Wisdom

II Chronicles 1:7-12; James 3:13-17

 

God gave Solomon the equivalent of a blank check, and he did the honorable thing…didn’t ask selfishly, but spiritually.  God said, to reward this desire, I’m gonna give you what you asked for, and what you didn’t ask for!

        Solomon became both the wisest and the wealthiest in the world.

 

Our nation today suffers a most serious lack of wisdom.  Want proof?  Well, people move in droves from liberal states to conservative ones.  Why?  With wisdom, you can realize the rewards of conservative principles and the punishments that come with liberal ideology.

 

We think guys can be girls and girls can be guys and that procreation will continue in a normal fashion.  She walks like Tarzan, he walks like Jane, and they both smell like Cheetah!  We teach our kids that they evolved, and then wonder why they live like animals.  Oh to seek the wise life!

 

It’s a new society, and a new way of thinking [or not]:

• “We need to be free from fossil fuels so let’s make everyone drive cars powered by electricity that was generated at plants powered by fossil fuels!”
• “We need motivation, so let’s take money from those who have a lot and give to those who don’t have much.  Then everyone will be motivated!”
• “We need change…so let’s re-elect someone from the current administration.  She says she has changed!”
• “How can we be respectable if we don’t have the freedom to kill our offspring?”
• “We believe in the freedom of speech.  The only things we censor are things that are so obviously wrong.”
• “We believe democracy means the will of the people…and they are very important people who meet behind closed doors because a lot of the regular people don’t know what’s good for them.”
• “If you are woke and mature and you don’t get your way, you should deface property and loot stores.  Be patriotic and burn the flag!”
• “We ARE doing something about all the people coming into our country:  We make them take their shoes off before boarding a flight.”
• “We believe all religions should be allowed, other than the obvious exception, the one we were founded upon.”
• “Let’s outlaw guns so the bad guys won’t be allowed to have them anymore.”

 

There’s a lot of labels that could be placed on our society at large, but ‘wise’ is not one of them.  Wisdom begins with God.

 

1. The Priority of Wisdom  (Proverbs 4:7, James 3:13)

Proverbs 4:7

    Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Principal=main thing/top priority…we need wisdom more than a good job/strength and health/anything!…it’s the principal thing!

        James 3:13

    Who is a wise man…?

        Notice:  James doesn’t ask, who is a rich man?/popular/educated…

 

A.  Wisdom is greater than monetary power.  (Proverbs 3:13-16)

Proverbs 3:13-16

    Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. [14] For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. [15] She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. [16] Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.

Ill.—Armored truck goes by, everyone looks/ponders how much is in there…we examine the guards/guns/procedures they follow…because everyone wants money…it’s a very “principal” thing to us!  Well, if there were an armored truck full of wisdom going down the road, I wonder how many guards it would need?  Would anyone concoct a plan to storm that truck and try to make off w/ it all?

 

Hear this:  It is a great day in a Christian’s life when they want wisdom more than anything else.

        This was Solomon’s day…he did just that, and God honored that!

 

B.  Wisdom is greater than military power.  (Eccl. 9:16-18)

Eccles. 9:16/18

[16] Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength:

[18] Wisdom is better than weapons of war… 

We’re on the brink of global war.  And what we need in the Pentagon is wisdom/oval office/congress/

 

Would to God that every Christian would make this a daily prayer—a prayer for wisdom…

 

C.  Wisdom is greater than mental power. 

Proverbs 4:6-7

    [6] Forsake her (wisdom) not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. [7] Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

 

Again to James 3:13

    Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?

 

        We’re comparing wisdom w/ knowledge, and wisdom always comes first…knowledge is important, but it always fails if not linked to wisdom! For wisdom gives you the ability to rightly apply the knowledge you have been given.  And knowledge is worthless and even dangerous w/out wisdom holding its hand, guiding it in the right direction.

 

There’s a big difference between being smart and being wise.

 

Joke:  4 guys in airplane—pilot, scientist, elderly preacher, boy scout

        Developed plane trouble…pilot said we’re gonna have to jump out…problem is there’s only 3 parachutes.

Pilot said:  the Air Force has spent many thousands of $ training me, so I have to live—grabbed parachute and jumped out.

Scientist said, I have the highest IQ here, 4 PhD’s, I’m probably the smartest man in the world, I need to live—jumped

Elderly preacher looked at Boy Scout and said son, I’ve lived a long time, you have all your life ahead of you, please, I want you to live.

Boy Scout said, no, we can both live.

“How’s that possible?”

