Knowledge And Wisdom

Knowledge and Wisdom

By Pastor Jim May

Daniel 12:4, "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."

Is there any question in your mind that we are living in the last days? Most Bible teachers and prophecy teachers agree that one of the signs of the times is the vast increase in knowledge.

Even before the days of the Internet, one “Think Take” put forth this statement concerning knowledge: Knowledge is exploding at such a rate--more than 2000 pages a minute--that even Einstein couldn’t keep up. In fact, if you read 24 hours a day, from age 21 to 70, and retained all you read, you would be one and a half million years behind when you finished.

Now, since the beginning of the Internet, I wouldn’t be surprised that the growth rate has grown by 1000%, with more knowledge being presented on any given subject, in a single day, than what could have been shared in a year not more than 50 years ago.

Of course, the increase of knowledge doesn’t affect everyone equally, and there are some that choose to remain blissfully ignorant.

For example:

A young boy once approached his father to ask, "Dad, why does the wind blow?", to which the father responded, "I don’t know, son." "Dad, where do the clouds come from?" "I’m not sure, son." "Dad, what makes a rainbow?" "No idea, son." "Dad, do you mind me asking you all these questions?" "Not at all, son. How else are you going to learn?"

An uneducated preacher introduced a special guest speaker at his church one Sunday with the following words: "The man we has speaking to us is a man who knows the unknowable, can solve the unsolvable and can screw the inscrutable."

I believe that both of these fellows could have used a little more knowledge.

Knowledge is not a bad thing to have most of the time. In fact, I am so very thankful for the knowledge that has come forward that makes life a little easier. I thank God for the knowledge that brought forth new methods and new instruments that enable us to preach the gospel more effectively and to reach more people than ever before.

But knowledge alone is not enough. For knowledge to be as good as it can be, we must be able to use that knowledge with wisdom.

It has been said that, “Knowledge comes from what we have studied. Wisdom comes from using what we know with the wrong results.”

For knowledge to be useful, wisdom must be applied. The problem is that most of the world uses its knowledge based upon the wisdom of the world without God. Man thinks that he is as good, or better than God, or doesn’t believe in a supreme God at all.

Proverbs 9:10 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."

The Apostle Paul even warned Timothy that in the last days, knowledge would be ever increasing, but that man would never be able to find the truth because he refused to believe in the source of all Truth. Jesus said that He was the “Truth, the Life and the Way.” If mankind won’t accept that Jesus is Truth, and that God is the Creator, the source of all knowledge and wisdom, then how can mankind ever use what he learns wisely?

2 Timothy 3:1-5, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

2 Timothy 3:7, "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

Knowledge, without the fear of the Lord, and the wisdom to use the knowledge we learn, is a very dangerous thing. Let me tell you of a few things that knowledge, without God in the midst of it, can do for a man. It can become a hindrance instead of helping him.

Knowledge creates within the heart of man a desire for things that he does not understand or need. In other words, it becomes a source of temptation.

The first man and woman, Adam and Eve, are prime example of this. Satan’s temptation was too much for them because they desired to be like God, to know what God knew, even if it cost them everything.

Genesis 3:5-7, "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons."