Christian Crier
The Bible has so much wisdom in it that it’s hard to decide on only 7 Bible verses. What Bible verses would you include about wisdom?
Wisdom Literature
The Bible contains so much wisdom in it but there are specific books that concentrate on wisdom like Proverbs but we could include the Book of Psalms, Ecclesiastes and even the Book of Job but what is wisdom according to human definitions? Some dictionaries define wisdom as the judicious application of knowledge for circumstances encountered on a day to day basis. It is making a right decision based upon conditions from which experience or education has informed us. The Bible has a much better definition of wisdom. For one thing, the believer can find wisdom in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, and the giver of wisdom is not of human origin but He Who is Divine. God Himself is full of all wisdom and the Holy Spirit can impart to us godly wisdom which is far above that which humans generally tend to see it as. The real beginning and the very ending of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Prov 1:7) and it is foolish to ignore the true source of wisdom, as we shall read.
Ecclesiastes 2:26 “To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
It is wise to please God because God will give wisdom to those who strive to walk in righteousness. The one who chases “after the wind” depends upon himself or in others and that will end up in meaninglessness. God is the source of all wisdom while the world offers only empty advice that ends up in death.
Second Chronicles 1:11-12 “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”
Solomon could have asked for riches, fame, and power over his enemies, instead he asked for wisdom and knowledge and so because Solomon asked for wisdom God gave perhaps the greatest wisdom ever given to any man but because he valued godly wisdom, God also gave him “wealth, possessions, and honor” to which no man had ever had before and possibly since. To seek godly wisdom is to seek those things that are worth all the treasure in the world because wisdom and truth outlasts earthly possessions.
Proverbs 4:6-7 “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”
Solomon describes wisdom as a personal pronoun or as a person and just as humans can sometimes forsake their mates, their friends, and their families, it is possible to forsake wisdom too. To forsake wisdom is to depend upon human reasoning but nothing compares with the wisdom of God because godly wisdom will “protect you” and “watch over you” while others forsake you and that is why Solomon writes that “wisdom is supreme.”
James 3:17 “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
James agrees with Solomon’s writings in that wisdom is not of human origin but it “comes from heaven” and what is wisdom according to James? We know that wisdom is fearing the Lord but this wisdom also is “pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” What a clear definition of godly wisdom. It is wise to be a peaceable person, to have mercy on others, to be impartial to people (for God is no respecter of persons), be submissive to God and to those in authority and to live a pure life. James even says that if we lack wisdom, we can ask God for it and He will give it to us (James 1:5).
Proverbs 19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.”
No one accumulates wisdom on their own nor does it come by accident. It must be pursued and this pursuit of wisdom comes from listening to the advice of the godly but is not yet complete; the person that listens to godly advice must then “accept [this] instruction” for it does no good to just listen to it and not act upon it. This is why James wrote that we must “be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). Solomon says that if we listen and accept godly instruction “in the end [we] will be wise.”
Job 12:12 “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?”
Job’s words agree with what Solomon wrote that we must listen to and accept instruction and who better to listen to than the aged? That is because a long life of experience brings this understanding because the aged have made enough mistakes and learned the hard way so many times that they have learned wisdom by all their experiences. I have learned more from my mistakes than I ever learned from situations that worked out for me.
Ecclesiastes 7:12 “For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom gives life to them that have it.”
Finally, think of wisdom as something that can defend you from error. Wisdom can be like a fortress in that it defends us from ignorance and foolishness which can destroy us and tear us down. The “excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom gives life to them that have it,” conversely the lack of such godly wisdom can lead to death because “The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near” (Prov 10:4).
Conclusion
First Corinthians 1:30 gives us the greatest wisdom of all saying “you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” but those who reject Jesus Christ as Savior and refuse to repent, they foolish have chosen to have the wrath of God upon them (John 3:36), therefore the wisest thing you could do is to bend the knee, confess your sins, repent of them, and then put your trust in Christ. There is simply no other way to be saved (Acts 4:12) because even the “foolishness of God is [by far] wiser than men” (1 Cor 1:25).
Another Reading on Patheos to Check Out: What Did Jesus Really Look Like: A Look at the Bible Facts
Article by Jack Wellman
Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon
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