I recently started the book of Proverbs. The author, King Solomon, seems to use a logical, teaching style that brings you to a firm conclusion. That's probably one of the reasons I enjoy Proverbs along with Solomon's other book, Ecclesiastes. Solomon is known for being one of the wisest kings in history, so it's not surprising that he starts off Proverbs by discussing wisdom.
At work, we did a get-to-know-you activity where we shared our likes, dislikes, and a superpower we'd love to have. I chose wisdom - pretty tame compared to the powers of invisibility and flight, but pretty important to me. I'm sure my colleagues thought my choice was pretty weird, but I like to think I am so "cool" that they didn't bother questioning the "weirdness". Unlike my choice of superpower, all the other choices were things that could never be achieved. Unless science comes up with some pretty cool discoveries, we will never be invisible or fly without some sort of mechanical assistance like an airplane. We will never be able to morph into another creature like a Marvel comic. Wisdom, however, is a superpower/gift that is free and available to all. Look at the picture Solomon paints:
Wisdom literally beckons us to grab on to it so that we can experience and become something bigger, stronger, and filled with a perfectly packaged promise.
So, what is that promise? Proverbs says that with wisdom we will understand righteousness, judgment, equity, discretion, and have understanding, which will keep us on the right path and keep us safely away from evil. (Proverbs 1:33, 2:9-12) That's the package. There's a lot of pseudo-wisdom in our world that promises to give you slivers of what true wisdom offers. Our societally agreed upon laws can provide us with judgment, but not discretion or equity. Our culturally agreed upon norms may try to provide us with equity, but not righteousness which protects us from evil. We need to see what Solomon understood when he desired to have wisdom above all other things.
King Solomon connected wisdom to the knowledge of (fear of) God. (Proverbs 1:7, 2:5) He stated:
We need to look to God, look to the truth laid out in his Word, and ask for wisdom. It is the wisdom from God that gives us the whole package: righteousness, judgment, equity, discretion, understanding, and safety. Just thinking about God's total package is invigorating. We all want these things and God's Word tells us that we can find it right here. I'm going to keep a keen look out for examples of this truth when I see it in God's Word and call attention to it, especially when it comes to equity.
Solomon's writings always pull out the philosopher in me. I love the thinking exercises it provokes. As you dive into Proverbs with me, let's be willing to allow wisdom to beckon our hearts. I pray that the libraries of self-wisdom and societal-wisdom that we have relied upon, be replaced with God's wisdom as we become filled with his knowledge. Amen.
At work, we did a get-to-know-you activity where we shared our likes, dislikes, and a superpower we'd love to have. I chose wisdom - pretty tame compared to the powers of invisibility and flight, but pretty important to me. I'm sure my colleagues thought my choice was pretty weird, but I like to think I am so "cool" that they didn't bother questioning the "weirdness". Unlike my choice of superpower, all the other choices were things that could never be achieved. Unless science comes up with some pretty cool discoveries, we will never be invisible or fly without some sort of mechanical assistance like an airplane. We will never be able to morph into another creature like a Marvel comic. Wisdom, however, is a superpower/gift that is free and available to all. Look at the picture Solomon paints:
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof:
behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Wisdom literally beckons us to grab on to it so that we can experience and become something bigger, stronger, and filled with a perfectly packaged promise.
So, what is that promise? Proverbs says that with wisdom we will understand righteousness, judgment, equity, discretion, and have understanding, which will keep us on the right path and keep us safely away from evil. (Proverbs 1:33, 2:9-12) That's the package. There's a lot of pseudo-wisdom in our world that promises to give you slivers of what true wisdom offers. Our societally agreed upon laws can provide us with judgment, but not discretion or equity. Our culturally agreed upon norms may try to provide us with equity, but not righteousness which protects us from evil. We need to see what Solomon understood when he desired to have wisdom above all other things.
King Solomon connected wisdom to the knowledge of (fear of) God. (Proverbs 1:7, 2:5) He stated:
For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
We need to look to God, look to the truth laid out in his Word, and ask for wisdom. It is the wisdom from God that gives us the whole package: righteousness, judgment, equity, discretion, understanding, and safety. Just thinking about God's total package is invigorating. We all want these things and God's Word tells us that we can find it right here. I'm going to keep a keen look out for examples of this truth when I see it in God's Word and call attention to it, especially when it comes to equity.
Solomon's writings always pull out the philosopher in me. I love the thinking exercises it provokes. As you dive into Proverbs with me, let's be willing to allow wisdom to beckon our hearts. I pray that the libraries of self-wisdom and societal-wisdom that we have relied upon, be replaced with God's wisdom as we become filled with his knowledge. Amen.
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