and I attain knowledge and discretion.
The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.
I have good advice and sound wisdom;
I have insight, I have strength.
By me kings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;
by me rulers rule,
and nobles, all who govern rightly.
I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.
Riches and honor are with me,
enduring wealth and prosperity.
My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
and my yield than choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
endowing with wealth those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.” NRSV
It’s interesting that Solomon juxtaposes an entire commentary on adultery next to his sermon (beginning now) on wisdom . . . and . . . personifies wisdom as a woman. It’s as if to say, seek not the woman you can’t have (the adulteress who belongs to another man), but rather seek the woman you can have, wisdom. I think that this personification is very important in our lives because it demonstrates God’s wisdom in not requiring us to live in a vacuum. Father God doesn’t say, “Don’t sin,” without saying, “But seek Me.” In other words, there is always a positive opposite to the command. “This don’t do, but this do.”
The temptations of sin are great and the rewards of sin are—for the moment—often luscious and delightful. But there are greater pleasures and rewards awaiting us when we seek, rather, obedience to the Father’s will and the acts which please Him.
What is this wisdom, exactly? Vine’s: “Chokmah is the knowledge and the ability to make the right choices at the opportune time.” It’s interesting that the wisdom Solomon describes isn’t esoteric; it’s not just knowing what is right. It’s also the ability to do what is right.
I think that, down deep, many of us, if confronted, know what is the right thing to do in most moments. We know not to gossip, not to overeat, not to watch that movie with the sex scene, not to snap at our children, not to ignore our spouses. We know all these things. But in the stresses and assaults of life, we often lack the ability to access and act upon that knowledge. Wisdom is more than just the knowledge; it is also the ability to act upon such knowledge. If we are truly wise (as we all seek to be), then our actions will demonstrate that wisdom.
In other words, wisdom is seen (rather than necessarily spoken).
James agrees with this in his epistle:
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace” (3:13-18 NRSV).
What are some of the characteristics of wisdom?
• Live with prudence
• Attain knowledge and discretion
• fear of the Lord
• hatred of evil
• Good advice, insight, and strength
• Rules rightly
• Is found by those who seek it
• Is the provision of riches, honor, and enduring prosperity
• Walks in the way of righteousness and justice
• Works that are gentle
• Pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without traces of partiality or hypocrisy
Notice that last (which comes from the James passage). Wisdom is akin to the fruit of the Spirit:
“In New Testament terms the fruits of ‘wisdom’ are the same as the fruits of the Holy Spirit; cf. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law’ (Gal. 5:22-23).” (Vine’s)
In other words, we cannot have wisdom without having the Lord, more and more of Him in our lives. And in order to have more of Him, there must be less of me. I must be willing to give up even that last bastion of control, that last lust, that last secret sin. And while most of us have “cleaned up our acts,” so to speak, on that outside so that we appear as fine Christians, truthfully we cling to certain (either hidden or socially acceptable) sins . . . and that along stands between us and our goal of truly having wisdom.
Solomon’s example of either choosing the adulteress (sin who belongs to Satan) or choosing wisdom (which we can rightly claim because it is the heart of the Father) is a mighty one. We simply need to make that choice.
© 2008 Robin L. O’Hare. All Rights Reserved. International copyright reserved. This study may be copied for nonprofit and/or church purposes only without permission when copied in its entirety (including this notice).
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