So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom.
Wisdom
This is constantly connected with religion. A religious fear of God is the first step in true wisdom. He who would know God aright must love Wisdom and humbly and vigorously seek after her. Wisdom is spoken of as a virtue, as much as truthfulness or charity or sobriety. It is identified with goodness. There is a real, true sense in which wisdom may be put for religion: the God-fearing man is the wise man; without the fear of God it is impossible to call any man truly wise. Taking the lowest view of things, only a selfish view, looking only at what is to be gained, the religious man is a wise man. If the good man proves to have been wrong, he loses nothing in the end, for he has had his own happiness here--peace of mind, a quiet conscience, and good prospects for the future. To take a higher view of the subject. The religious man is concerned with far grander and more exalted things than any other man. The principal attribute of a wise, discerning man is to be able to see things as they really are, to pierce through outside appearances and get at the heart of things, and not be cheated by sham outsides. To do this is a sign of wisdom. The religion of Jesus Christ treats of such mighty concerns that it is impossible to give the name of wise to him who thinks lightly of it. Wisdom is something which must be laboured for; it is not to be sought merely for amusement, but the search is to be the very business of man’s life. (H. Goodwin, M,A.)
The endeavour to obtain true wisdom
The wise man is now come to the top of the ladder which doth bring us to true wisdom. The lowest step was a docile heart (Proverbs 2:1). The next, human instruction (Proverbs 2:2). The next above that, prayer to God (Proverbs 2:3). The last, study and painful endeavour through God’s blessing to obtain it (Proverbs 2:4). We must not lie in a ditch and cry, “God, help!” We must not so trust to our prayers that we give over our endeavours.
I. Heavenly wisdom is of great price.
II. Heavenly wisdom is far remote and hidden from us. It is beyond our invention and beyond our apprehension.
III. We must search for the means of obtaining heavenly wisdom.
IV. We must use the means when we find them. (Francis Taylor.)
The true wisdom
I. The nature of true wisdom. It is different from what the world calls wisdom. Its nature is different; its object and end are different. It is such a knowledge as is connected with the fear of God and obedience to His will. Worldly wisdom may be of use in directing us in those things which concern the present life, but spiritual wisdom will direct us in those things which concern the life to come.
II. The means which are to be used for obtaining wisdom.
III. If the means are used, success will certainly follow. Worldly wisdom is too often connected with pride; spiritual wisdom is always accompanied by humility.
IV. The source to which we must ever ascribe that success. God and God alone is the author of it. The teaching of this passage may be summed up thus--
1. There is a wisdom which man does not naturally possess, yet without which no man can be happy.
2. This wisdom consists not in the depths of science and learning, but in the fear of the Lord.
3. This wisdom is the gift of God.
4. It may be obtained by every one who desires it and diligently seeks for it in the way which God has appointed. (J. S. Pratt, B. C. L.)
Rules for the attainment of wisdom
I. There must be an active, practical habit of attention. Earthly wisdom is gained by study; heavenly wisdom by prayer. Prayer puts the heart under a heavenly tutorage.
II. Prayer must not stand in the stead of diligence. Let it rather give energy to it. The miner’s indefatigable pains, his invincible resolution, his untiring perseverance. The rule of success is: Dig up and down the field, and if the search be discouraging, dig again. The patient industry of perusal and reperusal will open the embosomed treasure. The habit of living in the element of Scripture is invaluable. Yet this profit can only be fully reaped in retirement. To search the Scriptures we must be alone with God. This enriching study gives a purer vein of sound judgment. All fundamental errors and heresies in the Church may be traced to partial and disjointed statements of truth. Truth separated from truth becomes error. But the mind prayerfully occupied in search of Divine truth--“crying and lifting up the voice”--will never fail to discern the two great principles of godliness, the “fear and knowledge of God.” There is no peradventure nor disappointment in this search. Never has apostasy from the faith been connected with a prayerful and diligent study of the Word of God. (C. Bridges.)
The inquiry after Divine truth
I. It must be candid--sincere. It is said of “fools” that they “despise wisdom and instruction.” But the children of Wisdom “receive” her words. They give them what they are entitled to, a serious and deliberate attention. They listen, they remember, they meditate, they examine, they accept, they lay up for use. If you feel the value of your privilege in having the Word of God in your possession, you will attend to the instructions and counsels, the admonitions, the encouragements, the commands which in the Bible are set before you. There are some who refuse to hear at all. This is unreasonable, uncandid, unmanly, and most infatuated. There are some who only seem to hear; the spirit of assentation has in it no sincerity, no heart. When there is sincerity of heart you will “hide with you” the Divine counsels and commands; hide the contents of the Word in the memory, in the understanding, in the conscience, in the heart.
II. It must be earnest. An inquiry determined on gratification, and that spares no pains on its attainment. Divine Wisdom is in earnest in imparting her instructions, and the pupil should be in earnest in seeking her instructions. He who is sensible of his inability to guide himself in the perplexing paths of life will be all solicitude for a conductor, Divine guide who may bring him into the right way and keep him in it.
