Wisdom is the Principal Thing

"Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom: and in all your getting, get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7)

Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom. Since wisdom is the principal thing, wisdom should be obtained before anything else. Wisdom should be my first priority. I should gain wisdom before I try to learn all the prophecies, theologies, histories, and mysteries of the Bible. Wisdom should be obtained before gold, silver, jewels, and riches. Wisdom is the principle thing. In fact, all of these things – gold, silver, jewels, and riches – should be expended in the pursuit of gaining wisdom, because it is more valuable than these things. No price is too high to be paid for her, no sacrifice too great.

1. It is more valuable than gold - "My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver" (Proverbs 8:19).
2. It is more precious than jewels - "For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things one may desire cannot be compared to her" (Proverbs 8:11).
3. It is more valuable than riches - "Riches and honor are with me; enduring riches and righteousness" (Proverbs 8:18).

So, what is wisdom? Wisdom is seeing the hand of God in every experience of life. (From “The Power for True Success: How to Build Character in Your Life,” p. 187)

Based on this definition, it is important to take the time to relate my experiences to God working in my life and to apply Scripture to those experiences. By doing this, I will grow in my understanding of how God works in my life and learn what He is trying to teach me.

In the next few blogs, I will discuss a Biblical plan to develop wisdom.

Proverbs 14:2 "Do You Really Love God?"

“He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.”

How easy it is to say we love God! It is even easy to fool others into thinking we are 'good Christians.' Read this verse carefully. If you walk in uprightness, if you obey the commands of God, you fear Him. If not, if you are perverse, following your own desires, your own passions, your own 'god', then you despise the true God. What you do in secret will be exposed publicly. You may pretend devotion, but if you are not obedient to God's commands, you will be reckoned with as a despiser of God Himself.

Do you even know God's commands as laid out in the New Testament? Commit this day to search the Scriptures, find them, make a list of them, and obey them. Matthew 5-7 is an excellent place to start.
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Related Scriptures: Ecclesiastes 12:13; Romans 2:4-5; 2 Timothy 3:2-3

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“For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.” - Mark 4:22

Proverbs 3:5-6: “Adding Up God's Direction”

(5) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; (6) in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Verses 5-6 present one of the most beautiful truths in the Word of God: that God will guide you through life. God is a personal God and very interested in your life. But before we get there, let’s look at the three parts to having God’s guidance.

These two verses could be written as a mathematical formula: (Trust in the Lord with all your heart + lean not on your own understanding) + in all your ways acknowledge Him = He shall direct your paths.

The couplet in verse 5 shows the importance of not relying on worldly wisdom. God’s ways are much different than our ways. If we do not trust Him completely, forsaking our own understanding, we will not be able to see His guiding. Instead, we will walk down the path of our own choosing, and it would most certainly not be the path that God would have us walk.

To make sure we trust God with all our heart, we are exhorted to acknowledge God in all our ways. This brings the important principle of seeing God at work in all areas of our lives. We may not understand what God is doing, but we should be aware that God is acting and acknowledge that it is indeed God who is at work. This is very important when trials come our way. When life is difficult, we frequently want to complain. However, instead of grumbling or complaining, we should thank God for acting in our lives, remembering that God is sovereign and will always do what is best for us.

The word “acknowledge” comes from the Hebrew word YADA and the word primarily means “to know relationally or experientially.” In all our ways we are “to know Him relationally.” We are to maintain a relationship with God through all circumstances, trusting Him, following Him. As we maintain our relationship with God through Bible study, prayer, and meditation, we will know His direction for our life.

 

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Related Scriptures: Mat. 6:33; 1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17

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“Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable. How many hours are there in a mile? Is yellow square or round? Probably half the questions we ask--half our great theological and metaphysical problems--are like that.” ~ C. S. Lewis - A Grief Observed

Proverbs 3:1-4 “Faithfulness to the Father’s Teaching”

(1) My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; (2) for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.

(3) Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, (4) and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.

Chapter 3 begins with the 3^rd appeal by the father to his son, which covers verses 1-12. This appeal includes six sets of instructions. The first two sets (v. 1-4) is an exhortation to remain faithful to the father’s teaching. The last four sets (v. 5-12) is an exhortation to remain faithful to the Lord.

In the first of instructions (v. 1-2), the father urges his son not only to remember his teaching, but to put into practice the wisdom that has been taught. By living according to wise principles, the son will reap three benefits.

1. Length of days – This phrase speaks of a life lived in and satisfied only in the Lord (Deuteronomy 30:20). This life is given to those who walk in obedience (Psalm 91:16; Proverbs 3:2) and wisdom (Proverbs 3:16).
2. Long life – This includes both a life with many years and a life worth living.
3. Peace – Even though your life will be long, it will not be burdensome. You will have inward tranquility. Indeed, the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and mind.

In the second set of instructions, the wise father appeals to his son not to forsake mercy and truth. Mercy and truth are to be applied externally (“bind them around your neck”) and internally (“write them on the tablet of your heart”).

