The Benefits of Divine Wisdom

Introduction|

Attention:

I want to ask you a simple question: what is wisdom (take answers)? One person defines wisdom as the ability to view things from God’s perspective and respond biblically. If wisdom is the ability to see things from God’s perspective and respond biblically, how does wisdom benefit us in life? While the benefits of wisdom are numerous, I want to show you from how wisdom provides spiritual health and strength through salvation.  

Background:

Solomon is encouraging his son to pursue wisdom by pursuing the Lord. One of the critical aspects of seeking knowledge and understanding is learning to trust God.  

Need Element:

Due to our sinful nature, we all need spiritual transformation through salvation. However, even after salvation, we struggle with our flesh. Self-reliance leaves us broken, discouraged, and weak. However, when we do things God’s way, we can find rejuvenation and strength as the Spirit works through the Scriptures to transform us into the image of the Savior. Paul says: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (, KJV).  

Textual Idea:

Solomon encouraged his Son not to experience the benefits of divine wisdom (health and strength) by not relying upon his own wisdom but fearing and following the Lord.  

Big Idea: 

God invites us to experience health and strength through His divine wisdom. 

od invites us to experience health and strength through His divine wisdom. 

Interrogative:

How can we experience health and strength?

Outline|

I. When we learn to not rely upon our wisdom, we will experience health and strength (vv. 7-8)

1When we learn to not rely upon our wisdom, we will experience health and strength (vv. 7-8)

Explanation:

As Solomon continues his instruction to his son, he provides him with four main actions: 1) Trust the Lord (vv. 5-6); 2) Fear the Lord (vv. 7-8); 3) Honor the Lord (vv. 9-10); and 4) Listen to the Lord (vv. 11-12). I want you to notice Solomon’s instruction: “be not wise in thine own eyes” (vv. 8a). In the original text, this phrase suggests an act of the will—volition. The word wise carries the idea of being cunning or skilled in knowledge and discernment. Due to our human nature, we often rely upon our own wisdom. You could say it this way: “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom” (, NLT). This warning “is to avoid thinking that you are wise and therefore forgetting that the Lord is the source of wisdom.”

In , Solomon says: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (KJV).

reads: “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.” (ESV).

As a believer, we are being discouraged from following our human understanding and encouraged to pursue the wisdom that only God provides to his followers. God exhorts us, as His people, to forsake self-reliance and to entirely rely upon the strength of Christ (Philippines 4:13). As one person observes, this verse “prohibits being a know-it-all individualist who does it his own way.” We must “remember that [we] did not become wise by [ourselves because] wisdom comes from God.”

reads: “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes There is more hope for a fool than for him” (ESV).

As one person observes, this verse “prohibits being a know-it-all individualist who does it his own way.” We must “remember that [we] did not become wise by [ourselves because] wisdom comes from God.” reads: “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes/ There is more hope for a fool than for him” (ESV). One writer says that an attitude of “self-assurance will destroy you and everyone you love.” God denounces this spirit: “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (, KJV). We can experience health and strength of eternal life by learning not to rely upon our own wisdom.

One writer says that an attitude of “self-assurance will destroy you and everyone you love.”

God denounces this spirit: “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (, KJV).

We can experience health and strength of eternal life by learning not to rely upon our own wisdom.

Illustration:

In the Old Testament, we have a perfect example of what happens when we rely upon our own wisdom instead of God’s wisdom. In 1 Kings, we find the historical account of King Jeroboam. After Jeroboam became the King of the ten tribes, he feared that the lure of Jerusalem, the temple, and the established religion might undermine his own authority. So, Jeroboam made a radical decision. He would start his own religion. After telling his people that the annual pilgrimages were "too much," he made two golden calves. He changed the religious calendar and consecrated priests from the lower classes of society. He created a man-made religion with man-made gods, man-made sanctuaries, man-made priests, and man-made feasts. God immediately sent a prophet to denounce the new religion, but Jeroboam ignored the prophet. "And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth" ().

Argumentation:

Why shouldn’t we rely upon our own wisdom? 

Even after salvation, we dwell in a sin-cursed flesh, which means that our human wisdom is also sin-cursed. When we are going through tough times, we are faced with a choice to trust divine wisdom or to trust human understanding. Therefore, we have to combat the tendency to rely on human intelligence. And, we must lean upon the knowledge of God as revealed in his Word.  

Application:

When you are faced with tough choices, you must suppress the tendency to rely upon human wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. When you are making tough decisions, I want to help you make godly decisions. If you are going to make godly decisions, you should do three things: 1) you should seek God’s face through prayer; 2) you should look for answers from God’s Word; and 3) you should seek counsel from godly men or women that God has placed in our life ().

II. When we learn to fear the Lord, we will experience health and strength (vv. 7-8)

Explanation:

Next, we notice that Solomon urges his son to fear the Lord. The word fear suggests an attitude of reverence/respect that produces a position of awe. As we consider this principle, it is import for us to develop a sense of awe for God’s otherness and holiness. The phrase fear the Lord is used 35 times in the Old Testament.

In , we find the first usage of this key Old Testament concept. After the seventh plague upon Egypt, Pharoah summons and begs Moses and Aaron to ask the Lord to cease from his rage and judgment upon the Egyptians for their rebellion and disobedience. Moses responds: “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God” (, ESV). In the process of Interpretation, we often utilize the rule of first-usage. Pharaoh and his servants had not developed a proper view/attitude towards the Lord as he manifested his holiness, sovereignty, power, and uniqueness over the gods of the Egyptians.