‘Cuz the smartest man in the world just jumped out wearing my backpack!

 

You can have knowledge w/out wisdom, but a man of wisdom WILL get knowledge!

 

Great definition of wisdom:  “The ability to apply Bible truths to all of life’s situations.”

        You can’t apply truth you haven’t learned, so you have to study.

2 Tim. 2:15

    Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

Joke—young preacher stood up and said, I don’t have to study, when I stand up to preach, God will put the words in my mouth.

        His professor came to him w/ a preaching opportunity… “Will you study?”  “I don’t have to”, he said cockily.  “Ok, here’s the address.”  “Sir, that’s in the hispanic district, they only speak Spanish”… “If God can put the words in your mouth, He can do it in Spanish!”

Lesson is, there’s no excuse for spiritual ignorance…Biblical wisdom is preached here several times a week, great truths, life-changing material.  There’s more access to good information than ever before!  We need to fill our minds w/ knowledge and then ask God for the wisdom to apply it!

 

Here’s the difference between the 2:

Knowledge is learned, but wisdom is granted.

This is why James said in James 1:5

    If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

[the one prayer God always says yes to]

 

Unless you’re not saved—until then, you don’t have one bit of wisdom, for more than once the Bible says:

Proverbs 9:10

    The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…

 

II.            The Product of Wisdom

 

1. Wisdom produces goodness [in your life] .  (James 3:13)

James 3:13

    Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

Goodness is a by-product of wisdom…it results from it.

 

We think of Confucius, always spouting off words of wisdom [man who live in glass house dress in basement!/stand on toilet be high on pot/stand behind car get exhausted!]

        But true wisdom shows up more in our walk than in our talk!  [more in what we do than what we say]

The opposite of a wise man is a fool…

Eccles. 5:3

    … a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.

Proverbs 10:19

    In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

Fools tend to talk too much/say all they’re thinking…but a wise person listens more than they speak…why?  Because you can’t learn anything when you’re talking!  [2 ears, 1 mouth]

 

Poem: 

A wise old owl sat in an oak, the more he saw, the less he spoke

The less he spoke, the more he heard, let’s imitate that wise old bird!

 

So, wisdom will show up more in your works than in your words.

   

Produces Goodness…

 

B.  Wisdom produces gentleness.  (James 3:13)

James 3:13

    Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness [gentleness] of wisdom.

 

Meekness=power under control.  Meekness isn’t weakness…Jesus was meek.  You can be the boss but you don’t have to throw your weight around/have it all your way.

 

We’re finding a division between Godly wisdom and man’s wisdom:

James 3:15

    This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

  

Let’s take a quick walk thru the Bible and see what it says about man’s wisdom:

Proverbs 3:7

    Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

Proverbs 16:25

    There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 28:11

    The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.

Eccles. 10:3

    Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

Isaiah 5:21

    Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Isaiah 29:14

    … the wisdom of the wise men shall perish…

Jeremiah 8:8-9

How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us?…The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?

 

Matthew 11:25

    Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

Romans 1:22

    Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools…

1 Cor. 1:25

… the foolishness of God is wiser than men…

1 Cor. 2:1, 4-5, 13-14

    And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. [4] And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: [5] That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. [13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. [14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Cor. 3:18-19

    Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. [19] For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

        But true, Godly wisdom will bring Godly results…

 

3. The Power of Wisdom  (James 3:17)

James 3:17

    But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

 

A.  Wisdom overcomes sin. [first pure]  Because wisdom helps you have eyes to see the price tag on sin! [to Christ/to us]… “be sure your sin will find you out”/ “pleasure in sin if but for a season”

 

B.  Wisdom overcomes strife. [then peaceable]  You’re either a peacemaker or a troublemaker.

 

C.  Wisdom overcomes stubbornness.  [Wisdom recognizes the time to stand and the time to be flexible.]

 

D.  Wisdom overcomes selfishness.  [easily intreated/not all about them]

 

E.  Wisdom overcomes snobbishness.  [w/out partiality—understands the ground is level at the cross!/understands the church is no place for cliques, that everybody is somebody and nobody is anybody…it’s all about God!]

 

6. Wisdom overcomes shams.  [w/out hypocrisy…wisdom will help you be real!]

Many Christians are like hollow logs…appear sturdy and solid, but step on them and you find there’s not much inside…sin has been eating at them from the inside out as they have tried to appear wise outwardly but lack true, inner, Godly wisdom.

 

Proverbs 18:1     Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.  We need wisdom.  And it begins with the fear of God.