Wisdom From God

What is wisdom?

We are going through the Bible and we have come to the Wise King Solomon, who was given the opportunity to ask God for anything, and Solomon asked God for wisdom.

Solomon writes

Proverbs 2:6 ESV

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Prverbs 2:6

True wisdom comes from God. It was God who made Solomon the wisest man who had ever lived, and people came from all over to listen to his wisdom.

We are going to look at three books that all contain some aspect of Wisdom in them, that Solomon wrote.

The Book of Proverbs

Solomon wrote most of the Book of Proverbs, which offers practical advice for living wisely.

God made Solomon the wisest man who had ever lived, and people came from all over to listen to his wisdom.

Proverbs 1:1–7 ESV

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Solomon wrote Proverbs to show how to live wisely in every area of life, and he personifies wisdom as a lady calling out to all who will listen.

What is the Beginning of wisdom?

“The fear of the Lord.” It is the understanding of Who God is, and in returning it is living your life based on this.

its goal is to describe and instill “wisdom” in God’s people, a wisdom that is founded in the “fear of the Lord” and that works out covenant life in the practical details of everyday situations and relationships.

Solomon states the theme right off “its goal is to describe and instill “wisdom” in God’s people, a wisdom that is founded in the “fear of the Lord” and that works out covenant life in the practical details of everyday situations and relationships.”

Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1130). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Those who truly are is awe of God live their lives in such a way, and the same goes for those who don’t. It is seen in every area of your life.

The way you talk

Your relationships

What you truly consider valuable

Some question to ask yourself are:

Do I pray?

Do I read my Bible?

Do I love God more than anything else?

Wisdom will ultimate point us to live like Christ. To honor God in all that we do.

Often we are faced with worldly wisdom, which states, “get all you can in this life! All the money, all the power, all the things that will make you happy here and now.”

The Bible says,

Mark 8:36 ESV

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

Mat 8:36

What wisdom is in that? Living for the moment but forfeiting eternity.

What we see from Solomon’s life is that, Solomon ruled Israel with great wisdom, but he still turned away from God and pursued His own desires.

Solomon ruled Israel with great wisdom, but he still turned away from God and pursued His own desires.

The Book of Eccesiastes

He wrote most of the Book of Proverbs, which offers practical advice for living wisely. Solomon ruled Israel with great wisdom, but he still turned away from God and pursued His own desires.

The Book of Ecclesiastes teaches us to think carefully about how we should live our lives.

Solomon was searching for something to give meaning to his life. He had all the gold, all the power, had all of the women- yet He was lacking what he needed most in life.

Ecclesiastes 1:1–4 ESV

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.

This has very similar language compared to “Gain the whole world, yet loses His soul.”

Solomon goes on to say,

Ecclesiastes 1:14 ESV

I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

Ecc 2

In the end Solomon discovered that following God was—and is—the only way to find real happiness. Everything else was vanity.

What does vanity mean?

It means it is all empty- just a mere breathe, that quickly fades. At the end of our lives will we be like Solomon and look back and say everything that I chased after was simply worthless and in the end fades away.

Can I just make this one statement- Most High-school and Middle-school relationships are just this very thing- vanity. They fade, and often these pursuits leaves you broken and hurt. Yet the counter is to seek God

Matthew 6:33 ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Wisdom is knowing our greatest need!

Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Vanity

A Chinese legend tells of a group of cultured elderly gentlemen who met often to exchange wisdom and drink tea. Each host tried to find the finest and most costly varieties of tea so as to create exotic blends that would arouse the admiration of his guests.

When the most venerable and respected of the group entertained, he served his tea with unprecedented ceremony, measuring the leaves from a golden box. The assembled epicures praised this exquisite tea. The host smiled and said, “The tea you have found so delightful is the same tea our peasants drink. I hope that it will be a reminder to us all that the good things in life are not necessarily the rarest or the most costly.”

300 Sermon Illustrations from Charles Spurgeon Christian Language Does Not Make a Christian (John 8:32; 17:3; 2 Timothy 1:12; 1 John 5:20)

If a parrot could call you “father” it would not, for all that, have become a child of yours; and a foreigner may learn the language of an Englishman but never be an Englishman, but remain a foreigner still. So, too, you may take up the language of a Christian but may never have within you the Spirit of God, and therefore be none of his. You must know him.

