Wisdom
from God
By
Lori Gardner
Can you imagine what your response would be if you heard these words from the God of all creation? When children are ased that question they usually answer with a smile followed by a long list of toys and electronic gadgets. Most adults usually have the same response, except our list consists of larger, more expensive items.
There is one man in Scripture that God put to the test with this statement. In 1 Kings 3, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. He told him, "Ask what I shall give thee." Solomon's reply is a great one, "I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in" (1 Kings 3:7). He had been placed in a position of extreme responsibility. He was king of Israel, a great nation who "could not be numbered or counted for multitude." He knew that he would need extraordinary and divine guidance in order to do the job well. All he asked from God was that he be given an understanding heart in order to judge the people, and be able to discern between good and bad. In other words, he needed wisdom.
This answer pleased the Lord so much that God not only gave him wisdom, but gave him riches and honor unlike any that came before or after him (1 Kings 3:12-13). Along with those gifts, God also told Solomon, "?if you wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments?then I will lengthen thy days." He received an assurance from God of riches, honor, power, and a long life. What more could anyone possibly want or need?
At first, Solomon reigned with so much wisdom that people from all the earth would come to him for advice (1 Kings 4:34). Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he wrote 3,000 proverbs and over 1,000 songs. God also gave him the wisdom to build a glorious Temple where the Lord could dwell among His people. After the Temple was completed, the Lord spoke to Solomon again with a blessing and a warning (I Kings 9:1-7). If Solomon continued to walk in integrity of heart and uprightness, and keep all the statutes and ordinances as God commanded, then the throne of the kingdom would be upon Israel forever. However, if he were to turn from following God and serve other gods, Israel would be torn from their land, their Temple would become an object of ridicule and the name of Israel would become a proverb and a byword among all people. It would seem that a man that had been given so much wisdom from on high would heed this warning, but Solomon did not always make the wisest of choices in his personal life.
He had a weakness for women which resulted in a total of 700 wives and 300 concubines. Many of these women came from foreign nations and worshipped false gods. Solomon allowed his heart to be turned away from the Lord. He went from being a man that loved the Lord and walked in the statutes of his father, David (1 Kings 3:3) to doing evil in the sight of the Lord (1 Kings 11:3). He actually went as far as to build special "high places" of worship for his wives to burn incense and sacrifice to their gods (1 Kings 11:7-8). Even though this angered the Lord, He showed great patience to Solomon. He actually appeared unto the king two different times and commanded him to turn away from the other gods, but Solomon would not. This ultimately brought down the kingdom. Israel ended up being a divided nation and eventually became just like they had been in the past; slaves in a foreign land.
The word wisdom simply means having good sense and using it in our minds, words, and actions. Proverbs 2:6 tells us that it is the Lord that gives us wisdom, and out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. It is foolishness to receive wisdom from God and not put it into practice. That's a good description of Solomon in his later years. He became foolish. Psalm 111:10 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Notice, it is only the beginning. Gaining wisdom is an ongoing process. It is something that we are never to stop striving to attain. Proverbs 2 tells us that we have to diligently seek it out as if we are looking for hidden treasure. According to Proverbs 2:7, "The Lord layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous." The words "layeth up" means it is hidden. God does not make it difficult for us to find, though. He guards and keeps it safe and those that are righteous just have to look for it. We can find wisdom by digging in and searching God's Word. It is the Scriptures that are able to make us wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15). The more we dig, the more treasure we find.
Seeking wisdom from the Lord is what helps us through the difficult times. It is what guides us when making major decisions in life, and it allows us to seek His will and find His blessings in every situation.
"There are four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceedingly wise ..." (Proverbs 30:24)
In our last issue we looked at how true wisdom comes from the Lord and how we should put into practice the good sense that He gives us (Proverbs 2:6). God's Word has many examples of true wisdom. Even some of the smallest and most insignificant creatures can be examples to us.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer ..." (Proverbs 30:25)
Most of us think of ants as a nuisance, but they can actually teach us a lot. Verse 25 describes them as being "not strong." Even though these tiny creatures can carry from 10-50 times their own weight, they can easily be crushed. So, in comparison to the rest of creation they are not strong, but they are wise. They prepare for their future by gathering their food in the summer, when it is most readily available. Proverbs 6:6-8 tells us that we should consider their ways. With no guide or overseer, they are constantly busy preparing for the seasons ahead. No one has to tell them when the time is right or coerce them into action. Because of their wisdom, they are prepared for the future.
