By John DeGroff
Striker Summary: What modern society needs as much as anything else is wisdom – God’s wisdom. It is made available in the book of Proverbs and other parts of the Scripture – and it often cuts against what unwise people think is the right thing to do.
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by John DeGroff
I came across this very interesting verse in Proverbs the other day. chapter 22, verse 10 says: “Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.” Go back and read it a couple times. Granted, it’s a short verse, and probably you might have read it before, but passed over the meaning. Regardless, it delivers a lot of meaning and wisdom considering what we’re dealing with nationally.
Provers is one of the three Old Testament books attributed to King Solomon; the other two are Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. While Solomon didn’t write all of Proverbs, he is said to have uttered 3000 proverbs and wrote 1005 songs (1st Kings 4:32).
In 1st kings 3:3-15, Solomon had a dream in which God asked him what he wanted. Solomon replied that since he was a new king, he needed an “understanding heart'(v.9). God granted him wisdom. This is what Solomon was known for in his time. Wisdom is associated with his very name.
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon, often referred to as poetry, are also called the Wisdom Books. It’s wisdom that has survived the test of time. The first spiritual gift as listed in 1st Corinthians 12:7-11, is that of wisdom.
So, if wisdom is a human attribute God Himself desires us to have, and is extensively chronicled throughout the Bible, why don’t we see more of it in the church in general and in our daily lives?
One definition of wisdom is accumulated learning or knowledge. It would therefore not be wrong to regard wisdom as the proper use of knowledge. Considering the high value scripture place on wisdom, it’s disconcerting to see so little of it among some believers.
One of the greatest failing of the church at large within the last 30-40 years has been the “What Would Jesus Do” mindset. That is a false narrative designed to only show one facet of Christ – the Good Shepherd Christ. We’re not supposed to judge; we’re not supposed to ever get angry; not supposed to stand up for ourselves because we’ve been told we’ll be persecuted so just deal with it; we’re never supposed to be concerned about politics because that’s of the world; we’re not supposed to protect ourselves and our families; etc., etc.
Basically, we’re not supposed to empirically notice what’s going on around us, or decide to do anything about it if we do. Where is the wisdom in any of this?
We have to get back to the wisdom of Solomon, and ask for the Spiritual gift of Wisdom. We have to get to the point where we wisely use the knowledge we have, and ignore all those who tell us we can’t or shouldn’t. And sadly, a lot of that comes from the church.
Look again at Proverbs 22:10: we’re told to cast out the scorner, which is a person who expresses contempt; is frivolous and impudent. Look at how we’re to deal with people who perpetually want to live on hand-outs and never work (2nd Thessalonians 3:10) And take a good look at the wisdom the Lord imparts regarding being responsible for your own safety and protection (Luke 22:35-38).
Of course these are just a few examples that go against the narrative of What Would Jesus Do. There are others, but they’re all based on wisdom the world doesn’t want, and that the church has either forgotten or outright ignores.
Nonetheless, along with salvation through Jesus Christ and the gift of free will, wisdom is one of God’s greatest gifts.
In conclusion…
Prov. 4:7 Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting, get understanding.
Prov. 19:8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul; he that keepeth understanding shall find good.
James 1:5 If any man lacks wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Shameless self promotion…
I know I haven’t done this for a while, but since it’s the Easter holiday, my band SALT has the perfect song to express the meaning of the day. Thanks for your indulgence.
John DeGroff & Friends – 3 Nails (Official Music Video) (youtube.com)
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Originally posted at Clashdaily.com
Image: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/; Adapted from: Mustang Joe; https://www.flickr.com/photos/mustangjoe/5966894496;
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