Wisdom As Silver

"But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil." (Proverbs 1:33 NASB95) 

The world is full of foolish men
Who oft will think they’re wise.
Great is the terror of the fool
When he meets his swift demise.

The Righteous heedeth wisdom;
He takes to heart reproof,
And when the day of trial comes
He standeth resolute.

What is wisdom? In his 1828 dictionary, Noah Webster defines wisdom as “the exercise of sound judgment either in avoiding evils or attempting good.” 

As Christians, we are commanded by Jesus Himself to be wise. He says to His disciples, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matt 10:16) Time and again, Jesus demonstrated his own wisdom: He recognized the hypocrisy of and outwitted the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matt 22, 23); He resisted temptation from the devil himself (Matt 4); He taught and reproved his disciples (John 15, 18); He was wonderfully fearful and reverent towards God (Luke 2, John 17). At every turn, His life was marked by wisdom, and while the Pharisees feared and dreaded and plotted, Jesus calmly and resolutely continued His ministry.

The fruitful Christian life is invariably marked by wisdom, as it is one of the most crucial qualities a Christian can possess. The author of Proverbs exhorted his readers to value and seek wisdom more than any earthly treasure:

“How much better to get wisdom than gold!
To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.” (Prov 16:16)

“If you seek [wisdom] like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.” (Prov 2:4-5)

What defines wisdom? Godly wisdom is the fear of the Lord and an ordering of our every decision to glorify Him in every way. Jesus is the embodiment of wisdom. “And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’” (Job 28:28) “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God…” (1 Cor 1:30)

Where does wisdom come from? Wisdom in its purest form comes from the mouth of God. We find it revealed through His Word and through the Holy Spirit. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5)

Strive to listen to godly wisdom today, however it comes to you. Be careful, however, that you do not confuse godly wisdom with earthly wisdom (2 Cor 1:12). Godly wisdom may be found in advice, a kind word, a rebuke, even through the workings of the Holy Spirit. But most importantly, godly wisdom comes through the Bible – the written, divinely inspired Word of God. The importance of turning to Scripture for wisdom cannot be stressed enough. In fact, I have found it to be so crucial that as part of my own pursuit of godly wisdom, I have undertaken to memorize the entire book of Proverbs over the next 2 years.

I exhort you, brothers and sisters, to join me in pursuing wisdom – seeking it as gold – so that together we might better serve our Lord as His wise and righteous church!