Tag: Wisdom

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The Value of Wisdom- Proverbs- Week 6- Day 2

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.  (11)  For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

Pro 8:10-11 

Explanation:

Wisdom continues to speak as the narrator in this passage, and as she does, she gives some new advice based on what she has already said.  In verses 6-9 we learned about the quality of her words.  The words of wisdom are excellent, right, true, free of wickedness, righteous, free of perversion, clear and accessible.  Of course, this speaks to their value.  But the advice that Wisdom gives in verses 10 and 11 give some practical estimation on the value of wisdom’s teaching.  The claim that is made is that wise instruction and knowledge is more valuable than silver, gold and rubies.  The idea is that if you had a choice between great riches and wisdom, the obvious choice would be wisdom.

This choice between riches and wisdom is the kind of choice that Solomon himself faced at one point in his life.  The presentation of this choice can be found in 1 Kings 3.

In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.  (6)  And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.  (7)  And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.  (8)  And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.  (9)  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?  (10)  And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.  (11)  And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;  (12)  Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 

1 Kings 3:5-12 

When it came down to it, Solomon asked for wisdom from the Lord and God gave him Wisdom and riches. 

Application:

Why is wisdom more valuable than riches?

  • Riches can be fleeting.  Money is here today and gone tomorrow.  Wisdom cannot be taken from someone. 
  • The pursuit of riches can make one unwise.  People have done many evil and foolish things in their pursuit of wealth. 
  • Pursuing and heeding wisdom can make us a good steward of wealth.  When foolish people get wealth they do foolish things with it.  When wise people get wealth, they use it wisely. 

Here is the point: Wisdom is way more valuable than we often estimate it to be.  We must value wisdom and wise instruction.

Response:

How much do you value wisdom?

  • Do you read God’s Word?
  • Do you intentionally pursue relationships with people wiser than yourself?
  • Do you pursue reading and knowledge more than entertainment?
  • Do you value wealth more than wisdom?
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Wisdom speaks! Proverbs- Week 6- Day 1

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.  (7)  For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.  (8)  All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.  (9)  They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

Proverbs 8:6-9 

Explanation:

One of the first questions that the reader has to ask when they come to a passage is “who is the author?” or “who is the speaker?”.  This is an important question in this passage.  The answer is found in verses 1 and 4.   The initial question is proposed in verse 1.

Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? 

Proverbs 8:1 

Wisdom is personified and is speaking out in these verses.  She is the narrator in this passage starting in verses 4-5.

Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.  (5)  O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. 

Proverbs 8:4-5 

So when we get to today’s text, verses 6-9, we find out what wisdom is saying to us.  Wisdom claims that the content of what she proclaims are the following:

  • Excellent things– The word here, when used of people, means noble or princely.  The idea is that wisdom is speaking of things that are useful for the most noble people.
  • Right things– The word here speaks to justice and equity.  Just, fair and right things are the subject of widsom.
  • Truth-  What wisdom says fully cooresponds to reality.  Widsom does not lie.
  • Righteous-  Not only are they true in cooresponding with reality, they are also morally correct.
  • Pure- Wisdom does not speak in base or sexually immoral ways. 
  • Clear- Wisdom speaks things that are understandable.

Application:

We live in a world where there is an abundance of information, but not necessarily an abundance of truth.  We have access to an plethora of content, but we must be careful about the perverse and impure.  Much of what is proposed as “wisdom” is morally confused and difficult to understand.  There is a value therefore to wisdom as defined by God here in Proverbs.  If you search for God’s Wisdom you will find what is excellent, right, true, righteous, pure, and clear.  The ultimate source of wisdom is the Bible itself. 

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

Hebrews 4:12 

In a world where lies, impure speech, and moral confusion are the norm, wisdom is of utmost value.

Response:

Think about what you have thought about for the last few days.  Would it be described as excellent, right, true, true, righteous, pure and clear?  Is the Word of God informing your thoughts and actions?

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Your Eyes and Your Heart. Proverbs- Week 4- Day 4

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.  (21)  Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.  (22)  For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 

Proverbs 4:20-22 

Explanation:

Let’s remember the context of these verses.  The father continues to speak to the son, pleading with him to stay on the right paths and to avoid the evil paths of evil men. 

