WISDOM FROM HUMAN SOURCES MATTERS FOR NAUGHT RELATIVE TO WISDOM FROM GOD
Solomon presented himself as Exhibit A – the “devil’s advocate” - to help those searching for meaning in life to contrast the emptiness of life apart from God versus the fulfillment of life lived with and for God. Consider me Exhibit B.
Perhaps you, like me, have had it said about you, “He (she) was born wise,” or, “He (she) is wise beyond his (her) years.” With either assessment, let me take issue.
If wisdom was ever an asset of mine, question: Where did it go? Did my wisdom disappear at the same time that my “get up and go” got up and went?
At least a few unwise decisions have been made by me (and perhaps you) in the past. Yet, God is merciful . . . forgives mistakes and errors of judgment by His children - IF we admit . . . submit . . . commit . . . as did Solomon when he realized that he was not as smart as he thought, nor as wise as others thought.
Solomon had his shortcomings, and at times acted foolishly like all human beings. So, as “devil’s advocate”, he admitted his faults, submitted his imperfect self to the scrutiny of critics, committed himself to the proposition that wisdom from human sources matters for naught relative to wisdom from God – Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (selected) . . . Maybe Solomon was thinking: “There’s no fool like an old fool.”
Henry Ward Beecher, a well-known preacher in the nineteenth century, is said to have arrived one Sunday at his Church to find several letters waiting for him. He opened the letters and read them, but one letter simply had one word written on the piece of paper: “Fool”.
A short while later, he went into the sanctuary to begin the worship service, whereupon he made this announcement to his congregation: “I have known many an instance of someone writing a letter and forgetting to sign their name, but this is the only instance I have ever known of someone signing their name and forgetting to write the letter.”
Our “devil’s advocate” confessed that it was beyond him to understand the difference between the destiny of a fool and his own - apart from trust in Creator God.
Try as secularists might, “human thinking at its very best” cannot fathom let alone explain the intelligent design of our vast universe, nor the origin of complex human bodies, nor the reason why humans express different emotions . . .
Whereas unbelievers reject, while believers accept, the biblical explanation, “In the beginning God”, both will experience death. Death is no respecter of persons!
However, wouldn’t you agree it is better to be in the category of “believer” rather than “unbeliever” when the “great beyond” is factored into the equation.
People who do not find true meaning in life often find themselves hating life itself . . . their families . . . themselves . . . their gender . . . their country . . . Church . . . God. All too often haters strive diligently to spread their misery to everyone!
The French philosopher Voltaire said to a close friend: “I hate life, and yet I am afraid to die.” Life apart from God is vanity. Without God, we might as well spend our time trying to catch the wind. But, with God in our lives, we have so much to live and die for.
In his autobiography, Billy Graham illustrated the contrast between a life lived solely for self, based on human wisdom, and life lived for others as well as for self, based on wisdom that comes from God:
“Years ago Ruth and I visited an island in the Caribbean. One of the wealthiest men in the world asked us to come to his lavish home for lunch. He was 75 years old; throughout the entire meal he seemed close to tears. ‘I am the most miserable man in the world,’ he said. ‘Out there is my yacht. I can go anywhere I want to. I have my private plane, my helicopters. I have everything I want to make my life happy, yet I am as miserable as hell.’ We talked to him and prayed with him, pointing him to Christ who alone gives lasting meaning to life.
“Then we went down to the small cottage where we were staying. That afternoon the pastor of the local church came to call. He was an Englishman, and he too was 75 – a widower who spend most of his time taking care of his two invalid sisters. He was full of enthusiasm and love for Christ and others. ‘I don’t have two pounds to my name,’ he said with a smile, ‘but I am the happiest man on this island.’
Billy Graham asked his wife Ruth after they left, “Who do you think is the richer man?” She did not have to reply because they both already knew the answer.
Solomon is teaching those who think they “have it made” but are miserable that they have not yet discovered real meaning in life. Any person in that category - apart from God - will not be blessed with the happiness and contentment that they long for - in this life or the next.
Most likely they, like Voltaire, would be afraid to die. So much for human wisdom!
However, wisdom that comes from God is “full of mercy” (James) and will make you “wise unto salvation” (Paul)! As we come to the end of life’s journey on this earth be grateful for God’s mercy in your time of need (Hebrew 4:16) because, according to His mercy, He saved us (Titus 3:5).
When you became “wise unto salvation” . . . you entered into a relationship like no other. Jesus became your Savior, God became your Father and the Spirit of God came to be with you! You became somebody! You became a spiritual being!
“And those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God. You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship by which you can say ‘Father’. The Spirit himself testifies that we are God’s children. As God’s children, we are heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ so that we may share in his glory!” (Romans 8:14-17)
This “wise unto salvation” concept though beyond Solomon existed in the mind of God. “What exists is beyond my reach and very deep” . . .“Who can discover it”?
James our Lord’s brother and pastor of the First Church of Jerusalem recommended a way of discovery: “If any of you lacks wisdom (unto salvation), let him ask of God.”
Folks: We asked God for wisdom. God gave us wisdom . . . “unto salvation”.
In many different ways, our Lord said to you and me: “Come and see . . .” Emboldened by the wisdom God gave us to: see ourselves in need of a Savior . . . see God’s Son as the answer to our need - we came as we were, and embarked on a journey that would lead us to our greatest discovery.
What have we discovered?
“We’ve discovered the way of gladness. We’ve discovered the way of joy.
“We’ve discovered relief from sadness, ‘tis a happiness without alloy.
“We’ve discovered the fount of blessing. We’ve discovered the living Word.
“But the greatest of all discoveries? When we found Jesus our Lord!”
Amen!
