The book of Proverbs begins with a statement that summarizes the purpose of the book. The most important word in Proverbs is “wisdom.”
For learning about wisdom and instruction,
for understanding words of insight (Proverbs 1.2)
What exactly is wisdom and how can people obtain it?
What is Wisdom?
Smart people are not necessarily wise. Smart people have invented bombs, know how to destroy cities, and kill people.
They build massive economic empires at the expense of the poor, among other things that their intellect allows them to do.
Don’t get me wrong, being smart is one of God’s gifts. However, we are mistaken if we confuse being smart with God’s wisdom.
Generally speaking, wisdom involves understanding, skill, or expertise.
Wisdom signifies mastery over experience through the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual state of knowing.
Hebrews and Christians believe that wisdom is a gift from God. As we live in a love relationship with Him, humble ourselves before Him, and receive His guidance, we gain wisdom.
True wisdom sees the world through God’s eyes. It receives God-given knowledge and applies it not just for ourselves, but also for others.
How do we obtain wisdom?
An interesting picture of how to obtain wisdom is the short story, “The Great Stone Face,” written by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
This story is about a young boy named Ernest who lives in a valley with a natural rock formation resembling a human face.
People in the valley believed that one day, someone resembling the Great Stone Face would come to their community. This person would be a great and noble leader.
One of the characters in the story is a charismatic but morally flawed politician named Gathergold.
As he rose to prominence in the community, people believed that he was the fulfillment of the prophecy. He was influential and resembled the Great Stone Face to some degree.
Unfortunately, he proved to be a disappointment and a delusion among the people.
While Gathergold and others pretended to be the Great Stone Face and wanted to seize the power that would come from resembling him, Ernest just sat before the stone and appreciated its beauty and grandeur.
He didn’t strive for leadership or recognition, but let his contemplation of the Great Stone Face mold his character.
After some time, the community noticed the difference between the outward appearance of others and Earnest’s inner character.
They saw that Ernest had stayed true to his values in the face of temptation and fame. Ernest lived a life not of external achievements of power, but one of virtue and moral strength.
After a while, they said, “You must be the one that was prophesied to be the Great Stone Face.”
Hawthorne’s story is an excellent illustration of the difference between smart people using power for themselves and others who humbly sit before God to obtain His wisdom.
(1) To get God’s wisdom, we have to do just what Ernest did: meet with Him regularly.
(2) We need to humble ourselves before God and incorporate His guidance into our daily activities.
(3) Once we have received God’s directions for life, we must follow them.
These three points are a summary of the Book of Proverbs. If we meet with God, humbly receive His guidance, and follow it, we will live in wisdom and have the life that God has designed for us.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this subject on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling
Real Voices 