Jan. 03, 2026

Wisdom: What, Why, Where, How & WHo

I wake up this morning as my alarm goes off at 6:30.

Do I hit ‘snooze’ or

Check out the news to see what’s happening in the world, or

Read the Proverbs of the day?

When I get to the Café, do I head to the Roasting Room and start my work or

Greet each of the staff working that morning and check that all is well?

Grab a coffee and a blueberry muffin?

When I’m bagging coffee do I fill that 12 oz bag with 12 ounces, or 12.5?

I get called up front to speak to a customer who has a problem with their order. How do I successfully (for them and us) resolve the problem?

I get phone call from a telemarketer while I’m in the middle of a conversation. How do I handle that with courtesy?

It’s lunch time. Do I choose nutrition or flavor?

A friend calls and tells me that there is a flu epidemic running through our community, right in the middle of writing a lesson on wisdom. What do I do with this interruption?

I get a call from the septic company telling me I need a $3000 repair on my septic tank. Do I have that money in my checking account?

Laura calls and asks me to go to Salsa night.

This is my typical day. What I decide to do in each case will not only affect the rest of my day, but many of my relationships, our business, my health, and my peace of mind.

What do I need to navigate these situations of life?

From the Book of Proverbs:

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
² To know wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of understanding,
³ To receive instruction in wise behavior,
Righteousness, justice and equity;
⁴ To give prudence to the naive,
To the youth knowledge and discretion,
⁵ A wise man will hear and increase in learning,
And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
⁶ To understand a proverb and a figure,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
⁷ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:1-7

What is wisdom?

Look at the Synonyms the author uses to describe aspects of wisdom:

Understanding: biynāh: insight, understanding, comprehension, discernment, righteous action. To notice differences, to see fine distinctions; To imagine, see possibilities

Instruction: mûsār: self-control as a feature of a wise person, as moral quality. Character, depth of character

Prudence: ormāh: practical, to know strategicly, how to get things done, how to turn a goal into a reality. To plan and live strategically. A form of foresight knowing what kind of behavior will lead to what result.

“Wisdom is competence with regard to the realities of life.”

Gerhard von Rad ‘The Wisdom of Israel’

Wisdom is proficiency in understanding how life really works.

Is wisdom knowledge?

Wisdom assumes knowledge. Wisdom is knowing what to do with knowledge.

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.

Wisdom is not putting a tomato into a fruit salad.

Is Wisdom just obeying the rules? Is it just being moral and good?

If you believe that God created the universe and showed us the way it works and what He thinks is best for us, then disobedience to His commands is not wise, it is simply stupid.

So much of the Bible doesn’t address many of the life issues we face.

What job should I do? Whom should I marry. Where should I live? What shall I eat for dinner? Where should I invest my savings?

So wisdom is more than just following the rules.

It’s navigating the realities of life that often fall outside the rules.

It is competence in the realities of life.

“Wisdom is knowing what the right thing is to do in the 80% of life situations which the moral rules don’t directly apply.” Tim Keller

Why do we need wisdom?

“For the waywardness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them. Proverbs 1:32

Naive: pěṯî: simple, naive, i.e., pertaining to persons that are easily deceived or persuaded, showing lack of wisdom and understanding, who are too unrooted and unformed to make smart decisions because they are going with the crowd. They rely on what others think.

Fool: kesîl: foolishness, stupidity, insolence, i.e., the state of being in complete lack of understanding, implying rebellion^. Someone who doesn’t care what others think. They are wise in their own eyes and set in their ways. Self-righteous, opinionated, stubborn, hard to persuade, and despises correction.

How do we become fools and simpletons?

¹⁵ Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of discipline will remove it far from him. Proverbs 22:15

We are born in a state of natural foolishness.

When did you touch a hot stove? Of touch the flame of a candle? Why?

When did you first tell a lie?

We live our lives making choices, often knowing what is right but doing what we want.

It’s the human condition that Paul describes perfectly in Romans chapter 7.

