Life Walk Lesson 119: The Wisdom of the Nobles
Proverbs 8:15-17
15 By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.
17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.”
James 1:5
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
1. Attributes of Wisdom
Proverbs 3:1-26 [AMPC]
1 “My son, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;
2 For length of days and years of a life [worth living] and tranquility [inward and outward and continuing through old age till death], these shall they add to you.
3 Let not mercy and kindness [shutting out all hatred and selfishness] and truth [shutting out all deliberate hypocrisy or falsehood] forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart.
4 So shall you find favor, good understanding, and high esteem in the sight [or judgment] of God and man.
5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil.
8 It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income;
10 So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine.
11 My son, do not despise or shrink from the chastening of the Lord [His correction by punishment or by subjection to suffering or trial]; neither be weary of or impatient about or loathe or abhor His reproof,
12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
13 Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding [drawing it forth from God’s Word and life’s experiences],
14 For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit of it better than fine gold.
15 Skillful and godly Wisdom is more precious than rubies; and nothing you can wish for is to be compared to her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are highways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold on her; and happy (blessed, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who holds her fast.
19 The Lord by skillful and godly Wisdom has founded the earth; by understanding He has established the heavens.
20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up, and the skies distill the dew.
21 My son, let them not escape from your sight, but keep sound and godly Wisdom and discretion,
22 And they will be life to your inner self, and a gracious ornament to your neck (your outer self).
23 Then you will walk in your way securely and in confident trust, and you shall not dash your foot or stumble.
24 When you lie down, you shall not be afraid; yes, you shall lie down, and your sleep shall be sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden terror and panic, nor of the stormy blast or the storm and ruin of the wicked when it comes [for you will be guiltless],
26 For the Lord shall be your confidence, firm and strong, and shall keep your foot from being caught [in a trap or some hidden danger].
27 Withhold not good from those to whom it is due [its rightful owners], when it is in the power of your hand to do it.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, Go, and come again; and tomorrow I will give it—when you have it with you.
29 Do not contrive or dig up or cultivate evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly and confidently beside you.
30 Contend not with a man for no reason—when he has done you no wrong.
31 Do not resentfully envy and be jealous of an unscrupulous, grasping man, and choose none of his ways.
32 For the perverse are an abomination [extremely disgusting and detestable] to the Lord; but His confidential communion and secret counsel are with the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him).
33 The curse of the Lord is in and on the house of the wicked, but He declares blessed (joyful and favored with blessings) the home of the just and consistently righteous.
34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, yet He gives His undeserved favor to the low [in rank], the humble, and the afflicted.
35 The wise shall inherit glory (all honor and good) but shame is the highest rank conferred on [self-confident] fools.”
Proverbs 8 [AMPC]
1 “Does not skillful and godly Wisdom cry out, and understanding raise her voice [in contrast to the loose woman]?
2 On the top of the heights beside the way, where the paths meet, stands Wisdom [skillful and godly];
3 At the gates at the entrance of the town, at the coming in at the doors, she cries out:
4 To you, O men, I call, and my voice is directed to the sons of men.
5 O you simple and thoughtless ones, understand prudence; you [self-confident] fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Hear, for I will speak excellent and princely things; and the opening of my lips shall be for right things.
7 For my mouth shall utter truth, and wrongdoing is detestable and loathsome to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous (upright and in right standing with God); there is nothing contrary to truth or crooked in them.
9 They are all plain to him who understands [and opens his heart], and right to those who find knowledge [and live by it].
10 Receive my instruction in preference to [striving for] silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 For skillful and godly Wisdom is better than rubies or pearls, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
12 I, Wisdom [from God], make prudence my dwelling, and I find out knowledge and discretion.
13 The reverent fear and worshipful awe of the Lord [includes] the hatred of evil; pride, arrogance, the evil way, and perverted and twisted speech I hate.
