Wisdom

Proverbs 4:6-7 - Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.

According to “Wisdom” literature of the Bible (for the most part, Proverbs). The wise bring healing(12:18), take advice(13:10)(19:20), are humble (11:2), heed instruction (13:1)(19:20), build and work (14:1), gives thought to their ways (14:8), their path in life leads upwards (15:24), heed life-giving rebukes (15:31), bring future hope (24:14), keep themselves and their temper under control (19:11)(29:11), are disciplined (29:15), and please God (Ecclesiastes 2:26).

The opposite of the wise is the fool. The fool ignores rebukes (13:1), uses reckless words (12:18)(14:16), tears down their own house (14:1), seeks wisdom but cannot find it (14:6), is deceptive (14:8), his eye wanders to the ends of the earth (he never finds what he is looking for) (17:24), is led astray by drugs and drink (20:1), gives full vent to anger (29:11), takes no pleasure in understanding but only getting his opinion out (18:2), despises wisdom and instruction (1:7), his lip’s walk into a fight and his mouth invites a beating (18:6), his mouth is his ruin (18:7), enjoys doing wrong (10:23), lacks sense (15:21), receive only disgrace (3:35)(10:14)(10:8), quarrels (20:3)

Proverbs 9:13-17 - The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, ‘Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!’ And to him who lacks sense she says, ‘Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.’”

The fool. Foolish. Folly. How do you protect yourself against foolishness? And how do you get wisdom?

Job 28:28 - Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom...

Psalms 111:10 - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom....

Proverbs 1:7 - Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge...

Proverbs 3:7 - Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

Psalms 107:43 - Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord.

Fear of the Lord, fear of the Lord, fear of the Lord, and then the great love of the Lord? What in the world do those two things have in common?

Proverbs 13:10 - A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

What does that verse have to do with the fear of the Lord vs. the love of the Lord?

A child loves the parents, as the parents truly love the child. In fact, the strongest bond that exists in our world is between a parent and the child. But the child also fears disappointing the parents. There is a healthy fear. A fear that says I do not want to disappoint my Father, I do not want to disobey. And yes, I do not want to be disciplined by my Father but more than that. To disappoint Him is to disappoint myself. I fear Him because I love Him. I fear Him because He loves me. 

And that is the beauty of Wisdom. It comes from the fear of disappointing His love. Wisdom is His instructions, and being wise is obedience.

Jared Williams