“Know thyself,” said the heathen philosopher. That is well, but that knowledge may only lead a man to hell. “Know Christ,” says the Christian philosopher. “Know him, and then you shall know yourself.” This shall certainly lead you to heaven, for the knowledge of Christ Jesus is saving knowledge.

Solomon could not bring His life meaning even by adding to it all the pleasures of this world. The things that worldly wisdom tells us we need to live a life that matters. Yet the Bible makes it clear that the this that matter most are eternal and begin with knowing God and living for His glory.

The book of the Song of Solomon

Finally, King Solomon wrote Song of Songs, which reveals God’s wisdom for relationships— specifically, between a husband and a wife.

This book is a little risque… Yet in the New Testament the Book of Ephesians says that Jesus loves the church as a husband loves his wife.

Ephesians 5:22–28 ESV

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

Eph 5:

Wisdom in relationships is twofold-

the Book of Ephesians says that Jesus loves the church as a husband loves his wife.

It will keep you from harm

Your heart being broken

You doing things that you should

Paints a beautiful picture of the Gospel

Husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church- He laid His life down for Her-

What a picture of Chivalry- Sacrificing ones own life for those that they love.

All of these books are the inspired words of God. They given to help guide us on how live a life of wisdom, and the wisdom offered is not merely suggestions for living; it is part of God’s plan for our sanctification- which is the process that God uses to make us look less like the world around us, and more like Christ.

Wisdom in the Bible shows us how to be like Jesus—in how we live, how we speak, and how we think. But wisdom cannot save us. Only Jesus, who perfectly followed God’s wise plan, can rescue us from sin.

The wisdom offered is not merely suggestions for living; it is part of God’s plan for our sanctification. Wisdom in the Bible shows us how to be like Jesus—in how we live, how we speak, and how we think. But wisdom cannot save us. Only Jesus, who perfectly followed God’s wise plan, can rescue us from sin.

2 Corinthians 1:12 ESV

For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.

We who know God are called to live not by earthly wisdom, but by the wisdom that God gives us by His grace- Wisdom from God is acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life and then in response to this great truth living a life that glorifies Him.

300 Sermon Illustrations from Charles Spurgeon Christian Language Does Not Make a Christian (John 8:32; 17:3; 2 Timothy 1:12; 1 John 5:20)

If a parrot could call you “father” it would not, for all that, have become a child of yours; and a foreigner may learn the language of an Englishman but never be an Englishman, but remain a foreigner still. So, too, you may take up the language of a Christian but may never have within you the Spirit of God, and therefore be none of his. You must know him.

“Know thyself,” said the heathen philosopher. That is well, but that knowledge may only lead a man to hell. “Know Christ,” says the Christian philosopher. “Know him, and then you shall know yourself.” This shall certainly lead you to heaven, for the knowledge of Christ Jesus is saving knowledge.

Wisdom is knowing Christ and in turn knowing who we truly are. We are all like Solomon- we chase the desires of our passions, which leads us to unGodly

ungodly- relationships

ungodly- actions

ungodly- talk

ungodly-lives

Wisdom is acknowledging that without God’s great grace we are lost

Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Grace

The believer who seeks to live the Christian life through self-effort is like the man who, in attempting to sail across the Atlantic Ocean, found his boat becalmed for days. Finally, frustrated by his lack of progress, he tried to make his stalled boat move by pushing against the mast. Through strenuous efforts, he succeeded in making the boat rock and so created a few small waves on the otherwise smooth sea. Seeing the waves and feeling the rocking of the boat, he assumed that he was making progress and so continued his efforts. Of course, although he exerted himself a great deal, he actually got nowhere.

So it is in the Christian life. The source of the Christian’s strength lies in God’s grace, not in exertions of will-power, or in efforts of discipline, or any other self-effort.

Solomon tried this and in the end all he could say about his efforts is that they were all “vanity”- empty, in the end worthless.

But God by His great grace has redeemed us and has called us to pursue Godly wisdom which leads to eternal life, and when we live this way God promises He will provide, protect, and guide us.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6