14 I have counsel and sound knowledge, I have understanding, I have might and power.
15 By me kings reign and rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges and governors of the earth.
17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation, and right standing with God).
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than refined gold, and my increase than choice silver.
20 I [Wisdom] walk in the way of righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation), in the midst of the paths of justice,
21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit [true] riches and that I may fill their treasuries.
22 The Lord formed and brought me [Wisdom] forth at the beginning of His way, before His acts of old.
23 I [Wisdom] was inaugurated and ordained from everlasting, from the beginning, before ever the earth existed.
24 When there were no deeps, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains laden with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 While as yet He had not made the land or the fields or the first of the dust of the earth.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I [Wisdom] was there; when He drew a circle upon the face of the deep and stretched out the firmament over it,
28 When He made firm the skies above, when He established the fountains of the deep,
29 When He gave to the sea its limit and His decree that the waters should not transgress [across the boundaries set by] His command, when He appointed the foundations of the earth—
30 Then I [Wisdom] was [a]beside Him as a master and director of the work; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing before Him always,
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited earth and delighting in the sons of men.
32 Now therefore listen to me, O you sons; for blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not refuse or neglect it.
34 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me [Wisdom] finds life and draws forth and obtains favor from the Lord.
36 But he who misses me or sins against me wrongs and injures himself; all who hate me love and court death.
2. Wisdom Keeps us Safe
Psalm 91
1 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!
3 For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.”
A fowler is a hunter or trapper of birds, and the Holy Spirit is likened to a dove. When Jesus was in the Wilderness, before His earthly ministry began, the devil tried to trap Jesus into compromising His own ministry. The Pharisees did the same, continually looking for a way to trap Him in His Own words, in order to accuse Him, thereby trying to draw people away from Jesus, back to themselves.
Each time, however, God His Father delivered Him, protected Him, and gave Him the right words to say so that they could not refute His wisdom. God will do the same for us, as promised here in this verse.
4 [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.”
God exposes the plans of the enemy of our souls, right here, by letting us know up front, how, when and where the devil and his followers intend to attack the children of God, so that we can be aware and prepared, and obtain the victory In Jesus.
7 “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.
8 Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place,
10 There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent.”
God gave the ancient fledgling nation of Israel this kind of protection, while they were still living in Egypt. While God was showing His powerful signs and wonders to the Egyptians, He was protecting the Children of Israel, with Whom He had made a covenant. In the same way, this passage shows how the believer in God Almighty will be totally protected from all the evil plans of the enemy of God, no matter what is going on around them.
11 “For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].
12 They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
This was actually one of the Scriptures to which Satan referred, in trying to trap Jesus into comprise, however, Jesus answered also with Scripture.
7 “Jesus said to him, ‘On the other hand, it is written also, You shall not tempt, test thoroughly, or try exceedingly the Lord your God.” [Matthew 4:7]
We never place ourselves in harms way to see if God will protect us, or help us, or to see if His promises are really trustworthy. He is a loving Father, Who promises to take care of us, and that doesn’t need to be tested to prove Him correct. We wouldn’t do that to an earthly father — that would be considered rude, and disrespectful.
13 “You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot.”
Jesus taught in Luke 10:19 [NKJV]
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never].
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.”
3. The Wisdom in Obeying God
Psalm 112
1 “Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
2 His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs with discretion.
6 Surely he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is established;
He will not be afraid,
Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
9 He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted with honor.
10 The wicked will see it and be grieved;
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked shall perish.”
Matthew 5:1-16
1 “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Believers Are Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 1
5 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
4. Practical Wisdom
Exodus 31:1-6 [AMPC]
1”And the Lord said to Moses,
2 See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and ability, in understanding and intelligence, and in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship,
4 To devise skillful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze,
5 And in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all kinds of craftsmanship.
6 And behold, I have appointed with him Aholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and to all who are wisehearted I have given wisdom and ability to make all that I have commanded you:”
Exodus 35:4-35
4 And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying:
5 ‘Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; 7 ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; 8 oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; 9 onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.
