April 14, 2002   •  Pastor Randy Smith

What is wisdom? How important is wisdom? Where would one go to acquire wisdom? Ironically, your answers to those questions reveal the degree of wisdom that you currently possess.

The Bible speaks often of wisdom and makes distinctions between worldly and godly wisdom. James 3 contrasts the wisdom from above with the earthly and demonic wisdom of this world. Paul also said in 1 Corinthians 3:19, "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God." Worldly wisdom is man-centered, opinionated, philosophical jargon often contrary to both itself and God’s absolute standard. Its possession is optional, and it is attained through the systems of the world. On the other hand, biblical wisdom is clearly defined in the Scriptures. Its priority is stressed and its Source transcends this present evil age.

I’ve chosen to explore wisdom first in our new study in the book of Proverbs simply because this collection of inspired, timeless truths puts such an emphasis on godly wisdom. Our objective this morning is to walk away with a better understanding of the value, the source and the appearance of wisdom as it is discussed in Proverbs. God honors those who pursue wisdom. I hope that you will now honor Him and heed His instruction on this crucial subject this morning

For starters, you may be asking, why should I pursue wisdom? My answer is simply this: the Bible tells you to!

The General Charge

"Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty" (Pro. 4:5-9). We get this picture of Solomon pleading with his son, or possibly his students, to acquire wisdom. In Proverbs 8:11 he says of wisdom "all desirable things can not compare with her." We can all think of desirable things. According to the Bible, none of them compare with wisdom. What a great motivation to seek wisdom! Elsewhere, in Proverbs 2:4 Solomon says to seek wisdom "as silver, And search for her as a hidden treasure." Here we get the picture of diligent searching for something valuable, discontentment with the first discovery, a persistent digging for more of the priceless gem

You see, we naturally pursue that which we value the most. If I have a strong appetite for something, my affections will motivate me to do whatever is within my means to attain the desire. Let me ask you, what do you desire? What is your treasure? The answer to that question is not revealed by your words, but rather by the cravings of your heart. Jesus Himself said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Mt. 6:21). Let me ask it another way. If God were to grant your deepest heart’s desire, what would you ask for? Your honest answer reveals the priorities of your heart. Would wisdom, what God calls more desirable than all things, even make the top 10 on that list? It did for Solomon!

"In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, ‘Ask what you wish me to give you.’ Then Solomon said, ‘Thou hast shown great lovingkindness to Thy servant David my father, according as he walked before Thee in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward Thee; and Thou hast reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that Thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O LORD my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child (~20 yrs. old); I do not know how to go out or come in. (humility) And Thy servant is in the midst of Thy people which Thou hast chosen, a great people who cannot be numbered or counted for multitude. So give Thy servant (a dependence on God) an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Thine" (1 Ki. 3:5-9)?

Solomon knew the value and priority of wisdom, and his request for the glory of God over his own personal needs pleased the Lord. Let’s read on: "And it was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days" (1 Ki. 3:10-13).

Reasons for the Charge

You may be saying, OK Pastor, you’ve proven that in the Bible the search for godly wisdom is a noble pursuit, but we are living in a pragmatic society! What are the benefits of wisdom?

The beauty behind God’s commands is that the fulfillment of them not only brings God glory, but also maximizes our happiness. Often our indifference to our Creator’s wise guidelines reveals hearts that are simply uninterested in our own happiness! God created us to be happy! He knows what will make us happy! We can’t let the world determine our desires and allow us to settle for less!

Do you want to be happy? Get wisdom! Listen to the benefits of wisdom: "How blessed (or happy) is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding. For its profit is better than the profit of silver, And its gain than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, And all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast" (Pro. 3:13-18). "Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield than choicest silver" (Pro. 8:18-19). "Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways. Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts. For he who finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD. But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death" (Pro. 8:32-36). "Know that wisdom is thus for your soul; If you find it, then there will be a future, And your hope will not be cut off" (Pro. 24:14). Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life" (Pro. 4:13). "Forsake your folly and live, And proceed in the way of understanding" (Pro. 9:6). "Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course" (Pro. 2:9). He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good" (Pro. 19:8). I may not have much, but I wouldn’t sell what the Lord has taught me over the past 13 years for all the money in the world!

Listen, The Word of God cannot be any clearer, happiness, hope and life (all three words were quoted above) are not found in drugs or alcohol or sex or money or psychics or television or exercise or shopping. These leave the individual unsatisfied, frustrated and incomplete. The Scriptures declare that the ultimate and eternal happiness we crave is achieved through wisdom.