I want to do what is right, but I can’t. ¹⁹ I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. ²⁰ But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
²¹ I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. ²² I love God’s law with all my heart. ²³ But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. ²⁴ Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? ²⁵ Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 7:18-25

Because of the Cross, we are no longer under the condemnation of sin.

The level of our freedom from the power of sin is a direct result of the level of obedience to God and His commands and the growing wisdom of dealing with life issues.

Where do we find Wisdom?

⁷ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

Fear: yirah

1. reverence, fear, i.e., a state of piety and respect toward a superior;

2. fear, terror, i.e., a state of great anxiety and alarm;

3. worship, i.e., the act or speech of showing profound reverence toward a superior.

4. awesomeness, i.e., that which causes wonder and astonishment

Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew

We can look at Jesus in all aspects of these definitions.

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. ¹⁵ And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15

At the Great White Throne of Judgement, all mankind will be judged, and this should inspire great anxiety and alarm in the hearts of all those who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

For those who know Jesus as King, we feel great reverence for Him, and don’t want to do anything to disregard His authority over our lives.

If we understand and receive what His sacrifice on the Cross means for us personally, we worship Him, thanking Him for what He has personally done for us. We are careful to keep ourselves in that place of thankfulness and trust in Him no matter the circumstances of life.

Knowing that Jesus is the Creator, when He does things outside the laws of Nature, we are astonished. When we meditate on His words to us, we are amazed. We constantly remind ourselves that His plans for us are good and that He will provide all that we need in this life, and more.

If we keep our hearts in this place, then we will begin to understand and acquire Wisdom needed to navigate the complexities of this life.

What is the process of acquiring wisdom?

¹ My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
² Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
³ For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
⁴ If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
⁵ Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:1-6

Acquiring wisdom requires effort on our part.

Consider the actions on our part:

· receive in your soul,
· treasure in your emotions,
· be attentive with your mind,
· open your innermost being,
· passionately express your desire,
· focus your time,
· scan every area around.

This is characteristic of what happens when

· We are looking for our future spouse;
· Preparing for a championship sporting event;
· Making the biggest financial deal of our lives.
· Looking for the cure to a serious health condition.

It is a total commitment to achieving a goal.

What could be more important to discover the optimal manner of navigating all of these life situations?

¹ My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
² For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.

³ Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴ So you will find favor and good repute
In the sight of God and man.

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
⁸ It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:1-8

Through the Bible, life is presented as a path, and we walk this path of life step by step.

Acquiring Wisdom is a daily step by step process. The goal is to keep on God’s path, and not deviate on our own, nor the world’s path.

What do we need to stay on the path?

³ Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Kindness: Chesed : lovingkindness, loyal love, unfailing kindness, devotion, God’s love toward us.

Truth: Emeth: faithfulness, reliability, trustworthiness, being dependable and loyal to a person or standard: true, certain, sure, that which conforms to reality.

Our convictions of God’s unfailing kindness and true loyalty toward us will help us take small steps of obedience, which will result in greater Godly habitual behavior, which will form Godly character in us and produce wise living.

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge (submit to) Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

We must recognize that even on our best day, we can step off the path as we allow our emotions and desires to take charge of the moment. Along with the culture of the world, and the influence of demonic suggestion and oppression, momentary deception can be overwhelming, causing us to step off the path.

Do we trust that God has our best interest at heart? Or will we fall to the deception of Eve and Adam that we must take charge of our lives?

Do we accept what He thinks about us, or what the world and demonic forces tell us.

Are we willing to recognize His authority in our lives and do what He tells us to do in a situation? Or do we fall back on doing what is right or beneficial in our own eyes?

In this process it is helpful to be part of a community that can provide us with another perspective that helps us stay on the path.

Where there is no guidance the people fall,
But in abundance of counselors there is victory. Proverbs 11:14

Even when we do step off the path, we can find wisdom through the hard lessons we learn.