10 ‘All who are gifted artisans among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded: 11 the tabernacle, its tent, its covering, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 12 the ark and its poles, with the mercy seat, and the veil of the covering; 13 the table and its poles, all its utensils, and the showbread; 14 also the lampstand for the light, its utensils, its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15 the incense altar, its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, and the screen for the door at the entrance of the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles, all its utensils, and the laver and its base; 17 the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18 the pegs of the tabernacle, the pegs of the court, and their cords; 19 the garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place—the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests.’ ”
20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
21 Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments.
22 They came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart, and brought earrings and nose rings, rings and necklaces, all jewelry of gold, that is, every man who made an offering of gold to the Lord.
23 And every man, with whom was found blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair, red skins of rams, and badger skins, brought them.
24 Everyone who offered an offering of silver or bronze brought the Lord’s offering. And everyone with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it.
25 All the women who were gifted artisans spun yarn with their hands, and brought what they had spun, of blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
26 And all the women whose hearts [d]stirred with wisdom spun yarn of goats’ hair.
27 The rulers brought onyx stones, and the stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate, 28 and spices and oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
29 The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.
30 And Moses said to the children of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, 32 to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, 33 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship.
34 “And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, in him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
35 He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver—those who do every work and those who design artistic works.”
Exodus 36:1-7
1 “And Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary,[a] shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded.”
2 Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work. 3 And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning. 4 Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing, 5 and they spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do.”
6 So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.” And the people were restrained from bringing, 7 for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much.”
5. Wisdom to Rule
2 Chronicles 1:1-12
“Now Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and exalted him exceedingly.
2 And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ houses.
3 Then Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for the tabernacle of meeting with God was there, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness.
4 But David had brought up the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim to the place David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
5 Now the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the Lord; Solomon and the assembly sought Him there.
6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.
7 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?”
8 And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me king in his place.
9 Now, O Lord God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.
10 Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?”
11 Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king— 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”
6. Wisdom to Serve
Daniel 1:1-21
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.
3 Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, 4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.
5 And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.
6 Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
7 To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
9 Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.
10 And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king.”
11 So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13 Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.”
14 So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.
15 And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies.
16 Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.
17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
18 Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
19 Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king.
20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.
21 Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.”
7. Wisdom in Relationships
Proverbs 11:30
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.”
Proverbs 15:4
“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”
Sirach 6 [Catholic Canon]
1 “Don’t become an enemy instead of a friend. If you get a bad name, you will also inherit shame and reproach, as is the case with the deceitful sinner.
2 Don’t be enamored of your own intelligence lest your strength be taken captive like a bull.
3 You will devour your leaves, destroy your fruit, and leave yourself like a withered tree.
4 If you have a bad soul, it will destroy you; it will make you a joke to your enemies.
Friendship
5 Pleasant speech gains more friends for itself, and a sweet-speaking tongue will multiply pleasant exchanges. Let those who are at peace with you be many, but let only one in a thousand
be your advisor.
7 If you make friends, test them thoroughly and don’t trust them quickly.
8 Some are friends when it is convenient, but they won’t stay around during hard times.
9 There are friends who turn into enemies, and they will reveal
your disgraceful arguments.
10 There are friends who are companions at your table, but they won’t stay during hard times.
11 They will act as if your belongings are theirs, and they will be bold toward your household slaves.
12 If you are brought low, they will be against you, and they will abandon you.
13 Stay away from your enemies, and be careful with your friends.
14 Trustworthy friends are a strong shelter; whoever finds one
has found a treasure.
15 Trustworthy friends have no price, and no one can estimate their worth.
16 Trustworthy friends are life’s medicine, and those who fear the Lord will find them.
17 Those who fear the Lord will direct their friendships well, because they will associate with people of like mind.
Submission to Wisdom
18 My child, from your youth welcome education, and you will continue to discover Wisdom until you are gray-haired.
19 Approach her like one who plows and one who sows, and wait for her good fruits. When cultivating her, you will labor a little, but you will eat her produce soon.
