Today
we begin a series in Proverbs written by King Solomon to whom God had granted
his request for understanding (I Kings 3:9-12, I Chronicles 1:10,11) and whose
wisdom exceeded all others (I Kings 4:29-31). The wisdom conveyed in Proverbs is divine wisdom which is broken
down into practical, workable principles which fit into the arena of our
everyday lives. Someone has said that
Proverbs is God’s problem solver. Let’s
begin by looking at the character of a wise man.
A wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel.
A
wise man will hear. In the
original text it is even stronger – will force himself to hear. You must listen before you can learn but be
careful what you listen to (Mark 4:23, 24; Luke 8:18; Heb. 2:1)!
A
wise man will increase in learning – he never assumes he has learned it
all. Two biblical scholars come to mind
as examples to us. Ezra, one of the
writers of the Psalms, was constantly seeking more light (Psalm 119:98-100) and
Paul recognized the fact that he still
had much to learn (Philippians 3:12-13, I Corinthians 3:18; 8:2).
The
Christian life is never static – you are either progressing or regressing. Charles Bridges writes, “Indeed the richest
stores waste without constant additions.”
(We don’t want to see the same old thing each time we go shopping, but
look for what is new and better!)
A
wise man will have the right kind of learning. A man approached a speaker and said, “You Christians are all
brainwashed” to which the speaker replied, “Yes, I think we are all brainwashed
to a degree. The important thing is
that we Christians choose what we want to wash our brains with!”
“So
then,” we ask, “where do we get this wisdom?” and we find the answer in
Proverbs 9:10.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom (the first step or
foundation of wisdom) and the knowledge
of the Holy One is understanding.
The fear of God (to be in awe of His holiness) is not just a first phase
we go through to arrive at a higher plateau of living, but a character
development that comes as a result of knowing and understanding who God is and
what He is like. The fear of God is the
heart and life’s blood of wisdom and true knowledge. It should control our outlook on life. It is the fabric from which wisdom is woven.
Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man
boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a
rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he
understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness,
justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares
the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23-24
A
man may have a Ph.D. – Doctor of Wisdom.
He can recognize and help the stupidity of others, but if he has no fear
of God, his Ph.D. stands for Phenomenally Dumb!
A
wise man will attain or acquire wise counsel. Counsel is defined as “giving direction or steering one along a
given course.” Part of coming to know
wisdom is facing challenges. We will
never develop wisdom if we never extend beyond our comfort zones. “A man begins cutting his wisdom teeth the
first time he bites of more than he can chew!”
We need to seek advice from wise men and our book of reference must be
God’s Word – the Bible!
So
we see a wise man is not necessarily someone who has acquired a great deal of
knowledge – that is a smart man. A wise
man is one who is continually making progress in the right kind of learning,
one who is continually learning and integrating the truth of God’s Word into
his life. If he is not, he is a
fool. Fools despise wisdom and instruction, Solomon warns us in Proverbs
1:7. And what about us today? Are you attaining wisdom? Am I?
Love
to you all,