What would you ask for if you could have anything in the world? What would be the one thing that added to your life, would impact your life the greatest? What would you say? Money? Power? For those with small children maybe peace. Some desire popularity and prestige.
You know that actually happened once. King Solomon was given such a choice by God. God told King Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted and God would provide it. God gave Solomon a signed, blank check for Solomon to purchase in a sense whatever he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom and it was granted to him. But wisdom was only the beginning. In Solomon’s lifetime he would accumulate greater riches than anyone imagined. He was sought out by royalty. His popularity and reputation spread throughout the world. His kingship was a time of great security and peace. And it all started with wisdom.
At this point it would be a good idea to define what we mean by wisdom. Webster’s defines it as understanding what is true, right or lasting. Good judgment. Wisdom is more than a high IQ. In the country we call it horse sense. In the original language of the Bible, wisdom was understood as skill. The word that we translate as wisdom described the ability of craftsmen and seasoned mariners. They were thought of as wise or skilled in their abilities. Counselors and administrators were judged by the skill they exhibited in their advice.
I like to think of wisdom as skillful living, or the ability to understand the way that life works. To me that is wisdom. Wisdom is the skill that lets you know how much freedom to give your teenager. Wisdom is the skill that allows you to handle money. To be loose enough to enjoy spending it while being prudent enough to live securely. Wisdom is the skill to understand your spouse. Wisdom is the skill to look in the mirror and not be deceived.
Wisdom can be understood as the key to success. Now if there is one thing that grabs people attention today it is success. But the question how to get it. Experts tell us that we now live in what is called the information age. Experts tell us that as a people group ours today is more knowledgeable than any other in the world’s history. So it makes sense that if we want to know about success that we should go down to our local bookstore and pick up the latest title that Ophrah Winfrey is reading. Or read the latest expert in the field that concerns us. After all we are more knowledgeable now than ever so doesn’t it make sense that we should understand success better than ever before? But I am not interested in what some man or woman that has experienced moderate success in a small aspect of life for a small period of time has to say. I want to know what the Creator of life is thinking.
Open your Bible to Proverbs to find out about wisdom/success. In Proverbs chapter two, we will read the advice of King Solomon, the man who had it all. If there was an expert on success, it was King Solomon. The book of Proverbs is made up mostly of his keys to success. I like to think of chapter 2 as, “C the Value of Wisdom” for the three words that start with the letter C that guide us through the chapter. In C the Value of Wisdom we first come on the Condition laid out for us in verse 1-4. Next we come to the Consequences in verses 5-19. Finally, we are presented with the Conclusion in verses 20-22. What is the key to success? It is c-ing the value of wisdom by recognizing the conditions and consequences and applying the conclusion.
In verses 1-4, we see that certain conditions are laid out. If you would look at your bibles and notice that three times Solomon writes, “If you”. Verse one, “If you will receive my words and treasure my commandments.” Verse three, “If you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding.” Verse four, “If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasure.” Now notice something about the conditions of the statements, they move from passive to active. In verse 1 we are receiving. Now in verse 3 we are crying out. Then in verse 4 we are on the move. Wisdom takes effort to attain. This begs the question, “What are we doing to attain wisdom?” I think for the most part many people feel that wisdom goes along with getting old, its part of the package, but that is not always the case. As the saying goes, “We can only be young once, but we can be immature indefinitely.”
So how do we attain wisdom? Verse 2 says we need to listen. The more a person listens the better off they’ll be. Verse 3 says we need to speak out, ask questions, but often that takes humility to reveal our ignorance. Verse 4 says we need to look, to search. And its important where we look. I’ve yet to hear of a noble prize winner attributing his/her success to watching the Simpsons.
OK so far we are told if if if. What then are the consequences if we follow through on the action? You’ll notice that in verses 5- 19 we have two then comments.
In verse 5 we read, “Then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.” In verses 6-8 we read that wisdom will lead the seeker to God. Maybe this explains why so much of the world is trying to find a short cut to success that takes them around wisdom. Many people in their pursuit of success refuse to make the decisions along the way that will bring them along side of God. To them it is foolishness. Instead they opt for the mirage that success is just a compromise or two away but when it is all said and done, they realize that their success is just an illusion that fades because of the consequences for the compromises they made along the way.
In verse 9 we read, “Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course.” In verses 10 and 11 we see that discernment and knowledge and understanding will be in and about us. Wisdom will surround us. What do people see around us now? I would hope that people would see wisdom developing in me.
Next we see two classes of people that wisdom will help us avoid, evil men and the adulterous women. In verses 12-15, we see the evil men described. Now understand what it meant by the term evil men. I think we are tempted to imagine some hideous creature with green eyes drooling over the opportunity to commit the ugliest sins. If we look at the original language we can better understand that their desire comes from a dulled conscience. This could be the person at work that cheats on their time card or lies on their income tax.
Do we really need to be saved from such a person? In a word, yes. Who we surround ourselves with is who we become. You can’t run with dogs and not get fleas the old saying goes. The laws of group dynamics show us that we are tempted to mimic the behavior that surround us. I recall when I graduated college and got a job as a salesman. I quickly made friends with other guys in the office and we would often have lunch together. After awhile these lunchtimes turn into gripe times. We just fed off of one another justifying our poor attitudes. Pretty soon we were cutting out of work early and our boss found out. Wisdom will save you from the destructive influence of poor friends.
The second class of people that wisdom delivers us from is the adulterous woman. In verses16-19 we read about the strange woman and the results of those who keep company with her. At our men’s prayer group recently, we looked at the six steps to an affair. It was concluded that a person could, with little effort, deny to themselves that the they were in the process of an affair. It could easily be dismissed as just being friends, but deep down the heart knows. Wisdom helps us to realize the tentacles of a growing affair before we get so emotionally wrapped up with another person that it becomes dangerous. Many people think that an affair just happens, but with wisdom we can understand the warning signs before its too late. Wisdom will also aid us in recognizing the cost of our actions, whether in an affair or any other immoral activity. Wisdom saves us.
OK, so far in c-ing the value of wisdom, we have looked at the condition and the consequences. Now we need to look at the conclusion put forth in verses 20-22. Verse 20 begins with a preposition that could be understood as so or therefore. “Therefore walk in the way of good men and keep to the paths of righteousness. For the upright will live in the land and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land and the treacherous will be uprooted from it.” I can tell you, even at seminary there were people that I didn’t want to associate with. It would be fun for a while, but it soon became apparent that our goals and motivations were not the same. I desire to surround myself with good men, winners and walk in the paths of righteousness.
Verses 21&22 speak of remaining or leaving the land. Understand the land was more than just a physical location. It was the place of God’s blessing. It meant to be cut off from God. True wisdom applied in our lives will only lead us to dwell with God.
In conclusion, C-ing the value of wisdom by recognizing the conditions and applying the conclusion is the real key to life. I am reminded of the saying, “When God wants to make an oak, He takes a hundred years, but when he wants to make a squash, it only takes six months.” And so it is with life. There is a part in each and everyone of us that wants enduring success in a short span of time. But even worse than wanting to, is the belief that we can. And so we find ourselves investing, wishing for those things other than wisdom somehow believing that they hold the magical keys to all our wildest dreams.
C the value of wisdom. This week, beginning with chapter eight of Proverbs, why don’t we read one chapter of Proverbs a day. And then choose one snippet of wisdom to write down and carry with you that day. It is my belief that as we look beyond the simplicity of Solomon’s sayings, we can’t help but see the confusion of life become clearer.