20 Wisdom is rugged terrain to the uneducated, and the fainthearted won’t persevere with her.
21 She will be like a heavy stone that tests them, and they won’t hesitate to throw her aside.
22 Wisdom is like her name, and she won’t be visible to many.
23 Listen, my child, and welcome my opinion. Don’t reject my advice.
24 Put your feet into her shackles and your neck into her collar.
25 Bend your shoulder down and carry her, and don’t chafe at her bonds.
26 Come to her with your whole being, and keep to her ways
with all your strength.
27 Track her down and seek her, and she will become known to you. When you get possession of her, don’t let her go.
28 In the end, you will find rest in her, and she will turn to you
and make you happy.
29 Her shackles will be a strong shelter for you, and her collar will be a glorious robe.
30 She bears a gold ornament, and her bonds will be like blue embroidery.
31 You will wear her like a glorious robe, and you will put her on
like a crown of joy.
32 If you want, my child, you will be instructed and if you devote your whole being, you will be intelligent.
33 If you love to listen, you will receive, and if you pay attention,
you will be wise.
34 Keep company with the elders, and stick closely to their wisdom.
35 Desire to listen to every godly conversation, and don’t let intelligent proverbs escape you.
36 If you find individuals who are intelligent, get up before dawn to see those people, and let your foot wear out their doorsteps.
37 Think about the Lord’s decrees, and meditate constantly on his commandments. He will make your heart steadfast, and will grant your desire for wisdom.”
8. The Gift of Wisdom
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
4 “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
9. Praying for Wisdom
Colossians 2:2-3
2 “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
Ephesians 1:15-23
15 “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and [i]might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
1 Timothy 1:17
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God Who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
God created us in His image, and in His likeness, according to Genesis 1:26. Jesus is the Wisdom of God, according to Scripture, as we have just learned. We have learned the practical and the Spiritual applications of Wisdom, and the divine attributes which fill us, when we invite Jesus to be our Savior, and ask His Holy Spirit to live in us.
Let’s look at the Book of Wisdom, from the Catholic Canon, and see how Wisdom is described by another ancient writer. I am reading from the Common English Bible, which includes the books in the Greek Septuagint and Catholic Canons of the Bible.
10. Wisdom and Justice
Wisdom 1:1-16
1 “You who judge the earth, love what is right. Set your mind on the Lord in goodness. Seek him with a sincere heart.
2 Those who don’t put the Lord to the test will find him. He makes himself known to those who trust him.
3 Perverse reasoning separates people from God. His power exposes the foolish people who test him.
4 Wisdom will avoid a deceptive soul that plans evil. Wisdom won’t make her home in a body that is devoted to sin.
5 A holy, instructive spirit will flee deceit and leave when ignorant people start to plot. It is ashamed to be found in the presence of wrongdoing.
6 Wisdom is a spirit that wants only what is best for humans. Wisdom won’t declare blasphemers to be innocent because their own words convict them. God is witness to their thoughts. Truth examines the heart and hears what is said.
7 The Lord’s Spirit fills the whole world. It holds everything together and knows what everyone says.
8 Therefore, those who utter unjust words don’t escape notice. Justice will expose them and not pass them by.
9 A proper inquiry will be made into the plots of ungodly people. News of their words will reach the Lord and make their lawless deeds known.
10 God’s ear listens intently to everything anyone says. Murmurings can’t be kept secret for long.
11 So guard against useless murmuring. Keep your tongue from speaking ill. Everything you say has some consequence, even if you think that you are speaking in private. A lying mouth destroys the soul.
12 Don’t seek death through the error of your ways. Don’t invite destruction on yourself by what you do.
13 God didn’t make death. God takes no delight in the ruin of anything that lives.
14 God created everything so that it might exist. The creative forces at work in the cosmos are life-giving. There is no destructive poison in them. The underworld[a] doesn’t rule on earth.
