WWJBD?
Part 1 How To Get Wisdom
James 1:5-8
We all lived through the era of WWJD. What Would Jesus Do was imprinted on just about everything that can possibly hold a print. I refuse to be negative about it. It seems I’m in the minority with that as I searched WWJD on Google this week, 98% of the sites contained jokes about the phrase and they were all bad so I am not going to tell you one.
Today we are not going to look at what Jesus would do necessarily, but at “What Would Jesus’ Brother Do?” In the back of your Bible there is a little 5 chapter letter that was written to some of the Jewish Christians that had been run out of town (Jerusalem) due to persecution and they were really struggling with things like their faith and their relationship with one another. So Jesus’ half brother James (1/2 brother because Mary was their mother, but Joseph was only James’ dad) who had become a major leader in the early church writes a letter to encourage and instruct them.
Now, this is significant for a number of reasons. 1st of all, Scripture alludes and history confirms the fact that James was not a believer in his brother until after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Who can blame him? Can you imagine growing up in that household? James would have had to have felt the pressure. If Mary was like regular moms she probably said things like, “James, why can’t you be more like your brother?” Try following him in school….school talent shows? How are you gonna top that?
But after Jesus’ death and the convicting reality of his resurrection, Scripture shows that James became a major part of his brother’s movement. Early church writings also tell us that James had a nick name….he was referred to as “old camel knees” because of his commitment to prayer.
I say that because I think it is important to read this letter with the understanding that James wrote it from a position of prayer. I think that is why it is such a practical letter for even us today.
So turn with me to James chapter 1 and let’s read together a few verses. James 1:1-8
While there are so many things we could begin to talk about from chapter 1 here, I am convinced that the overriding theme that will help us get the most out of the rest of this letter is one word found in verse 5. Anybody want to guess what that word is? WISDOM!!!!!
It seems to me that everything that James talks about in chapter 1 is best understood from the perspective of wisdom. For example: Verses 2-4 say things like “count it all joy when your faith is tested…be patient and become perfect…”. If you are anything like me your first question will tend to be…okay, how?
And that is where this idea in verse 5 comes in. Verse 5 begins “if any of you lacks wisdom…”. Clearly a component of carrying out this life James is describing is the idea of wisdom. So let’s explore this wisdom gig for a few minutes and see what we can learn.
Remember that for every New Testament principle, there is an Old Testament picture. So let’s flip backwards to another time when wisdom was the key. 2 Chronicles 1. Here’s the story.
King David has just died. If you know OT history you know that David was Da Man. He was king, warrior, athlete, songwriter poet, harp builder and player. I mean David was in touch with all his sides…he was handsome, popular – he was it. And now he’s dead. And Israel has been left in the hands of his son Solomon who understandably is feeling a bit inferior to his father’s legacy.
So he goes to a place called Gibeon where the Tabernacle of the Lord is (where God dwells) and he makes offering to God and seeks him there. He needs some advice, some direction and we pick up the story in verse 7.
Read 2 Chronicles 1:7-10
Man. God says whatever you want, I will give you. Because of his love for Solomon’s dad and his respect for David’s son, God says, you name it. It’s yours.
What would do if God said that to you? I am so afraid I would screw it up.
Like the guy on the beach who saw the bottle sticking out of the sand. He picks it up and dusts it off and POOF! a genie pops out and says “your wish is my command.” 3 wishes. The first is for a mansion on the shore. Poof, Got it. The second is for a convertible Beamer. Poof, Got it. He wants to think about the third, so he jumps in his BMW with the top down and cruises along the PCH, turns on the radio and hears the commercial and starts to sing along “oh I wish I were an Oscar Meyer Weiner.” POOF!
If God asked me, I’d probably be a weenie about it. But Solomon knows that what he desperately needs is wisdom. He senses the heaviness of his role, and has the wisdom to ask for wisdom.
And look at God’s response. Read 2 Chronicles 1:11&12
Because he asked for wisdom, he got it and a bag of chips thrown in. He got it all. Because God honored his request for wisdom to know what to do. Why?
Proverbs 8 (selected verses)
God honored Solomon’s request because wisdom is the key. Get wisdom and you’ll get somewhere. Okay, so where do you get it?
Back to James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
See in Solomon’s day when an Israelite person needed direction from God regarding a decision that needed to be made, they would make the journey to the tabernacle or later to Jerusalem where the temple was and the High Priest dwelt. They would make an appointment to see the priest and take to him their question, problem or issue. Here’s how it would play out.
We read in Exodus 28:30 how a piece of the High Priests clothing designed by God was this breastplate that he would wear outside his robe on his chest. The breastplate contained 12 stones, jewels that were inlaid in gold. The 12 stones represented the 12 tribes of Israel. The breastplate also contained two stones called the Urim and Thummim. In the Hebrew language, Urim = Light and Thummim = Perfection. Light and perfection. Perfect light. The priest would consult God regarding the persons request for direction using perfect light. He would take these lights and perfections and link them to the 12 stones. And when the request was made, the stone containing the name of one of the tribes of Israel would light up somehow. And the priest would take the first letter of each of the names of the tribes and spell out a word….like….GO FOR IT. OR NO WAY HOSEA. I don’t know exactly how it worked, but somehow God would use this to give perfect light..perfect direction!