My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD
Or loathe His reproof,
¹² For whom the LORD loves He reproves,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12

Correction and reproof are loving cares that a father gives his children.

Wisdom transforms suffering. Let trouble drive you into the arms of God.

What are the Benefits of Wisdom?

He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
⁸ Guarding the paths of justice,
And He preserves the way of His godly ones.
⁹ Then you will discern righteousness and justice
And equity and every good course.
¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart
And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
¹¹ Discretion will guard you,
Understanding will watch over you,
¹² To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things;

⁴ So you will find favor and good repute

⁶And He will make your paths straight.

⁸ It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones
Proverbs 2:7-12, 3:4,6 &8

Why does applied Wisdom have positive results in our lives?

²² “The LORD possessed me (Wisdom) at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
²³ “From everlasting I was established,
From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.
²⁴ “When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no springs abounding with water.
²⁵ “Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills I was brought forth;
²⁶ While He had not yet made the earth and the fields,
Nor the first dust of the world.
²⁷ “When He established the heavens, I was there,
When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
²⁸ When He made firm the skies above,
When the springs of the deep became fixed,
²⁹ When He set for the sea its boundary
So that the water would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth;
³⁰ Then I was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,

³¹ Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
And having my delight in the sons of men. Proverbs 8:10-31

This is another Creation account in the Bible.

In Eastern societies the material world is seen as an illusion, like an accident.

In Western culture creation is the result of a power struggle according to Norse, Sumarian, Babylonian, Egyptian creation narratives.

Only in the Bible is an account of the world being based not as accident or power struggle, but based on wisdom.

It is a Creation that delights the Artist.

Wisdom is the fabric of Creation.

Wisdom is the pattern of reality.

If wisdom made the world, then we can begin to perceive that pattern of the world and live in accordance with this pattern and live wisely.

A personal example:

If an airplane obeys the reality of aerodynamics it will fly.

But if it disregards the pattern, then it will crash.

Another personal example:

There is a pattern to how relationships work.

Just think about your conversations and interactions with your spouse, or one of your close friends. There is a pattern of what works for good relationships, and what doesn’t.

Giving in a relationship always works better than taking.

Toxic relationships are often self-centered and crash.

My wife said to me recently after she observed me talking to a new member of our gym.

“I like it when you are interested and engaging other people instead of liking to be the interesting one.”

There is a fabric pattern to relational reality and if you don’t live in accordance with those rules, then your relationships will crash.

There is a pattern to God’s spiritual reality that contrasts our cultural reality. When we make decisions on what is best for us at the moment, we often disregard God’s reality of what is best for us eternally. When that happens, our spiritual lives will crash.

Foolishness is going against the pattern that God put in creation which always leads to breakdown.

Wisdom is a Person

²⁰ Wisdom shouts in the street,
She lifts her voice in the square;
²¹ At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
²² “How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded?
And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools hate knowledge?
²³ “Turn to my reproof,
Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; Proverbs 1:20-23

Throughout Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a woman, who is walking throughout our communities, in our residential streets, in our marketplaces, and in the government halls.

She is calling all to give attention to her words.

At the end of Proverbs, Agur confesses that he is searching for this Wisdom Personified - the One who possesses all Wisdom.

Surely I am more stupid than any man,
And I do not have the understanding of a man.
³ Neither have I learned wisdom,
Nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
⁴ Who has ascended into heaven and descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name or His son’s name?
Surely you know! Proverbs 30:2-4

It seems such a cryptic reference in this section of the Hebrew Scriptures. We have the fortune of hindsight to see this in the light of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, where He told Nicodemus that he must be born again if he wanted to see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” ¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? ¹¹ Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. ¹² If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. ¹⁴ As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; ¹⁵ so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷ John 3:9-17

Jesus is identifying Himself as the One Agur is searching for: Wisdom Personified.

John describes Jesus using a concept that was very familiar to the culture of his time.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. John 1:1-3

Word: Logos: The active creative force of God and the Wisdom of God.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. John 1:17-18