Last time we looked at the seductive allure of evil and its snare that leads to death. The fact that evil is so alluring to all people causes Solomon to use it as a further reason to make haste in pursuing wisdom, which is the antidote to the allure of evil. God, in His grace, gives His people the gift of His perfect wisdom, although it is through the study and use of His Word that this gift is developed. The Holy Spirit works with our spirit in the Word, which He uses to make us wise as we diligently seek His kingdom and His righteousness above all (pursuing singular, undiluted loyalty to Him). Commentator Matthew Henry, seeing our need to pursue wisdom, said of our passage, which is Proverbs 8:1-11, “The chief difficulty is to get men to attend to instruction. Yet attention to the words of Christ, will guide the most ignorant into saving knowledge of the truth. Where there is an understanding heart, and willingness to receive the truth in love, wisdom is valued above silver and gold.” It ought to be no wonder to us that Solomon spent so much of his ink trying to persuade men and youth alike to pursue the wisdom of God.
Our passage will be broken into two parts, showing (1) from where wisdom calls to the simple, and (2) the characteristics of wisdom and its great value. Verses 1-5 says, “1 Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? 2 On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; 3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: 4 To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. 5 O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense.” The sense that we can get out of this passage is that the call to godly wisdom is not hidden. It is not cloaked in a cloud of esoterism or secrecy, but is freely and openly offered by God to all who will pursue Him. Wisdom calls on the heights near passersby, and at the busy crossroads; at the main gates to the towns, and the other entrances to the town as well. The sense is that it is nigh impossible that anyone miss the call to wisdom. The call of wisdom is to men and youth, the simple and the fools. It is to all people. All are thus without excuse, and must respond to the call in one way or another. In fact, all do respond: some pretend to follow the way of wisdom, but do not pursue it as something eminently valuable. Others try to ignore it, remaining in willful ignorance. Still others scoff and mock wisdom, choosing instead to fulfill their own evil desires. Yet, there are those who do listen, and who do pursue it as something most valuable.
The next few verses characterize wisdom, showing us its qualities. Our passage continues,
6 Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, 7 for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. 9 They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. 10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, 11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
Notice the characteristics of this wisdom. God’s wisdom is noble, right, truth, hates evil, and is righteous and perfectly straight. Compare this with what Psalm 19:7-11 teaches about the law of God:
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
It is no accident that there is so much crossover between the Law (teaching) of God and His wisdom. God is the source of both, and the purpose of God’s Law is to impart wisdom for righteous living, as Psalm 19:7 says, to make “wise the simple.” Both are grounded in the fear of the Lord, showing that allegiance to God is the core aspect. This wisdom can never be applied in a way that either ignores the teaching of God (Scripture), or ignores God as the source of all wisdom. A secularist or Buddhist cannot take from this wisdom and apply it to their own systems, since the wisdom of God is diametrically opposed to the worldly wisdom that underpins them. Rather, this wisdom is only accessible to those who earnestly pursue God’s heart and ways, which are reflected in the Law of God (the Bible).
Let’s look at the list of qualities for wisdom again: God’s wisdom is noble, right, truth, hates evil, and is righteous and perfectly straight. (1) The term for “noble” can also be translated as “excellent” or “princely,” depicting that which is of the highest order and value, being elevated over what is common. There is also a sense in which its quality befits the one who gives it, either of the wisest king or God Himself. (2) The word for “right” depicts straightness or evenness. Like a wall aligned perfectly with the plumb-line, is the wisdom of God perfectly right and good at all times. (3) The mouth of wisdom uttering “truth” depicts the truth of God as that which has true sureness and reliability, whereby one can truly know God. For the purpose of learning truth is to know God (truth refers to the body of writing called the Scriptures, and all truth points to God). It is also because of this fact that wickedness is abominable to all who pursue wisdom. Only one or the other can be pursued. The two are opposites, opposing one another. (4) The words of wisdom are “righteous” in that they convey what is perfectly just, and all that is right and good, being grounded in the nature of God Himself. (5) God’s wisdom is also perfectly straight, in that there is not even a slight mixture of evil or perverseness with it (no crookedness whatsoever). (Another way to teach this would be to say that God’s wisdom is pure).
Notice also that it takes understanding before one can see the utter straightness of God’s wisdom (verse 9). Many simple and who have perverse minds distort the wisdom of God to be something evil or undesirable. However, to those who come to possess wisdom, the true nature of wisdom becomes apparent. Its value to them becomes clear, leading them to pursue wisdom as something of the greatest value. Therefore, since those who have come to possess this wisdom see such great value in it, so we, even if we are as babies in this wisdom, are commanded to “take” (“take hold of”) instruction and knowledge as greater than the purest gold or silver. Instruction and knowledge are used as synonyms for wisdom, which “is better than jewels.” All that can ever be desired pales in comparison to the pursuit of the wisdom of God. Why, then, would we ever want to pursue something else, if to pursue wisdom is to pursue that which is greatest of all: God Himself? Can any excuse ever stand to be leveled against the pursuit of wisdom? To neglect wisdom is to neglect that which is good of itself, in favour of flirting with our own peril. Even greater, to neglect wisdom is to neglect all that God has designed for the good of His people, in favour of a pursuit of our own despair and death. How can the pursuit of wisdom be any more wise? God Himself is its source and its object.
Next time we will be looking at Proverbs 8:12-16.