In the Book of Deuteronomy, the phrase The fear of the Lord is closely connected with our understanding of God’s otherness and holiness. Listen to a couple of passages from Deuteronomy.

In the Book of Deuteronomy, the phrase The fear of the Lord is closely connected with our understanding of God’s otherness and holiness. Listen to a couple of passages from Deuteronomy. reads: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord” (ESV). In the Book of Deuteronomy, this attitude of reverence produces an act of obedience and worship. In relation to an action of obedience, reads: “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, possessing it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long” (ESV). Concerning the concept of worship, reads: “You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven” (ESV). In the church today, we have developed a misunderstanding of who God is! We have made God like us! We need to remember that God is holy, which means that sin cannot be in His presence! We need to develop a proper view of God that motives us to a life of obedience and worship because of the otherness and holiness of God! When we develop an appropriate view of God, it will provide health and strength to our lives and church!

reads: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord” (ESV).

In the Book of Deuteronomy, this attitude of reverence produces an act of obedience and worship.

In relation to an action of obedience, reads: “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, possessing it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long” (ESV).

Concerning the concept of worship, reads: “You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven” (ESV).

In the church today, we have developed a misunderstanding of who God is! We have made God like us! We need to remember that God is holy, which means that sin cannot be in His presence! We need to develop a proper view of God that motives us to a life of obedience and worship because of the otherness and holiness of God! When we develop an appropriate view of God, it will provide health and strength to our lives and church!

Illustration:

In The Chronicles of Narnia, an allegory by C.S. Lewis, the author has two girls, Susan and Lucy, getting ready to meet Aslan the lion, who represents Christ. Two talking animals, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, prepare the children for the encounter. “Ooh,” said Susan, “I thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” “That you will, dearie.” said Mrs. Beaver. “And make no mistake, if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knee’s knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.” “Then isn’t he safe?” said Lucy. “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Of course, he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the king, I tell you!”

Argumentation:

Why should we develop a holy fear of God?

we should develop a fear of God because of his otherness (he is completely different from us)we should develop a fear of God because of his holiness (He is perfect and without flaw)

Application:

I want to encourage you to begin to develop a proper view of God. When you start to consider the holiness of God, you will begin to develop an attitude of reverence that produces both obedience and worship. I would encourage you to study the phrase the fear of the Lord. It helps us to see and understand the magnitude of God’s justness, holiness, otherness, justice, etc. If you want to develop biblical wisdom, you must learn to fear the Lord ().

III. When we learn to forsake wickedness, we will experience health and strength (vv. 7-8)

Explanation:

Finally, Solomon encourages His son to “depart from evil.” The word depart means to leave, forsake, or abandoned something/someone. Many translations translate this phrase as “turn away from evil” (CSB, ESV, NASB, NLT, and NET Bible). However, the NIV says: “shun evil” (). In the context of , the believer is encouraged to forsake, abandoned, or leave evil behind. It is almost the idea of refusing to practice evil actions or attitude. The term evil is used to deceive morally bad or wrong in the eyes of God and man. This command (depart from evil) is closely connected to the previous command to fear the Lord. When you get a proper understanding of God, you will seek to please and honor him with every aspect of your life (your attitudes and actions). An Appropriate knowledge of God will motive us to live for Him. When we seek to separate ourselves from evil actions and attitudes, we will discover spiritual, emotional, and even physical health and strength ()  

Illustration:

Job is an excellent example of a man who feared God and departed from evil. says: “there was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (ESV).  

Argumentation:

Why should we depart from evil?

We should limit our wrong attitudes and actions because we do not want to be bad ambassadors for Christ and hurt the cause of Christ.

reads: “The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul” (KJV).

We are God’s representatives to a lost and dying world. Therefore, we need to seek to live our lives in a way that glorifies and honors Christ.   

Application:

I want to encourage you to examine your heart, mind, and soul to see if you have any wrong actions or attitude. You can do this by listening to sermons, reading the Word, and spending time in prayer. Once you have examined your heart with God’s word through prayer, I want you to ask God to help you depart from evil. This action will take determination and dedication to the Word, Way, and Will of God!

Conclusion/Application|

Visualization:

As I have already mentioned, Job is the perfect example of a man who did not rely upon his own wisdom but made a conscious effort to fear God and hate evil. While Job experienced an unimaginable amount of pain and suffering, he maintained a holy fear and a righteous attitude and action amid extreme adversity.  

Action:

God summons us to do three things in this passage: 1) God urges us to reject our human desire to rely upon our human understanding and wisdom; 2) God calls us to develop an attitude of reverence that produces an action of obedience and worship; and 3) God urges us to forsake evil and follow Him!  

Appeal:

As we consider God’s invitation, how is God speaking to your heart? What area of your life has God singled out and pointed out? Maybe, you are relying upon your human wisdom instead of God’s wisdom. God says: “trust me!” Maybe, you are struggling with the proper view of God. God says: “when you seek me, you will find me” (). Maybe, you are struggling with sin. God says: “repent, and I will pour out my spirit upon you” (). Would you respond to Him tonight!