As of now, we have examined the biblical charge to acquire wisdom. To support that charge we have many reasons why obtaining wisdom is crucial. The most obvious question at this point is, "Where do I find this wisdom? Where do I get it?" In other words, I can talk about a buried treasure. I can talk about all the benefits of finding the buried treasure, but until I give you the treasure map, our conversation is futile, if not frustrating. Like buried treasure, wisdom can be found. Wisdom personified in Proverbs 8:17 says, "I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me." But again, where can wisdom be found?

The Source of Wisdom

Don’t forget this, God is the source of wisdom. "For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding" (Pro. 2:6). And though the book of Proverbs relentlessly calls us to pursue wisdom, we must remember that wisdom remains a divine gift. If we are to seek the wisdom that leads to joy and life and satisfaction and success and meaning, we must turn to God, as He is the source of all true wisdom. "So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are" (Gen. 41:39). "According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder" (1 Cor. 3:10). In Romans 16:27 God is described as the only wise God. True wisdom is not found in the world, but by tapping into the storehouse of His resources.

The Essence of Wisdom

However, lest we believe God is simply the yogi with a PhD up in the sky, we need first to realize that the essence of all godly wisdom is a fear of the Lord. Meaning this, the foundation of all true wisdom is fearing God. Allow me to support that with a few verses. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Pro. 1:7). "Then you will discern the fear of the LORD, And discover the knowledge of God" (Pro. 2:5). "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Pro. 9:10). "And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding." (Job 28:28). And some of Solomon’s final words, "The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person" (Ecc. 12:13).

Someone may ask, "What is the fear of the Lord? Since I plan to discuss this issue in detail next week I will leave you hanging for seven days. But to whet the appetite, the wise man fears God and through that fear not only proves his wisdom, but also continues to add God-given wisdom to that foundation. The fool on the other hand has rejected God, found His virtues worthless and contemptible and through a lack of godly fear has closed off all opportunities for the wisdom which comes from above. Paul summarized this in Romans 1, "For even though they knew God (context here is observable creation-general revelation), they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools."

The Channels for Wisdom

Though the fear of the Lord is the essence of wisdom, God dispenses His wisdom through a variety of channels.

The first channel is Prayer. As we already mentioned, wisdom is from God. It’s a divine gift. If we are to seek anything from God, it must begin and end with prayer. Listen how James implores us to ask God for wisdom. "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (Jas. 1:5). We already observed how Solomon beseeched the Lord for wisdom. Daniel too sought the Lord for wisdom, "To Thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For Thou hast given me wisdom and power; Even now Thou hast made known to me what we requested of Thee" (Dan. 2:23). In Colossians, Paul prayed that the churches might be given spiritual wisdom, "For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Col. 1:9). Likewise he prayed for the church in Ephesus, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him" (Eph. 1:17). James 4:2 says, "You do not have because you do not ask." Is it possible that many of us lack wisdom because we have simply failed to ask God?

The Second channel of wisdom is the Word of God. "The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7). "The wise men are put to shame, They are dismayed and caught; Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, And what kind of wisdom do they have" (Jer. 8:9)? God speaks to us through His word. If we ever wish to grow in godly wisdom, we must be those who are devoted to reading, studying, memorizing, meditating on and listening to the Word of God.

You see, all of us are faced with hundreds of decisions each day: where we will go, who we will talk to, what we will say, how we will act, etc. As Christians, the goal of each of these decisions is to know God’s will and render a response pleasing Him. However, the majority of these decisions are not directly covered in the Bible. So what do we do? How do we know how we should act? This calls for wisdom! "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another" (Col. 3:16). When the Word of God dwells richly within us, we allow every decision to sift through the grid of the Scriptures. Then we begin to think biblically! Apart from a solid grounding in the Word, we will NOT have wisdom! That’s why I teach the Word and don’t tickle ears! That’s why I adamantly oppose a "seeker-sensitive" mentality! That’s why we go deep in the Word! Because I want you to grow-up and live biblically and live God-honoring lives! The Scriptures say when you have the Word you have wisdom and when you have wisdom you have happiness! And I want you to be happy!

In addition to the systematic and daily reading of the Word, wisdom is also attained by reading solid, biblically-based books. Friends, you must develop a love for these books! Personally, since my time is so limited, I am very selective on the books I choose to read, and if forced to choose between fluff and meat, I’ll take the ones that will make a rich, eternal impact on my life. Good Christian books are never intended to substitute for Bible reading but rather complement Bible reading, as we benefit from those who are able to accurately explain God’s Word.

