Seeking after Wisdom
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
1. The wise man versus the foolish man. Many a man who thinks himself to be wise is a fool. Why? Because he is building his hopes upon the sand. Perhaps it was his wisdom that made him self-confident. He did not care to listen to God, for he was worldly wise. He thought himself proficient in all things. He needed no Rock, Christ Jesus, so he thought, because he was able to build up his own method of salvation.
Alas to such an one, when he awakes to find out that all his human wisdom was but the shifting, sinking sand. The wisdom of God, that demands the Rock Christ Jesus, he esteemed not. Therefore when the floods came and the winds blew, down he went. Let us learn this lesson: the philosophizing of worldly wisdom is not a safe foundation for eternity building.
2. The words of the foolish. What are they? I have "much goods laid up for many years." He says to his soul, "Soul * * take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." Alas, for God says "Thou fool." This fool was worldly wise. How else could he have accumulated so much goods? He not only accumulated, but he laid his goods by in well-built barns, for safe keeping. He again showed himself humanly wise.
No doubt the people all thought him a man of wisdom; God said he was a fool. He had, indeed, secured himself against a present-hour famine; but he had laid up nothing against the day of death; he had nothing laid by where moth and rust do not corrupt, and where thieves break not through nor steal,
3. The atheism of the fool. Our Scripture says, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." Perhaps this fool was a wise man, as men count wisdom. He was wise in things "under the sun" but knew nothing of the things Divine. He, no doubt, boasted his learning, his wisdom, his lore. In his wisdom, however, he knew not God.
His wisdom proved him a fool, inasmuch as he vainly and foolishly thought, in wisdom, that he could live as he listed, and be corrupt; he thought he could do abominable works. God looked down and saw that neither did he understand nor did he seek after, God. Therefore God said, "The fool hath said"; and God also said, "Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge?"
4. When the wise are fools. We are in India as we write. No one dares to tell us that the people of India who worship idols, and who seem to know so little of God, are all ignorant. Not so. Among them are the ignorant, but among them are also many of India's greatest men men of culture and of learning. They are university men, men who are wise, as the world counts wisdom. Some of these men in India can rank among the earth's great men. Yet, are they wise as God reckons wisdom?
Here is their description: "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." Then we read that they "changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator." Thus God has given them up to a reprobate mind, because they did not like to retain God in their knowledge. All we have said of certain men in India, we may say of certain men in America.
5. Worldly wisdom is foolishness with God. Listen to the Scripture, "God made foolish the wisdom of this world." "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise." "The world by wisdom knew not God." "The foolishness of God is wiser than men." "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise." "Your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men."
Such words as the above should cause the worldly-wise man to ponder. These words breathe the deepest conviction of truth.
I. WHERE WISDOM MAY BE FOUND (Proverbs 3:13)
1. "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding." The expression, "that getteth understanding" is easy for the world to grasp. It would say that understanding may be found in our colleges and universities. How, then, we ask, can trustworthy understanding come from a place which has a false wisdom?
If wisdom's findings are false, then wisdom's teachings will be just as false. Understanding may be a "getting," but it must be gotten where true wisdom is to be found.
Now we ask, where can wisdom be found? We thought, perhaps, that it was to be acquired by years of deepest study and search in the human storehouses of ancient and modern lore.
Mark, then, these words: "For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6). "He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous." It is only when we are in touch with God, and walk in His ways, that wisdom will enter into our heart.
2. A firm conviction with us. We may be called fanatical, and foolish; we are willing to bear that shame; yet we still think that true wisdom may be found only in the mines of God's revealed truth, as set forth in His Holy Book.
Was David right when he said, "I have more understanding than all my teachers: for Thy testimonies are my meditation"? And when he said: "The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple"?
Was David correct when he said, "Thou through Thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies"; and when he said, "Make me to understand the way of Thy Precepts; so shall I talk of Thy wondrous works"?
When God's Word enters into the heart it giveth light. It is a storehouse where wisdom may be found, It is a wealth of wisdom which gives understanding.
We grant that institutions of learning, as a rule, give the Bible no place, or but a little place, in their curriculums; yet the Bible holds more inerrant truth than all other books besides.
II. THE SUPREME VALUE OF WISDOM (Proverbs 3:14-18)
1. "Better than * * silver * * than fine gold * * than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire." Here are statements which should be pondered. If we are going to traffic, we had better traffic with wisdom, than with silver or gold. Suppose we do merchandise, seeking for silver and gold; we are merchandising in the things which fade away. Silver and gold may be used, in wisdom, for the good of mankind and for God, and with this as an aim it surpasses, by far, the mere thought of laying up treasures on earth; however, if we will merchandise in wisdom, we will be able to do a far greater good for our fellow man, and will, withal, be laying up a better heritage against the world to come.
2. To find wisdom is better than rubies, because wisdom is worth more, in the Divine market, than rubies and all else we can ever desire. We know that the street of the New Jerusalem will be paved with pure gold; that does not by any means suggest that pure gold shall hold the place of honor in 'Heaven. The streets of gold are but to tread upon; while wisdom will be crowned with eternal honors.