Shouldn't we as believers prepare for our future, too? The most important thing that we need to prepare for is where we will spend eternity. In Amos 4:12 the Lord warns the people of Judah and Israel, "...prepare to meet thy God." Because they had despised the law of the Lord, not kept the commandments, and were carried away with all types of vile sins, the Lord pronounced judgment upon them (Amos 2:4-16). We, too, face the ultimate judgment of an eternity separated from God unless we are prepared. Fortunately, the work of preparation has already been done for us. The Lord Jesus Christ took care of all the requirements necessary in order for us to spend eternity with Him. The only thing we need to do to secure our future place is come to Him by faith. When we make the decision to trust in His death, burial and resurrection, we are guaranteed a secure future of joy and blessings. That's the wisest decision we will ever make.
"The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks." (Proverbs 30:26)
Conies (sometimes called badgers) are interesting animals. They are probably a type of small, desert rabbit that can be seen even today in the mountainous areas of Israel. They are called feeble because they have no real defense system. When they sense danger they run for cover into rocky gorges in the mountains. There they stay within the safety and security of the rocks (Psalms 104:18). So, even though they are weak, they are exceedingly wise.
This behavior is such a good example to us of how we should react when we sense trouble. When we seem unable to withstand the world, resist temptation, or bear up under hard times, God's Word assures us of a refuge and shelter in which we can hide. Psalms 94:22 says, "... the Lord is my defense, and my God is the rock of my refuge." 1 Corinthians 10:4 says that Christ is our Rock. He is our place of hope, shelter, and trust during difficult times.
"The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands ..." (Proverbs 30:27)
We don't seem to pay much attention to a single locust, but a band of locusts can eat their way through acres of crops in a very short amount of time. Some scientists claim that a large swarm of locusts can cover a distance of 60-80 miles in one day. It is estimated that in that same 24 hour period they can consume as much food as 2,500 people. They were created in such a way that when they spread their wings and fly close together, they appear as one solid mass. Witnesses on the ground say that when the numbers are great, they can even block the sunlight as they pass. They exhibit wisdom to us because they work as one cohesive unit.
All of those who have trusted in Christ as Savior are called into one body (Ephesians 2:16; Colossians 3:15). We are members of the Church, the Body of Christ, as well as being members of one another (Ephesians 4:4; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 12:5). Believers are to have one mind and one mouth in order to glorify God (Romans 15:6). We are told to be like minded as we strive together for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27; 2:2). The Apostle Paul warned that there should be no schism in this body (1 Corinthians 12:25). Just as the locusts gathered together as one, kept together as one, and moved together as one, shouldn't the members of the Body of Christ exhibit this same type of wisdom?
"The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in the king's palaces." (Proverbs 30:28)
Some early manuscripts actually use the word "lizard" here instead of spider. Either way, these creatures are not exactly endearing to most people. They are usually not wanted as pets, yet they can be found even in royal palaces. They may not seem as if they belong there, but they are wise enough to seek access to the finest surroundings, and once they are there, they take hold.
Before we trust Christ as Savior, there is not much about us that is endearing, either. We are simply sinners deserving of death. Yet, when we place our trust in the redeeming work of Christ, we are not only given an eternal heavenly home, but we are given access by one Spirit unto the Father (Ephesians 2:18). Our eternal life starts the moment we believe and we can freely come before His "throne of grace" anytime (Hebrews 4:16).
We can learn many valuable lessons about being wise when we observe God's creation. From these four little creatures we see that we need to prepare for eternity and take refuge in the Lord when trouble comes our way. We also see how important it is to stand fast and work together within the Body of Christ, as well as rejoice in the fact that through the Lord Jesus Christ we have access to the all powerful, all wise Father.
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