Papa JoeMac's Corner Commentary - #56
The Call Of Wisdom (Wisdom Versus Folly)
Proverbs 8
My prayers always include the petition to God for wisdom. Wisdom is fundamental to all things. If ‘Wisdom’ is our cornerstone, our foundation will be rock solid. Without wisdom, all crumbles. If we make mistakes – and we will - and if we learn from our mistakes – we grow in wisdom. When we do not learn from our mistakes, we reject wisdom. The Bible teaches that only fools despise wisdom and discipline. Wisdom is a true gift from God to those who ask.
“Wisdom” in Hebrew is chokmah and in the Greek sophia. Both words are grammatically feminine and in the Bible both words are developed metaphorically in that they become female personifications - symbolic of God’s very own self. God intended for us to live differently than we do now. God gave Adam and Eve freewill. Adam and Eve had choices and they made a mistake. Could Adam and Eve have possessed wisdom enough to resist temptation and to tell the serpent to get lost in the very beginning? Yes! The book of Proverbs tells us that God created Wisdom before He created the earth! Wisdom existed while God formed the creations. She watched it all unfold! Wisdom was used by God as His architect! Wisdom indeed forms the solid foundation. Wisdom built her house on seven pillars (Proverbs 9:1). The number ‘7’ in Scripture represents ‘completeness’. By wisdom building her house on seven pillars, she lacks nothing – the foundation is complete! There are scholars who believe that Wisdom represents the feminine side of God. Some scholars believe that Wisdom was the feminine attribute at Creation God used to model Eve after. Many theories abound but one thing is clear – Wisdom is the attribute of godliness that protects us in all areas of our lives – and we can have it if we seek it!
Wisdom was excited that God created mankind and Wisdom was there when it all came to be! The Scriptures teach that Wisdom is one of God’s primary attributes. So what do you say now? Should we pray for wisdom – Amen!
We read in Proverbs 8 that wisdom lives with good judgment and that all who ‘fear the Lord’ will hate evil. The book of Proverbs begins by telling us the ‘fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’ (Proverbs 1:7). “Fear of the Lord” means to honor and respect God and to live in the awe of His power. God does not want us to ‘fear’ Him from the standpoint of trembling when we think of Him. He wants us to come into His presence in complete trust and adoration! To fear the Lord means that through our honor and respect of Him and for Him, we will become focused on His ways. When we do this, we begin to study His Word more and we will begin to OBEY His Word. Evil doers in this world do not ‘fear the Lord’. They do not have wisdom as a foundation and without wisdom, it is impossible to practice good judgment!
What is the opposite of wisdom? ‘Folly’ is the opposite of ‘Wisdom’. Wisdom appeals to the mind. Wisdom builds discipline. Folly appeals to the senses. Folly is fun, eh? The senses are easily excited. But, what typically happens with things that excite our senses? They disappear quickly! Folly is fleeting. It is temporary and most often; the consequences of folly are not good. Scripture tells us that folly is loud and brash and ignorant without even realizing it. Folly leads to wickedness. Wickedness leads from one sin to another and these things lead us away from God and His ways. King Solomon, the wisest of the wise, said that a wise person thinks much about death; the fool thinks only about having a good time now. Which are you?
Does pursuing wisdom and discipline sound boring to you whereas folly and its temporal excitements get you pumped up? Scripture says in Galatians that those who lead lives of folly will be excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven. That gets my attention! In 1 Timothy we read that the folks who are intent on folly are spiritually dead. Foolish people are often so blind they cannot learn from the wise. Fools will often energetically reject wisdom and push it away. Praise God that Spiritual Wisdom allows us to avoid the folly of the world’s ‘wisdom’. Spiritual Wisdom helps us build our foundations solid! Wisdom protects the wise from evil. Pray for wisdom. It truly is a gift from God!
- - - Mr. Joseph Mcklemurry received his Masters in Biblical Studies with Trinity Seminary in Newburgh, Indiana and is an ordained minister serving as a praise and worship leader with Beautiful Feet Church in Fort Worth, Texas. |