Wouldn’t it be cool if it worked that way today? Problem is that only the H.P. had the breastplate. You had to go all the way to Jerusalem and make an appointment with the H.P. and it just wasn’t real convenient.
So how does it work for us today? How do we go about getting direction from perfect light? In our day, as followers of God, when I say the word Perfection who do you think of? Jesus. And in his ministry once he said I am the _________ or the world? Light.
Colossians 2:3 tells us that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. It’s the one who is light and who is perfection.
Okay so what does that have to do with James 1? I mean I get all that Jewish Urim mumbo jumbo, but do I buy the car or not? I thought James was practical.
How are we going to get God’s direction practically? We go to our Urim and Thummim, our perfect light. We get our direction from Jesus, the perfect light of the world. And I think that Scripture teaches us three ways that he flashes this perfect light to us.
1. Through His People –
I think it is significant that God used the names of the 12 tribes on the priest’s breastplate to spell out his direction. God always uses his people to shower light and truth onto us if we are willing to receive it.
Proverbs 11:14 tells us “where there is no counsel, the people fall. But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”
There are a few people even here in GA already that make up my council. People who I regularly go to for direction from God.
That’s why Paul said in Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens.” Sometimes my counselors see things that I can’t and God speaks through them to clarify my thoughts and feelings and help me wrestle with my stuff.
2. In His Word –
Listen to Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Verse 130, “The entrance of your words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.”
God has offered to give us the answers to each and every problem we face, each and every issue we wrestle with. If you are contemplating a decision today and haven’t honestly given ample time to listening to His word, then you had better be careful making a decision. Because you have ignored a major source of perfect light.
3. On Our Hearts –
Whadya mean? In Jeremiah 31:33 God says through the prophet Jeremiah that he would make a new covenant with Israel. No longer would it be that some knew God and urged others to know him, but all would know him for he would “…write his word on their hearts…”. God will give personal direction. How? Colossians 3:15,16 tells us.
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly in all wisdom…”.
That word “rule” in the Greek literally means “officiate or judge”. Let God’s peace referee in your hearts. Should I change jobs or should I ask her to marry me…let God say “safe or out” or Yes or No! Let him give you peace about your decisions.
These three things seem to work together. God’s people, His word and Upon my heart he writes his will for me.
Does it work? Practically? By just asking? Yes. Is there a catch? Yes.
James 1:6 says, “BUT, let him ask in faith, with no doubting for he who doubts is like the waves of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
Okay, what’s that mean? Stay with me here because this is about to get real enlightening. I was directed to a word study this week and here is what I learned.
If you flip back to Proverbs 11:3 we read this, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.”
That word integrity there is the Hebrew word TOOMAH. Which happens to be the same word translated Thummim. Which tells me that there is a connection between perfect direction from God and integrity of heart.
In other words, that has to be what James meant when he referred to a “double minded man.” Integrity means of one mind. Not duplicated in thought. What I say is what I do is who I am. Right? So when I ask of God for wisdom, if I am upright and full of integrity, God will give me perfect direction knowing that I will follow it. But often times I ask God for his direction with the intention of only getting it to decide if I want to follow it. Ever do that?
Example. Ministry opportunities involving finances. God told me to sell my truck. I decided to keep it. Double Minded man.
God you tell me what I need to do and……….maybe I will. So James teaches us that we can ask God for wisdom, perfect direction, but if we expect to receive it we had better be committed to obeying it.
If you are asking God for wisdom these days and aren’t getting it or have received something and you aren’t sure it is of God, then perhaps you need to check your motive. Are you upright in being willing to obey the Lord? Do you have integrity? Here’s what happens when you do.
Okay so what if I ask people, ask God, check my heart and all three are off? What if my friends mis-read God, what if I interpreted Scripture wrongly, what if my heart I can’t figure out my heart?
Genesis 20:1-6. If you have a heart of integrity and you want to follow his will whatever it is. Through the integrity of your heart he will guide you. The key is integrity.
Read Genesis 20:1-6. Tell the story as read.
Because of the integrity of his heart, God kept Abimelech from making the wrong decision.
If your heart is one of integrity, if your motives are pure and seeking after God, through the integrity of your heart, he will guide you. He will protect you and correct you. He will give you perfect light.
If anyone of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who will give it without complaint. He will not hold it against you. But you must ask without doubting, in integrity of heart and he will give your perfect direction.
In other words, if you’re unsure....
Do what you know and you’ll know what to do. That’s what Jesus’ brother would do.
*Note to readers. I am indebted to Jon Courson for his insight into this particular text. Glean from his teaching at www.joncourson.com
