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| Photo courtesy of ddpavumba |
If you google wisdom, you can find some tiny drops of
wisdom, but mostly it is just hot air. For instance, Ralph Waldo Emerson once
said, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and
leave a trail.” That saying rings all kinds of warning bells in my head. Of
course, I get the implication. Forge your own way and forget about following
where others have trod. God points out an instance where that advice is perfect
wisdom.
In Deuteronomy 12:13 God warns not to follow behind those
that have been destroyed before the Israelites. The wise person would recognize
the consequences of following the path of those destroyed...you would think.
The Israelites avoided that trap for as long as Joshua lived, but the children
forgot the admonition soon after those died who had crossed the Jordan River,
and had fought hard for their inheritance. God was adamant the people were to,
“... follow My rules and keep My statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your
God.” (Leviticus 18:4). He calls that
wisdom in Deuteronomy 4:6.
Forging your own path takes huge amounts of energy and the
sixth sense of good direction; otherwise you might find yourself on the edge of
a cliff. God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, yet Solomon
still married 300 women and had 700 concubines. Ask any man today about that
many wives and he would probably say that certainly looks like a cliff of Grand
Canyon magnitude.
Innovation thrives on the path that others have trod.
Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun. We see the truth of this when
we turn the pages of history to observe history repeated again and again. But,
humans build upon each others’ genius and that is innovation. Humans learn from
each other’s wisdom. As Tim Challies notes in his book, we are created in the
Creator’s image He commanded mankind to develop the world’s assets with the
capabilities given to humankind to bring Him glory. “In other words, obedience
to God requires we create technology”.[1]
God emphasized to the
Israelites that in following Him, the surrounding nations would recognize
Israel as a great nation, wise and understanding (Deut. 4:6). It is an
astounding thing how people marvel at wisdom. The Queen of Sheba traveled more
than a thousand miles to see the famed wisdom of Solomon who said in Proverbs
8:1 that wisdom cries out and is not silent. Matthew Henry notes that there are
“clamours of conscience as well as whispers.”[2]
Everything will come into the light sooner or later, but wisdom is already in
the light. In fact, it is an aspect of God.
Wisdom was with God when He hung the world in place, and
with Him when He flung the stars to the far reaches of Heaven. Proverbs 3:19 Jehovah has founded the earth by wisdom; by
understanding He has founded the heavens. Isaiah 11:2 And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of
the fear of Jehovah. Because it is an aspect of God, we the created have
the ability for it. Solomon is eloquent in Proverbs discussing the differences
between the wise man and the foolish. Wisdom should come with age, but it does
not always.
David knew fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all
practicing them have good understanding ( Psalm 111:10). As we walk through
scripture to get a broad view of wisdom, we see that understanding is usually
alongside it. They are like two legs that support righteousness, and they dwell
in the heart as well as the head.
Wisdom comes with confession of sin, which David realized
after he confessed his sin with Bathsheba. Psalm
51:6 Behold, You delight in truth in the
inward being, and You teach me wisdom in the secret heart. One cannot have
wisdom without being right with God. Solomon declared There is no wisdom nor understanding nor
counsel against Jehovah (Prov. 21:30). Therefore the best wisdom is that
from God. James tells us it is unpolluted, and peaceable, gentle, open to reason,
full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3:17). This sounds
very much like the Fruit of the Spirit, which it is. Remember Isaiah 11:2.
Of course we can get along without wisdom, but why do that?
All we have to do is ask for it. Stephen illustrates why we need wisdom so
desperately here in this world: And they
were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. (Acts
6:10) It was by wisdom and understanding that God was glorified to the
surrounding nations of Israel. Though eons have passed, our job as Christians
who bear His name is to bring God glory.
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