III. With earnestness must re united importunate perseverance. This is implied in the variety of expressions used in succession to each other. Men discover the value they set on the treasures of this world by their unrelaxing diligence in seeking them. They do not give up the search immediately because they do not immediately succeed. Divine knowledge is fitly compared to treasure. The comparison is natural and common. But how few even of the people of God who profess to have learned the value of this wisdom and knowledge by a happy experience discover the longing, the vehement and persevering research, for the attainment of a larger and larger amount of it which might be expected of them I There is no way in which the Word can “be” in us richly without an eager seeking after it, or “dwell” in us richly without a careful and jealous keeping of it. There are powerful spiritual inducements presented. “Then thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord,” etc. By these terms true religion is expressed. Knowledge of God is the first lesson of heavenly wisdom. On the right apprehension of this lesson all the rest necessarily depends--
“You cannot be right in the rest
Unless you think rightly of Him.”
Wrong views of God will vitiate every other department of your knowledge. The “fear of the Lord,” founded in the knowledge of Him, is something to the right understanding of which experience is indispensable.
IV. The source from which true wisdom is to be obtained. “The Lord giveth wisdom.” In two ways--by His Word and by His Spirit. These two are really one, for God neither gives wisdom by His Word without His Spirit nor by His Spirit without His Word. The word rendered “sound wisdom” is one of general import, signifying anything real, solid, substantial. God has stores of wisdom laid up for present use; He will ever give larger and clearer manifestations of Himself, of His truths, of His ways, and of His will out of His inexhaustible stores, and there is also a treasure of invaluable wisdom and knowledge in reserve for His people in a future and better world. Another promise is safety. “A buckler to them that walk uprightly.” Jehovah is security amidst all the assaults of the enemies of the upright, and especially amidst “the fiery darts of the wicked one,” which, when the shield of Jehovah’s power is interposed, cannot touch him, but fall, quenched and pointless, to the ground. (R. Wardlaw, D.D.)
The promises of Wisdom
Man must listen to Wisdom if he would be wise; his attitude must be one of attention; he must turn his ear towards the heavens and listen for every whisper that may proceed from the skies, and whilst his ear is listening his heart must be applied with unbroken attention to understanding. Everything depends upon our spirit as to the results of our study in the school of Wisdom. The “crying after knowledge and lifting up the voice for understanding” are equivalent to an exercise in prayer. There must also be activity or energy of the intensest quality. Seeking as for silver is an allusion to mining. The remains of copper mines have been discovered in the peninsula of Sinai and the remains of gold mines in one part of the desert of Egypt. Wisdom does not lie on the surface. It is to be dug for. Searching as for hid treasure reminds of the insecurity of property in the East and its frequent burial. God has purposely hidden both wisdom and understanding in order that the energy of man might be developed in searching for them. Wisdom is hidden in ancient books; in the experience of the whole world; in all difficult places; and is to be sought for with perseverance and zeal; the very act of searching being accompanied by a blessing. The Lord alone can give wisdom. He is the one fountain of wisdom. Elsewhere are partial revelations, broken experiences, hints of meaning, temporary satisfactions, but until we have discovered the Lord, and set Him always before us, we shall be working without a centre. True religion comes before true philosophy. Righteousness of character is necessary to the enjoyment of the treasures of sound wisdom. By “sound wisdom” we are to understand furtherance or advancement. God is evermore on the side of those who are righteous or upright or holy. Wisdom enters into the heart, and thus keeps the whole life pure. Knowledge is not merely an acquisition, it becomes a real pleasure to the soul, and not until it has become such a pleasure are we really in possession of it. Discretion and understanding are represented as the keepers of the soul--its protectors and guides--saving the soul from the way of the evil man, and protecting it from the man who delights in froward things, literally, in the misrepresentation and distortion of the truth. (J. Parker, D.D.)
Spiritual excellence
I. Spiritual excellence described. It is “the fear of the Lord” and the “knowledge of God.” Godliness has to do with both the intellect and the heart. It is knowledge and fear. In true spiritual excellence there is a blending of reverent love and theologic light--such a blending that both become one; the love is light and the light is love. This is not the means to heaven, it is heaven--in all times, circumstances, and worlds
II. Spiritual Excellence attained.
1. By the reception of Divine truth. The receptive faculty must be employed.
2. By the retention of Divine truth. What we receive from the Divine mind we must hold fast.
3. By the search after Divine truth. The ear must be turned away from the sounds of earthly pleasure, the din of worldliness, and the voices of human speculation, and must listen attentively to communications from the spiritual and eternal.
4. The search must be earnest and persevering. By so much as spiritual excellence is more valuable than all worldly treasures should be our ardent, unwearied diligence in quest of it. (D. Thomas, D.D.)