resemble our family image more accurately, that we may bring glory to our Father and not shame, and that we may consider the weight of what it means to be a child of the Most High, bearing his name and image, as we walk through this world.
