What is wisdom and how do we acquire it. This is the subject that preoccupied Job. He says in Job 28.12:
But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding. Man does not know its value nor is it found in the land of the living.
Wisdom is so precious that Job says in Job 28.18
No mention shall be made of coral or quartz, for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
Rubies are such precious stones that they reach a price of as much as I million dollars per carat. They are some of the rarest and most expensive precious stones in the world.
Elizabeth Taylor was said to have worn a ring of diamond and rubies that was later auctioned for about 4.2 million dollars. And the yet bible says all that is nothing compared to the value of wisdom to mankind.
Job 28.17 says it cannot be valued in pure gold and then in verse 23 it says God understands it and knows its place.
If wisdom is so much value that cannot be humanly quantified one would think that all people would devote all their energies first and foremost to its pursuit. That is not however the case for the bible says in Job 28.21 ‘’it is hidden from the eyes of men’’
People are generally blinded to the value of wisdom to their lives.
That is why the apostle Paul prayed the life changing prayer of Ephesians 1.15-22
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do cease to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know the hope of His calling, what are riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places far above principalities and power and might and dominion, and every name that might be named not only this age but also in that which is to come. And has put all things under His feet and given Him to be Head above all things to church which His body, the fullness of Him that fills all with all’’
Notice that Apostle Paul prays for believers to have a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ and what God has accomplished for mankind through Jesus. He prays that we may have our eyes opened or enlightened to see the riches of the glory of what is available to us in Christ Jesus. Why is it so? Because you can be a born Spirit filled child of God and still be blinded to the riches of what has been made available to you in Christ Jesus.
Verse 22 says He Jesus Christ has been made Head over all things for the benefit of the church and that every name is subject to Jesus Name and the church is the beneficiary of that. Sickness and disease are names and they are subject to the name of Jesus. SARS and corona viruses are names and they are subject to the Name of Jesus. It takes God’s wisdom however to tap into these wonderful blessings and enjoy them. No wonder nothing in this world can compare to God’s wisdom. Today we have people panicking because of the fear of the corona virus. The world with all his wealth and resources has still not come up with an answer for it.Yet the bible says that every name that can be named in this world is subject to the Jesus Christ and the church benefits from that.
Most people live in blindness to the place and value that wisdom holds in their lives and that is why the Apostle Paul was inspired by God to pray that people even believers would appreciate the place it holds in their lives and give themselves to receiving it.
All MANKIND’S PROBLEMS ARE FIRST AND FOREMOST THEOLOGICAL
Job 22.verse 21 says
Acquaint now yourself with God and be at peace. Thereby shall good come unto you.
The Hebrew word for peace is the opposite of the word for evil which means that which is broken. The man who is at peace is the one who is whole and functioning according to divine design. He is living the way God designed and created him to live. The broken man is the one who is not living according to God’s design. That is essentially what the Hebrew word evil means.
At the end of the day mankind’s problem is theological for a lack of a better way to put it. The fool thinks the answer to all the problems of mankind is first and foremost to get rid of God.
The reality however is that all human problems are first and foremost theological. The answer begins with getting the right conception of God. In other words the greatest need of every human being on earth is divine revelation. Getting to really know God for who He is.That means wisdom is the greatest need of every human being. Wisdom is knowledge applied. Job realised and that is why He cried out for where wisdom can be found. With God’s wisdom you tap answers to problems that all money and wealth in this world cannot solve.
To get to know the revelation that God has given of Himself in the bible and have that knowledge applied in our daily lives is to have tapped the answer-source for all our problems in the earth realm.
Getting your theology right is of foremost importance and once that is done then everything else follows. You get your theology right from God Himself by spending time with Him in His word depending on the Holy Spirit to unveil the Father to you.
Jesus said seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added. In other words seek first His rule and the right way of relating with Him and these things will follow. That proves that all our problems are first and foremost theological. I am not a great fan of the word ‘’theology’’ but I use it for the lack of a better word. Since man’s problem is first and foremost a theological problem his greatest need then is divine revelation. This is why Paul prayed the prayer in Ephesians 1.15-22 that God would give believers a spirit of wisdom and revelation.
This is why God told Israel in Exodus 19.5
Now therefore is you will indeed obey My voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people for all the earth is mine.
In other words Israel would be the nation through whom God would midwife that divine revelation to all mankind. That was their calling as a covenant people. Today that role is being fulfilled through the church as the body of Christ.
God told Israel ‘’ you will be the people of highest value in the earth realm because you will be the ones with whom man’s greatest need for divine revelation will be met’’
TAPPING GOD’S WISDOM
We see already that the Apostle Paul prayed that believers would receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus.Obviousely then that is one way to tap God’s wisdom. Paul’s prayer recorded in Ephesians 1.15-22 is life changing and it is a prayer that I will encourage you to pray for yourself on daily basis.
The BIBLE IS GOD’S WISDOM
Jesus refers to scriptures as the wisdom of God. In Luke 11.49 He said ‘’ therefore the wisdom of God also said ‘’I will send them prophets and apostles and some of them they will kill and persecute’’
Spending time in the studying and meditating scriptures is another way to tap the wisdom of God.
THE BOOK OF PROVERBS
Another way to grow in wisdom is spend time studying and meditating on the book of proverbs.
The book of proverbs was written by Solomon one of the wisest men that ever lived on earth.
He introduces the book in Proverbs 1.1 with the words
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding,
To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice Judgment and equity.
To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion-
A wise man will hear and increase learning
And a man of understanding will attain unto wise counsels,
To understand a proverb and an enigma
The word of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Obviously the book of proverbs is dedicated to helping people tap God’s wisdom. Therefore one effective way to build a life of wisdom is to spend time studying and meditating the book of proverbs.
ONE CHAPTER OF PROVERBS EVERYDAY
The book of proverbs has 31 chapters in it.That is not mere coincidence. I believe the Holy Spirit had it divided that way to give us a study plan for the entire month. Thirty one chapters translate into one chapter for each day of the month. If we study and meditate the book of proverbs in this way it means at the end of every month we would have gone through the entire book of proverbs.
This is one way in which we can absorb the wisdom of the book of proverbs and grow spiritually.
In this segment we intend to take one chapter of the book of proverbs and highlight some aspect of that chapter every day of the month.
I encourage you to read and meditate one chapter of the book of Proverbs every day and then visit this website for some commentary on it.I can assure it will be enriching to your life as a whole