Remember we are not speaking of the wisdom that stands for human scholarship and skill; we speak of the wisdom that cometh down from above. Nothing can be compared to that.
3. Wisdom is the source of other beneficences.
(1) Length of days is in her right hand. To know God and to walk in wisdom, assures long life and a life full of deepest joy.
(2) Riches and honor are in her left hand. Because we are wise, does not, necessarily, cut us off from either riches or honor. Solomon asked for wisdom, and God gave him both honor and riches.
(3) Wisdom is a tree of life to those who lay hold upon her. We have been shut out, in this life, from the Tree of Life in the garden of Eden; here, however, is a tree of life bearing precious fruit, open to all. Happy is every one who has wisdom.
III. WHERE DIVINE WISDOM WAS OPERATIVE (Proverbs 3:19-20)
1. "The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth." Here is a statement that all must grant as true. The three false friends of Job could not confound him. He spoke of God better than his false comforters. However, Job had as a chief asset the boast of his knowledge, as well as the boast of his worthiness. Then, when God came on the scene and spoke to Job, He asked questions that caused Job to see his own nothingness.
Among other things God said to Job, "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding." Then God entered into things which staggered Job, although he was the greatest man of the East. We would like the men of earthly wisdom to study Job 38:1-41 and Job 39:1-30, and answer the various questions which God propounded to Job. It may be that they also will learn something of their own ignorance.
The earth and the Heavens do declare not only the glory of God, but also His great wisdom.
2. "By His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew." God steps down from the creation of a world, to the drops of dew that alight upon the earth. Come, now, explain a dewdrop. We may tell much about it, but we cannot take one, in the clouds of Heaven, and carry it from the sea to distant lands.
We wrote a little poem some time ago, which describes the worldly wise professor as he is questioned by a little girl.
I boasted my knowledge, my learning, my lore;
Acknowledged no Saviour, no God did adore;
Then, one day, a lassie all artlessly said,
"Pray, what is a lily?" I dropped down my head:
"A lily? I cannot describe it," said I,
"I neither can tell you its how or its why;
I know that a lily is wondrously sweet,
I know it is clothed with a beauty, replete;
Yet, I cannot tell you how it came to be,
And I could not fashion one, dear, do you see?"
The little girl solemnly lifted her eyes,
And looked in my face with an artless surprise;
"God did it, professor, so now can't you see,
'Twas God made the lily, and God that made me?"
Yes, God, in wisdom, wrought out His handiwork, and let us believe and trust in Him.
IV. WHAT WE SHOULD DO WITH WISDOM, AND WHAT IT WILL DO FOR US (Proverbs 3:21-24)
1. Wisdom should be kept as a most valuable portion. After telling of the wisdom of God as seen in His creation, the admonition comes; "My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion." May we never join that worldly popular group of the so-called college-bred, who throw the wisdom of God to the winds; who humanize God, dragging Him down to the depths of some tribal God of the Jews; or some imagery of the mind; and then straightway deify and immortalize their own brains.
2. Wisdom will be life to the soul. Divine wisdom will vitalize our soulish; that is, our mental man. One who told me she was willing to relinquish her own better sense, and mental unbeliefs, and take God's Word as true, although to her it had ever been a bundle of myths, came to me afterward and said, "When I threw away my own mind, to take God's mind, it is wonderful what He did." This is what she said, "Somehow or other all the seemingly meaningless Bible truth, which had seemed to me so unbelievable, began to glow and glisten with a beauty of fact that now appeared reasonable and easy for my mind to accept." She had taken God's wisdom, relinquished her own, only to have it returned to her, full of certainties and truth.
3. Wisdom makes life's walk a way of safety. How wonderful. The youth who takes Divine wisdom will find that he is prepared to escape the tempter's snare and to journey on his way without stumbling.
4. Wisdom takes away fear. " When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet."
It seems to me that wisdom is a begetter of faith. As we learn to know God, and to behold His stately steppings, we learn that the God who created us caves for us.
There is another Scripture that says that love casteth out fear. We find here that the wisdom that cometh down from above, does the same thing. We can sleep the sleep of peace. As we rest, we can say, "Thou God seest me." We will feel that we are safely sheltered under the shadow of His wings.
V. THE ALL-PROTECTING GOD (Proverbs 3:25-26)
1. "Be not afraid of sudden fear." It does not matter from whence the danger may suddenly appear, there is One who watches over us, who will deliver us.
To be sure, such a promise is not given to a disobedient soul. It is only when one makes God His satisfying Portion, and when he looks to Him in trusting confidence that the Lord will shelter him from evil.
Even when plagues fall upon those around us, He can keep them from touching those who trust Him. If we say of the Lord, "He is my * * Fortress: my God; in Him will I trust," then we may rest on the promise, "Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence."
It is when He is our Protection that we need not be afraid "for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness."