15 Doing what is right means living forever.
16 In spite of this, the ungodly called out to death by what they did and said. Thinking that death was their friend, they lost their resolve and made a treaty with death. Let them have each other: death and the ungodly belong together!
Wisdom 7:1-30
1 "I’m just a human like everyone else. I’m a descendant of the first person who was created out of earth. My flesh was molded into shape during the time that I was in my mother’s womb.
2 Over the course of ten months, I took shape from her blood, built up out of a man’s seed and a night of pleasure.
3 When I was born, I gulped in the same air as everyone else. I dropped out onto the same earth that all people share. I let out my first cry that was just like the sound anyone else makes.
4 I was nurtured by snug clothes and good care.
5 No king has ever begun life any differently.
6 There’s only one way into life for everyone, and only one way out as well.
7 Because of this, I prayed, and the ability to reason wisely was given to me. I called out, and Wisdom’s spirit came to me.
8 I chose wisdom above all the symbols of royalty and over any throne. In comparison to her, I counted riches as nothing.
9 She was more precious to me than even a priceless jewel, since all the gold in the world would be nothing more than a little sand before her. All the silver would be just like clay in her presence.
10 I loved her more than health or beauty. I chose her above sunlight itself, for her brightness never sets.
11 Yet then I found that every other good thing also came with her, for in her hands were countless riches.
12 I rejoiced in all this because Wisdom brings them all in tow. I didn’t know that she had given birth to them.
13 I learned in innocence, and I don’t begrudge sharing it with you. I won’t conceal her riches.
14 She’s a never-ending treasure for humans. Those who possess her are ready to be God’s friends, commended for the gifts that come from instruction.
15 I pray that God will allow me to speak knowledgeably and to ponder well what God has taught me. God himself is the guide even of Wisdom, and God keeps those who already possess wisdom on the right course.
16 We’re in God’s hands, as are our words, all our reasoning, and all our practical knowledge.
17 He’s given me accurate knowledge of all that is—of how the world is made and holds together, and of the forces at work in the world’s essential elements.
18 He’s given me knowledge of the beginning, end, and middle of time; of the alternation of the solstices and the changes of seasons; 19 of the cycle of the year and the positions of the stars; 20 of the nature of animals, the temperaments of beasts, the extraordinary powers of spirits, the thoughts of humans, the different types of plants, and the healing powers of roots.
21 I now know everything, visible and hidden, 22 for Wisdom, the designer of everything that is, has taught me. Her spirit is insightful, holy, unique, diverse, refined, kinetic, pure, spotless, transparent, harmless, delighting in what is good, sharp, 23 unstoppable, overflowing with kindness, delighting in humans, steadfast, secure, not anxious, all-powerful, and all-seeing. Her spirit can be found in every spirit that is perceptive, pure, and refined.
24 Wisdom is more mobile than anything that moves. She pervades and embraces everything because she is so pure.
25 Wisdom is the warm breath of God’s power. She pours forth from the all-powerful one’s pure glory. Therefore, nothing impure can enter her.
26 She’s the brightness that shines forth from eternal light. She’s a mirror that flawlessly reflects God’s activity. She’s the perfect image of God’s goodness.
27 She can do anything, since she’s one and undivided. She never changes, and yet she makes everything new. Generation after generation, she enters souls and shapes them into God’s friends and prophets.
28 God doesn’t love anything as much as people who make their home with Wisdom.
29 She’s more splendid than the sun and more wonderful than the arrangement of the stars. She’s even brighter than sunlight, 30 for night follows day, but evil can never overcome Wisdom.”
Wisdom has been personified in ancient wisdom literature in the feminine, and yet, Scripture attributes all the treasure of Wisdom to Jesus Christ, Who lives in you and I, when we ask Him to.
Be Wise. Ask Him to live in you.
Jude 1:25“To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.”
