Wisdom – Part 2
The Source of Wisdom
Have you ever wondered how to obtain wisdom? What is the secret to getting it? What is the source? Job asked this question:
But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living. The deep says, “It is not in me”; And the sea says, “It is not with me.” It cannot be purchased for gold, nor can silver be weighed for its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. Neither gold nor crystal can equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or quartz. For the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold. “From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the air. Destruction and Death say, “We have heard a report about it with our ears.” God understands its way, and He knows its place. For He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heavens, to establish a weight for the wind, and apportion the waters by measure. When He made a law for the rain, and a path for the thunderbolt, then He saw wisdom and declared it; He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out. And to man He said, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.” Job 28:12-28 (NKJV)
According to this passage, only God understands the way to wisdom because He alone is the source of true wisdom. The wisdom of God is evident in the beauty, subtlety, richness, intricacy, variety and splendour of the created order and it is also evident in the person, powers and perfections of the God of creation.
True wisdom can only be attained by cultivating the fear of the Lord.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV)
To fear God is to nurture an attitude of awe and humility before Him and to walk in radical dependence upon God in each area of life. The fear of the Lord is similar to the mindset of a subject before a powerful king; it is to be under divine authority as one who will surely give an account.
The people of God’s covenant community respect Him. When He speaks, the people listen; when He commands, they obey; when He is disobeyed, He does not hesitate to correct by grace. Thus there is stability about His relationship with His worshippers that was never present in any of the pagan myths. Their gods were petty, unpredictable and untrustworthy. Yahweh, however, is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Fearing the Lord relates to trust, humility, teach-ability, servanthood, responsiveness, gratitude and reliance on God; it is the exact opposite of autonomy and arrogance.
King David cried out to God:
Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. Psalms 86:11 (NKJV)
David knew that he could not fear God if he had a divided heart. If his loyalties were divided between this world and the world to come, he would not be able to truly fear God. Wisdom relates to developing an eternal perspective on life, and it can only come from God – the fountain of all wisdom.
Wisdom relates to developing an eternal perspective on life.
If we want to walk with God’s wisdom, we need to learn to walk in the fear of the Lord, ready and willing to listen and obey; not in fear of punishment but as a son follows His Father. We need to develop a lifestyle of single-mindedness towards Him and a love so deep that our desire is always to follow Him. It’s a journey of love, trust and selflessness and the rewards are deep and everlasting.