In these verses I want to point out three categories of terms that will help us make a right interpretation and application.

1.  Ownership words- “my” and “thine”.  The father uses the term “my” two times. These are possessive nouns talking about the fathers words and the fathers sayings.  He also uses the word “thine” two different times.  This term he uses in regards to his sons eyes and his sons heart.  The matter at hand is the complete ownership of the way of wisdom by the son.  The father states his ownership of the way of wisdom.  He calls them “my words” and “my sayings”.  Ownership means hearing and attending to these words. In other words, the wisdom is to be heard and to be obeyed.

2. Body Words- “eyes” and “heart”.  He points to the eyes and the heart of his son.  For the son to own his father’s words he has to take responsibility for his own eyes and his own heart.  Our eyes will see something.  Something will be in the midst of our hearts.  The father is pleading for his words and his sayings to be the object of that kind of visual, intellectual and emotional ownership.

3. Result Words- “life” and “health”.    The ownership of the way of wisdom is passed on from the Father to the son by the words and sayings kept before the son and valued internally.  When this happens the probability is “life” and “health”. Notice that the words are “life to those that find them”.  I love the idea of the picture of finding here.  The imagery is that these wise words are like treasure that has been found.  It is like the father has found a treasure that he is trying to give to his son.  He is pleading with his son to steward this treasure well because of the life and the health that the treasure can give.

Application:

To pass along the way of wisdom it takes three proactive values:

1.  It takes ownership.  If we want our kids and those we influence to follow us, we must own the direction we are taking them ourselves.  From a development perspective, you cannot truly take someone to a place that you have never been.  We must treasure the Word and the wisdom of God if we want the next generation to treasure and steward it well.

2.  It takes effort.  The hymnwriter wrote, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it.  Prone to leave the God I love.  Here’s my heart, Lord. Take and seal it.  Seal it for thy courts above.”  The father says similarly to the son “keep them in the midst of thy heart.”  We’ll read tomorrow that the out of the heart flow  the issues of life.  So many things demand attention of our eyes and affection from our hearts.  We must guard it diligently.

3.  It takes vision.  We must keep before ourselves and those we influence a vision of the results (life and health) of the way of wisdom.  We must also envision and avoid the potential consequences of the way of evil.  We get distracted and we forget.  So much is at stake.

Response:

What can you do to keep wisdom in front of your eyes and in the middle of your heart today?

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Choose the way of wisdom. Proverbs- Week 4- Day 1

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.  (12)  When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.  (13)  Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. 

Proverbs 4:11-13 

Explanation:

This passage continues the theme in proverbs of parental instruction.  Verse 1 begins the chapter with “Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father…”.  So again, we get to lean in and hear this valuable fatherly instruction.

In verses 11 and 12 there are two directional words: way and paths.  Imagine with me a father and a son walking down a road.  The destination at the end of this road is life, and favor with God and man.  There are all kinds of side roads that look enticing.  There is “get rich quick lane”.  There is “promiscuous woman boulevard”.  There is “drunkenness ally”.  What the father is saying here is something like, “Notice these side roads, son?  They take you away from wisdom.  And when you get on those roads, you will fall.  There end is destruction.  These are wide lanes that are easy to get to and lead to death.  That is why you need to keep following me.  I’m showing you the “way of wisdom”.  I have led you in the “right paths”.  When you stay on these roads your way will not be “straitened” or vexed.  When you run on this road, you won’t fall.” 

In verse 13 he compels his son to “take fast hold of instruction”.  The word translated instruction can also be interpreted as correction, discipline, doctrine, or rebuke.  It may seem counter-intuitive to embrace correction and rebuke.  None of us love to be corrected.  Yet the scripture here says that “she is thy life”. 

Application:

None of us like rebuke or correction, yet when we take on this kind of instruction it can keep us from all kinds of pain.  When we follow the wisdom of those who have gone before us and avoid the wide side roads that lead to death and destruction, we will live the kinds of lives that bring God glory.

Response:

Find someone to point you in the way of wisdom today.  Are you on a bad road?  It’s time to embrace correction and rebuke.  Repent and come back down the right road.