Even though a thousand fall at our side, and ten thousand at our right hand, we need not fear.
What does it matter,
Though dark the day may be?
What does it matter,
Thought nought of light I see?
There's One above me,
Who lives to love me;
There's nought can matter when
Christ Jesus cares for me,
2. "The Lord shall be thy Confidence." He is worthy of trust. Let Him, therefore, be our everlasting Confidence. Let others doubt: we will still believe; let others look to men and human stays: we will stay our hearts upon Him.
Remember that the house that was builded upon the rock fell not when the storm came, the rain fell, and the floods rose. Let us, then, like wise men, build upon the Solid Rock.
He will keep our foot from being taken. Praise His Name!
VI. DOING GOOD TO OTHERS (Proverbs 3:27-29)
1. We should help, in every possible way, our neighbors. It is not right to say, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Certainly we owe it to every man to fulfill all that is due to him. Much of the unrest of the age in which we live, is because men shut their eyes to the need of those who have not.
We should by no means even suggest that the drifting crowd, who are unwilling to toil, should harvest from the toils of others. We speak of the one who is in honest need, and who has a right to appeal to others. We speak of the widow, and the orphan, the sick, and the afflicted. Our verse says, "Them to whom it is due."
Above all we, as Christians, should care for our brothers and sisters in Christ, who need our aid. If we see our brother have need, and we shut up our bowels of compassion against him, how dwelleth the love of God in us?
2. We should not say, "Go, and come again," providing we have the needed supply at hand. Deferred help, though good, is often the cause of much sorrow. Perhaps, in the realm of beneficences, "Do it now" would prove a good motto.
When God lays upon us any call, we must remember that "The King's commandments require haste." To delay may be to lose our opportunity altogether.
3. We should not devise evil against our neighbor. May we suggest that we should not even wish him evil. There are too many ill-advised words spoken against those whom we should help. Even if our enemies hunger we should feed them; if they thirst, we should give them to drink.
The Lord will attend to the wicked. Why should we avenge ourselves of them? Why should we judge? God has said, "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Let us leave it with God.
In Proverbs 3:32-33 and Proverbs 3:34, we are given three contrasts:
(1) "The froward is abomination to the Lord; but His secret is with the righteous."
(2) "The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked; But He blesseth the habitation of the just."
(3) Surely He scorneth the scorners: But He giveth grace unto the lowly.
Let us then leave all judgment unto the Son, where God hath put it, and seek to do good unto all men.
VII. A GLORIOUS INHERITANCE (Proverbs 3:35)
We now come to the last verse of our study, and once more we are writing the words of the wise.
1. "The wise shall inherit glory."
(1) There is a present-day inheritance of glory for the wise. Greater is a wise man than he who taketh a city. It was the fame of Solomon and his wisdom that brought the Queen of Sheba from afar.
We read: "Wisdom is better than strength." Again we read: "Wisdom is better than weapons of war."
In Ecclesiastes it is written: "Wisdom is good with an inheritance."
(2) There is a future inheritance of glory. God has said, "They that be wise shall shine as the * * stars."
Here is something that may be ours in the days beyond. If we have cherished and walked in the ways of wisdom, even the wisdom that cometh from above, the wisdom which God giveth; and if we have forsaken every evil way, then our rewards will be great in heaven.
2. Fools shall inherit shame. There is a great deal of judging which is premature. We see the man who rejects God's wisdom, and follows in the way of fools, such as we have heard described in this study; they seem, for a while, to prosper in this world, yet shame awaits them.
Let us not think for one moment that the man who has refused to know God, to seek His will, and to walk in His ways, shall eternally prosper. In the Book of Deuteronomy there is a verse which says: "O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end"! The difficulty with fools is that they live only for the present moment. They are like the swine which will follow the corn even though it leads them to the slaughter-house.
There is another verse that says: "How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors."
AN ILLUSTRATION
Dr. J. R. Miller has told us how God increases us in wisdom and in strength from day to day.
Christ gives into no man's hand at the beginning of his life a finely trained, fully developed mind. The great poets and writers of the world began with only one pound. There was capacity for growth, but that was all. Christ gives to no one at the start a noble, full-statured, rich, transfigured Christian character, with spiritual graces all blossoming out The most saintly Christians began with very little saintliness, very little spiritual power. The most useful men in the church began with a very small and imperfect sort of usefulness. Those whose influence for good now touches thousands of lives, and extends over whole communities, or fills an entire country, had nothing to begin with but one little pound of capacity which the Master intrusted to them. This is the principle on which all our Lord's gifts are distributed. He puts into our hands a little at first; and as we use what we have, and gain experience, and show ability, and prove faithful to our trust, He adds more and more, giving us all we can use well, and as fast as we can use it.
"By thy own soul's law learn to live;
And, if men thwart thee, take no heed;
And, if men hate thee, have no care;
Sing thou thy song, and do thy deed;
Hope thou thy hope, and pray thy prayer,
And claim no crown they will not give."
J. R. Miller.