Biblical Wisdom
Wisdom – Rarely preached but life changing
If we were to consider wisdom on its importance based on the frequency of church sermons, then it could rate fairly low on the list of priorities in the Christian walk. Yet, we should consider that five books in the Old Testament are classified as wisdom literature and the scriptures place a very high value on wisdom.
Job tells the story of a God fearing man who experiences terrible trials and suffering. It’s in these times we do need to seek wisdom.
Song of Solomon is a poetic book that should be considered a source of wisdom for couples, albeit that it can be difficult to understand.
Ecclesiastes reflecting Philosophy and a personal exploration on the meaning of life.
Psalms contain poems, prayers and songs on an array of human emotions including praise, doubt, fear, guilt and joy.
Proverbs contains insights and pithy sayings for living life well. It contains principles that generally bring blessings but they are not promises.
Solomon, the King gifted with great wisdom wrote three of these books (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon)
Consider the significant value of wisdom from the book of Proverbs:
Proverbs 3:13–18
13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,
14 for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.
In Jewish thought, the “Tree of life” here in Proverbs links to the “Tree of life” in the Garden of Eden and there is a view that the original tree would have given untold wisdom.
Proverbs 4:5–9
5 Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.View Post
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.
8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
If we consider the New Testament, the word “Wisdom” appears 52 times.
Ephesians 1:8 tells us that our salvation is given to us in all wisdom and insight. Our salvation was an expression of the love of God given in the wisdom of God.
Jesus said in Matthew 10:16 “… be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
In a similar way Paul said in Colossians 4:5 “ Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.”
The Wisdom of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
Yemen & Ethiopia both claim The Queen of the South (Sheba). There is a temple dedicated to her in both countries and its unclear which one is valid – maybe both.
Ethiopia is about 3500 km from Jerusalem – more than double the length of New Zealand (1600km)
Yemen is about 2200 km from Jerusalem – still more than the length of NZ
Would you go that far on a camel to hear wisdom – no miracles to see – just to hear wisdom? Wow!
During the reign of Solomon, Israel was at her peak in all matters of wealth and peace and strength as a nation – higher than any time in their history.
God had given Solomon tremendous wisdom.
Unfortunately Solomon’s God given wisdom wasn’t enough to keep him from his sinful nature, but remember he didn’t have the new birth of the Christian life.
His wealth and his many women led him astray but lets read the story of the Queen of the South (Sheba) and how the wisdom of Solomon drew her to Jerusalem.
1 Kings 10:1–13
1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.
2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. ……
3 And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her.
……..
6 And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom,
……..
9 Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness.”
10 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones. ….
The Queen of Sheba, a pagan gentile women leader hears about Solomon’s wisdom and Solomon’s God from far away and she comes on a journey at extraordinary expense – no private jet – just a private camel.
The light in Solomon drew the Queen from far away and he teaches her about God and his wisdom and she comes to faith.
One way we can shine a light as believers in Messiah Jesus is to be wise about how we navigate life and our relationships.
So what is Wisdom?
There is practical wisdom that everyone can gain through life and there is also biblical wisdom that comes from God. Biblical wisdom helps us to understand scripture and apply Biblical principles to our lives. It can touch all areas of our life.
A definition of Wisdom would include:
- Doing, saying or thinking the right thing in the right way at the right time for the right reason
- It is related to having insight, understanding and discernment.
- It is growing and learning from mistakes.
- It should enable us to navigate the trials of life in better ways.
- It means doing things God’s way in righteousness.
Paul writes about proclaiming Jesus with wisdom so that we grow spiritually and mature in Christ:
Colossians 1:28 “ Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”
So wisdom will also help us understand the scriptures and help us grow. It will then enable us to present scriptural truths that will help others grow in the faith.
A key focus of wisdom is on relationships. James the brother of Jesus defines how Godly wisdom impacts relationships in a positive way. .
James 3:17 “ But the wisdom from above is
- first pure, (Righteousness)
- then peaceable, (tries to heal divisions while remaining pure)
- gentle, (Considerate, courteous, reasonable, kind)
- open to reason, (as opposed to be stubborn and unyielding)
- full of mercy and good fruits, (Mercy, kind, helpful resulting in good fruit)
- impartial (without prejudice)
- and sincere.” (genuine, without hypocrisy)
In contrast he defines the wisdom of the world as follows:
James 3:14–16 “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”
One aims for peace, and the other results in disharmony.
How do we grow in wisdom?
But how do you become wise?
God is the source of wisdom: Proverbs 2:6 “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;”
Proverbs 2:2-4 highlights the need to seek it – “seek it like silver and search for it as hidden treasure” so we are not to take it for granted that as believers we will automatically grow in wisdom.
James teaches us to ask for wisdom in the context of trials and testing but scripture speaks of continuously seeking wisdom.
James 1:2–5
“2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
We will all have trials in life and temptations to sin. If we are to grow from these, we need wisdom. To receive wisdom, James said to God and remember that the believer has the indwelling “Spirit of Wisdom” (Eph 1:17) If Solomon is an example, he prayed for wisdom and it pleased God. (1 Kings 3:5-14; 1 Kings 4:29-34; 2 Chron 1:7-12) It likely pleases God when we ask Him for wisdom.
The fear of the Lord and Wisdom
It says in many verses in the scriptures, that The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The following are a few of those places:
Psalm 111:10 “ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”
Proverbs 1:7 “ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Proverbs 9:10 “ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”
The Blessing of Wisdom
There are many blessings to wisdom. They may not be tangible in this world but we learn that wisdom brings heart level blessings which is something the world cannot give.
Proverbs 2:7–15
7 he (God) stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.
Think about this verse and how wisdom will help you avoid evil people and evil ways and give you understanding and discretion.
Proverbs 3:13–15
13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,
14 for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Wisdom is not a promise of a life without challenges but is of enormous personal value to our lives and perhaps only found by those who seek it from God.
Consider today including a request to God for wisdom in your daily prayer life.
As James said, simply ask and God will provide and then over time as you look back in life, you will find there have been unexpected blessings that have come from wisdom, and you will find that you will navigate the challenges of life in better ways over time.
Consider asking God for wisdom.
Perhaps it is helpful to give some practical examples of how wisdom can help change our lives.
Wisdom – Rarely preached but life changing. Consider making a choice to ask God for wisdom as part of your normal prayer life.