The Third channel of wisdom is Wise Company. There can be no doubt that we are influenced by the company we keep. Companions often have a positive or negative effect on our lives. Proverbs 13:20 explains both perspectives, "He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm." If bad company corrupts good morals (1 Cor. 15:33), good company enhances good morals. This is Solomon’s point. If you want to grow in wisdom, associate with those who are wise.

Let me ask you, Grace Tabernacle, is there anyone in your life that is a living example of wise, godly behavior? One that can instruct both formally and informally? One who you can emulate? One that can give a physical picture of what it means to follow Christ? Is anyone indirectly saying to you, "Follow me as I follow Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1)? Or as Paul said elsewhere in Philippians, "The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things" (Phil. 4:9).

In a couple of weeks I plan to attend the John Bunyan Conference. The conference features some of the finest Bible expositors in the area; however, I am more excited about the car ride, than I am about the conference itself. I am riding up with an older wise man from this congregation and then riding home with an respected pastor from the community. I crave the opportunity to see them manifest wisdom-the application of their biblical knowledge to everyday situations. As a young man I have much to learn, and I am confident that their influence will be a great blessing to me.

Human illustrations make a good transition to my third and final point. What does wisdom look like? We’ve discussed the general charge for wisdom, the benefits of wisdom and the three channels God uses to dispense wisdom. Now finally, let’s examine a portrait or a "snap-shot" of the wise person. We’ll do it, as it is so often done in Proverbs, by contrasting the wise person with the fool.

The Fool — (Do you…)

• Say in your heart there is no God?

• Abuse or mock the Name of the Lord?

• Live a rebellious life?

• Despise godly wisdom?

• Find pleasure in evil conduct?

• Mock at making amends for sin?

• Believe anything you hear?

• Despise you parents?

• Reject rebuke?

• Find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing you own opinions?

• Answer before you hear?

• Become quick to quarrel?

• Repeat folly?

• Trust in your own heart?

• Have difficulty exercising self-control?

• Easily get provoked to anger?

• Speak with no sense or with wickedness?

• Avoid putting the words of Christ into action?

The Wise Person — Do you…)

• Often consider the lovingkindness of the Lord?

• Avoid laziness?

• Accept and love rebuke?

• Fear the Lord?

• Have the ability to limit your words?

• Win souls for Christ?

• Listen to advice?

• Listen to and obey your parent’s instruction?

• Seek the company of wise believers?

• Guide your mouth to speak wisdom?

• Seek to acquire biblical knowledge?

• Avoid being led astray by alcohol?

• Avoid being wise in your own eyes?

• Seek to be a peacemaker?

• Keep yourself under control?

• Put the words of Christ into action?

• Feel prepared for the return of Christ?

• Seek God’s wisdom over the wisdom of the world?

Let me provide you with one word of caution and then the conclusion. Possibly you’ve heard all this, fared well on the checklist, and believe, boy, I’m one wise person. If you are thinking that way, beware! Proverbs 11:2 says, "When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom." Thinking you’ve arrived, thinking you’re better than others is a grave danger warned against in the Bible.

"Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil" (Pro. 3:7). Why is it so dangerous to be wise in our own eyes? Let’s examine the remaining context. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight" (Pro. 3:5-6). "With the humble (there) is wisdom." With the humble comes an awareness to acknowledge, revere, fear and depend upon the Lord. With the proud, the one who thinks he has all the answers comes a desire to depend on self.

"Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him" (Pro. 26:12). In other words, in attempting to leave the state of foolishness and enter the domain of wisdom, he’s regressed and the current state has become worse than the first. At least the fool can learn from his folly, whereas the prideful individual is blinded by his own conceit and high opinion of himself.

Finally, I conclude by mentioning this essential point. If you earnestly desire wisdom, you must come to Christ. Last week in Sunday school we learned how the Queen of Sheba came from far away to hear the wisdom of Solomon. However Jesus said of Himself in Matthew 12, "The Queen of the South shall rise up with this generation at the judgment and shall condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here."

Greater than Solomon indeed! Solomon spoke of God’s wisdom; Jesus is the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24; 30)! Others spoke of truth; Jesus is the truth (Jn. 14:6)! Others had offered God’s forgiveness; Jesus brought God’s forgiveness by His death (Col. 1:22). Is it any wonder why Paul could say in Colossians 2:3, "In (Christ) are "hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Wisdom. We’ve discussed its value, it’s source and it’s appearance. May God grant us the wisdom to prize wisdom and pursue wisdom in a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ, the source and embodiment of all true wisdom.