BiblicalInsights.net

God is omniscient.  He is all-knowing.  The Bible is exemplary of the wisdom of God.  It is a piece of the mind of God revealed to the heart of man.  That makes the Bible unique and special.  It is the ultimate source of knowledge and wisdom for our lives.

The Pursuit of Wisdom
A noble quest of the human heart is to possess the wisdom that comes from God.  Seek and ye shall find!  In Proverbs 2:1-4, Solomon uses four phrases to capture the essence of this quest.  The pursuit of wisdom involves:  inclining thine ear unto wisdom, applying thine heart to understanding, crying after knowledge and lifting up thy voice for understanding.  Seek wisdom as silver and search for her as for hid treasure.  Stop for a moment and consider what you are pursuing in life.  Is it worthwhile?  Is it going to last?  The wisdom of God is a treasure worthy of the pursuit.  It is worthy of the time and effort to gain it.  It is worthy of any cost or sacrifice necessary to secure it.

The Source of Wisdom
Solomon writes, “For the LORD giveth wisdom.  Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”  “Out of his mouth” refers to the words of God.  The words of God reveal the wisdom of God.  God gives us insight into the way things really are.  He gives us truth.  Truth is fundamental to the Christian walk.  God’s wisdom is manifested in His created acts. The beauty and design of the universe in which we live testify to His wisdom.  Consider your own body.  David states that we are “fearfully and wonderfully” made (Psa. 139).  The design is complex and precise.  It takes a superior intellect or mind to produce the design and beauty that we observe all around us every day.  God’s wisdom is manifested in His word. Paul writes, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Rom. 11:33).  God’s Word provides guidance to our lives.  There is an alternative, but it is the way of foolishness.  We can reject God and the knowledge He gives to us but this would be foolish.  God’s word provides direction for morality affecting both human conduct and character.  God’s Word provides direction for salvation and shows us the way of the cross leads to a heavenly abode with Him.  God’s Word helps us to know ourselves and human nature which surrounds us.  It shows us the way to be better husbands, wives, fathers and mothers.  It warns against the pitfalls of temptation and sin.  The Word of God is a vast treasure of the divine thoughts of a  Holy God.  If we pursue the wisdom from above, we can find it and apply it to our own lives thereby enriching our lives immensely.

Practical Aspects of Wisdom
God does not withhold wisdom from the upright.  God is a buckler (shield) to the upright.  Here are some practical aspects of His wisdom. First, God’s Word defines righteousness.  Righteousness is right conduct as defined by God’s precepts.  Pursuit of His holiness will keep us from evil and identify us as His children.  We become partakers of the divine nature. Second, God’s Word imparts judgment (spiritual discernment).  Spiritual insight and sensitivity that enables us to distinguish right from wrong and good from evil.  This spiritual discernment instructs the conscience and guides us through the maze of choices and decisions that must be made every day.  We have the wisdom of God as a moral compass.  Third, the Word of God gives us equity or a sense of uprightness.  This pathway of righteousness leads us to God and to heaven.  Fourth, God’s Word gives us knowledge of every good way.  Good is defined by God’s own nature.  To be good and walk in that which is good is nothing less than the pursuit of God Himself.  Fifth, God’s Word imparts discretion.  Discretion is the capacity of well-considered action.  It is an aspect of judgment.  Sixth, God’s Word gives understanding.  Understanding is when the mind of man is joined with the truth from God and results in insights into the way things really are.  It involves the capacity in the case of opposing rules to make the right choice or in the matter of extremes to choose the right medium. These practical aspects of the wisdom of God are essential for living a successful spiritual life and navigating the obstacles and temptations that Satan places in front of us.

The Results of Wisdom
Wisdom from above protects and preserves.  It keeps us from evil men, evil designs and sinful ways.  It delivers us from the flattery of a strange woman.  We can distinguish truth from a lie or right from wrong and so choose our steps carefully and walk in the pathway of righteousness. Wisdom preserves relationship with God.  It preserves the righteous.  The upright shall dwell in the land but the wicked shall be cut off.  Destruction and death follow the indulgent life characterized by the pursuit of evil.  This is foolishness.  The way of wisdom preserves life and expands enjoyment of life.  It gives hope beyond this life consisting of eternal life with God.

Jesus distinguished between the wise man and the fool.  The wise man is the person who hears the sayings of Jesus and does them.  The foolish man hears the sayings of Jesus but does not submit to them (Matt. 7:24-28).  Wise or foolish–you choose!