Wisdom and Integrity

Introduction

Object Lesson:

Motivation

Explanation

Summary of 3 Points

The Importance of Integrity

Illustration: We often think of “peer pressure” as this thing we need to warn teenagers about when they’re going into High School. Don’t smoke just because other people are doing it, stuff like that. The thing is though, peer pressure doesn’t go away when you become an adult, it just changes. If you’ve ever gone over the speed limit becaues you didn’t want the driver behind you to be upset with you, that’s peer pressure. If you’ve ever changed your vote in a meeting because it was clear everyone else disagreed with you, that’s peer pressure.

The trouble with peer pressure is that it invites us to compromise our integrity. In other words, the social pressure of other people tempts us to act out of line with what we believe and who we truly are. Integrity is when your words and your life match what you know to be true. I think many of us would admit that we give in to this impulse more than we’d like. There’s a lot of pressure in our culture to conform to this or that world view and to believe this or that thing and often these things tempt us to compromise what is true and what is right.

In a very real sense that’s what Job’s friends were doing to him in the book of Job. They believe that they are in the right, but because we know what’s really going on behind the scenes from the first two chapters of Job, we know that they actually have misunderstood the situation entirely. They believe that Job is being justly punished for major sins by God, so they are pressuring him to repent and seek God so that his wealth will be restored. This is what he has to say about that:

Job 27:3–6 CSB

as long as my breath is still in me and the breath from God remains in my nostrils, my lips will not speak unjustly, and my tongue will not utter deceit. I will never affirm that you are right. I will maintain my integrity until I die. I will cling to my righteousness and never let it go. My conscience will not accuse me as long as I live!

Now you may be tempted to think “what’s the big deal? What’s the harm of just repenting like his friends say, playing along so they’ll leave him alone. or something along those lines. The trouble is that Job would know that this is a lie. Job knows that their accusations aren’t true. He knows that he hasn’t committed the sins they’ve listed against him. This doesn’t mean he is without sin, but won’t confess to sins he didn’t commit. In case you wonder why I can say this so confidently consider what God says later in this book in Job 42:7

Job 42:7 CSB

After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.

So God vindicates what Job has said. We don’t want to stretch this to say that everything Job says is correct, but paired with God’s endorsment of Job’s righteousness in Job 1:8

Job 1:8 CSB

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and turns away from evil.”

So we can be confident that Job is right, and to agree with his friends would be to speak a lie. I think we are often tempted to make light of lies. Not the big serious lies, we all agree that they’re wrong, but some people talk about things called “white lies,” little lies that we say don’t hurt anyone. God has some pretty strong words to say about lying, perhaps the strongest being in Proverbs 12:22

Proverbs 12:22 CSB

Lying lips are detestable to the Lord, but faithful people are his delight.

Detestable is a pretty strong word, wouldn’t you say? This verse doesn’t give us a clause that makes an exception for lies to spare feelings, or lies to get along with other people. It condemns all lies. So Job is in the right not to compromise and agree with his friends, because he knows that even if it were just to get along and end the debate it wouldn’t be right.

The New Testament calls us, like Job, to stand up for our integrity and speak the truth. Ephesians 4:25 says

Ephesians 4:25 CSB

Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

Sometimes it’s hard to always speak the truth. I won’t lie to you now and claim I do this perfectly, but I believe that we should all strive to make all the words we speak be true. This doesn’t mean that we need to be harsh or mean towards people in the name of truth. I think wisdom says that we should stop and think hard about what we say before we say it so that we can maintain both kindness and truth. In the words of James 1:19-20

James 1:19–20 CSB

My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.

and to that I would add Ephesians 4:15

Ephesians 4:15 CSB

But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.

So we like Job should do what is right, Job whom God says fears God and turns away from evil in the verse I quoted earlier. This is the Hebrew Bible’s summary of wisdom, to which the discussion turns in chapter 28.

The Value of Wisdom

Illustration: I’m a big fan of the classic Beatles song “Can’t Buy Me Love.” I’ll resist the temptation to sing it a capella right now. The premise of the song is simple but powerful. There’s a lot of neat things that money can buy you, but it can’t buy you the most important things. The chiefest of these being love.

Of course love isn’t the only thing that you can’t buy with money. It’s an obvious one, love that is bought is not really love so it’s impossible to buy. And as much as money can buy you fun toys, it can’t truly buy you lasting happiness. Ask anyone who’s ever gotten rich ever. They all seem to agree that the money didn’t make them happy. Money also crucially can’t buy you salvation. It’s a free gift from God. Just ask Simon the Magician. That’s a treat for the Bible nerds here this morning.

There’s one more very important thing on the list of things you can’t buy, which I will leave to Job to explain.

Job 28:16–19 CSB

Wisdom cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or lapis lazuli. Gold and glass do not compare with it, and articles of fine gold cannot be exchanged for it. Coral and quartz are not worth mentioning. The price of wisdom is beyond pearls. Topaz from Cush cannot compare with it, it cannot be valued in pure gold.

A beautiful poetic way of describing how gold cannot be bought for any price. Now knowledge, you can sort of buy. You can buy books, you can pay for classes. But wisdom and knowledge are two different things. Intelligence can be learned through study. Wisdom on the other hand is different, and we will see how it is gained in the next point, but the key thing is that gold can’t buy it.

On the practical side it can’t be purchased just because of it’s nature. Wisdom is not something that can be obtained with money. Yet even if it was, it would be impossible to put a price on it. As Job says it’s more valuable than any other thing on earth, even more than the finest precious metals and gems. If I had a storehouse full of wisdom I wouldn’t part with it for any price.

This is why Solomon, the King of Israel and son of David, chose Wisdom when God told Him He could ask for literally anything. 1 Kings 3:5-12

1 Kings 3:5–12 CSB

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask. What should I give you?” And Solomon replied, “You have shown great and faithful love to your servant, my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, righteousness, and integrity. You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today. “Lord my God, you have now made your servant king in my father David’s place. Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership. Your servant is among your people you have chosen, a people too many to be numbered or counted. So give your servant a receptive heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?” Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had requested this. So God said to him, “Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to administer justice, I will therefore do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you before and never will be again.

It would be tempting, wouldn’t it, to ask for riches or long life if God asked you the same thing? I’m not so sure that if I was put in that position I would answer as well as Solomon did. Yet Solomon was right. That was the most valuable thing he could ask for, especially in the circumstances he was facing as a new king.

Proverbs also spends a long time praising the benefits of wisdom. For just a glimpse of that let’s read Proverbs 3:13-18

Proverbs 3:13–18 CSB

Happy is a man who finds wisdom and who acquires understanding, for she is more profitable than silver, and her revenue is better than gold. She is more precious than jewels; nothing you desire can equal her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left, riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant, and all her paths, peaceful. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who hold on to her are happy.

The obvious application to understanding the value of wisdom should be obvious, right? If wisdom is so valuable, we should all seek wisdom! We should do all that we can to find it. There’s just one obstacle. We need to know where to find wisdom. Which can be difficult, since as Job says in Job 28:20-21

Job 28:20–21 CSB

Where then does wisdom come from, and where is understanding located? It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the sky.

So let’s take a closer look at what this chapter says about how wisdom can be gained.

The Source of Wisdom

Illustration

Motivation

Explanation

Job 28:25–28 CSB

When God fixed the weight of the wind and distributed the water by measure, when he established a limit for the rain and a path for the lightning, he considered wisdom and evaluated it; he established it and examined it. He said to mankind, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.”

Application

Conclusion

Recap

Application

Sending