UnWordly Wisdom

Proverbs 8:22-29:

22 "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old.
23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep,
29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth,

In the midst of talking about wisdom, I'd forgotten the context. It's not a human idea, it predates us. Godly wisdom existed with God before creation. Before there were rivers, mountains, and fields. Before the sky, the ocean, and the earth, there was God's wisdom. And it has been offered to us through the Bible. I recently got the chance to watch the movie The Book of Eli, staring Denzel Washington. Though the movie itself wasn't that great, the world it created was intriguing. Post-apocalyptic world where the Bible was blamed for humanity's self-destruction. It shows a world without authority, political or Biblical. Men do as they see fit, which as you might guess, doesn't function well.

The Gospel of Real Wealth

Proverbs 8:18-21:

18 Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice,
21 granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.

There has already references to wisdom's practical benefits, for example a long life. Here wealth is also shown to correlate with wisdom. It may seem odd to suggest following God could lead to financial success, especially with verses asking followers of Jesus to sell all our possessions and give the money to the poor. However, it does make sense when we remember earlier in Proverbs where wisdom in loaning and paying back were offered. Let me also clearly say the two, wisdom and wealth are NOT always correlated. But the good news is that wisdom itself is a gift, one worth more than gold or silver.

Receiving Wisdom

Proverbs 8:17:

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

The first post of this blog was about my search for wisdom. This verse is comforting. If you earnestly search for it, wisdom will search for you. This is a great depiction of human/God relations. When we think we have most pursued God, it's only because he has mostly pursued us. Hopefully I'm not only searching for wisdom, I'm receiving it.

Effective Political Leaders

Proverbs 8:14-16:

14 I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength.
15 By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just;
16 by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly.

Wisdom has specific characteristics. Here they are applied to those in authority. Though it does not necessarily say secular leaders must be believers, they should be measured by good advice, wisdom, insight and persistence. Though not in authority submit to the wisdom of the God of Israel, effective ones mimic it.

Wisdom's Associates

Proverbs 8:12-13:

12 "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Here there is a nice list of wisdom characteristics that come with wisdom: prudent, knowledgeable, use of discretion, fear (reverence for his power), and a strong dislike for all that is ungodly. There is also a list of unwise characteristics: prideful, arrogant, and dishonest speech. Seems obvious when listed, but they don't seem so clear in our actions.

Real Wisdom is Precious

Proverbs 8:7-11:

7 for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
9 They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.
10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

Biblical wisdom can be trusted. Personified as a woman here, she self describes as always correct, for those that understand. That second part is important when you consider the past and present sins of the church. Wisdom, not the presumption of wisdom, is more valuable than gold and silver.

Truth from the Rooftops

Proverbs 8:1-6:

1 Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
4 "To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man.
5 O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense.
6 Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right,

It is good to see wisdom and understanding shouting from the front door. I've been in and out of town for the last month and haven't gotten around to reading and reflecting. Spending time in conferences learning wisdom from the world has shown me that it's full of foolishness and wisdom. God's truth is infused in even the most secular of  good lessons. Foolishness can be found in many places too, but here we see truthfulness in the center of the town square. Prudence, or reasoned discipline, seems to be one of the highest virtues.