The external application of mercy is performing good and charitable acts to others. The internal application is development the Godly character of mercy, of lovingkindness. This is given to those who keep His covenants and His testimonies. (Psalm 25:10)

The external application of truth is faithfulness, obedience to God by walking in His commands. The internal application is the rejection of all falsehood and hypocrisy of character.

As mercy and truth increase in your life, you will reap benefits in your relationship with both God and man. A wise man desires and seeks the favor of God and also wishes to have the favor man. These were characteristic of our Lord (Luke 2:52).

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Related Scriptures: Mat. 23:23; 1 Peter 3:3-4

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“Being all fashioned of the self-same dust, let us be merciful as well as just.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Proverbs 2:20-22 “Wisdom Blessing #5: Righteous Living”

 (20) So you may walk in the way of goodness, and keep to the paths of righteousness. (21) For the upright will dwell in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; (22) but the wicked will be cut off from the earth, and the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.

At the beginning of the chapter, the father tells the son how to gain wisdom. Desire, diligence, and effort exerted over time are some of the keys to gaining wisdom. It is not gained quickly or easily. Now, the father describes wisdom’s fifth reward. Wisdom will keep you in the way of goodness and to the paths of righteousness. This is no doubt the best path to be on throughout life as this path will allow you to dwell and remain in the land.

However, this speaks about more than just your life, it speaks toward the inheritance which the righteous will pass on. Wisdom’s enduring nature is seen as being passed on from generation to generation. This is what is happening in the book of Proverbs. The father who has wisdom is teaching his son wisdom so that it will be passed on to the next generation. The effort put forth to gain wisdom produces a more than a lifetime of fruit. It reaches into the next generation so they can receive its blessings.

However, the other path – the path of the fool, the one who rejects God and His ways – leads to death (see v. 18-19). These wicked men will be cut off and uprooted from the earth. There will be no enduring blessings, no lasting happiness, and no bright future.

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Related Scriptures: Psalm 37:9-34; Matthew 5:5

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He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. – Psalms 25:13-14

Proverbs 2:16-19 “Wisdom Blessing #4: Protection from the Evil Woman”

(16) To deliver you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words, (17) who forsakes the companion of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God. (18) For her house leads down to death, and her paths to the dead; (19) none who go to her return, nor do they regain the paths of life

She’s beautiful. She’s giving you a lot of attention. She wants more. A lot more.

You have desires. You have needs. You want more. A lot more.

How will you resist her temptation? You probably won’t. You’ve already gone far. You’ve already let your mind go down the wrong path. You have given into lust and it is now controlling your thoughts. You have already put yourself in a compromising position.

How does wisdom deliver you from the immoral woman? When the seductress begins to flatter you, wisdom sends up the red flags. You never allow your mind to dwell on her, her words, or her physical beauty. Wisdom is stopping it before it gets started. Wisdom allows you to recognize that she does not have your best interest in mind. She wants what she can get out of you. Wisdom allows you to recognize the consequences of going down this path before you ever set foot on this path. Momentary pleasure = Lifetime of suffering.

She has abandon previous lovers. She has abandon God. She will derail you from the right path, causing you to leave God. In the end, she will bring you more misery than you ever thought possible. You will never recover. Momentary pleasure = Lifetime of suffering. Is it really worth it?

Proverbs provides two lengthy descriptions of the immoral woman and the results of giving in to her words. They are listed below and worthy of your time to read and understand them. Inoculate yourself now so that when the temptation comes, you will be able to flee.

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Related Scriptures: Proverbs 5:3-20; 7:5-23; 1 Corinthians 6:18

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What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is they don't want to discourage it completely.

Proverbs 2:12-15 “Wisdom Blessing #3: Protection from the Evil Man”

(12) To deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things,  (13) from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness;  (14) who rejoice in doing evil, and delight in the perversity of the wicked;  (15) whose ways are crooked, and who are devious in their paths. 


The first two blessings of wisdom are knowing God & discernment for living. Wisdom now provides its third blessing: protection from evil men and their perverse paths. If the young man has heeded his fathers exhortation to learn wisdom, when the wicked, perverse man comes, the wisdom the young man has stored up will recognize the wicked man and guide the son away.

Who is this wicked man? When you read this, you may picture a hunched over, gangly, old man. I don’t think that is who this wise father is warning his son about. The son is young and is making friends. The wise father is most likely warning his son to be careful of his peers, those who are his own age. Those are the ones he is most likely to be tempted by. They pose the greatest danger as the young man begins to make friends that will influence the course of his life. Wicked men don't come with a warning sign around their neck stating that they are wicked, will ruin your life, and you need to avoid them. They come, sound enticing, and offer fun. However, wisdom learned in earlier times will send the warning so that you are not lured away. These are the type of young men that you must avoid and not associate with. This is one of the ways wisdom will preserve you (see v. 11).
These are the wicked men that come and offer their version of ‘fun.’ This ‘fun’ is at the expense of others. Their speech is wicked, a sure indication of what is in their heart. These wicked men have no interest in walking rightly, only in darkness. The delight in doing evil and in the perversity of others. They follow the path that leads to destruction. They have no interest in or fear of the Lord. They enjoy their wickedness and desire to bring others to join  their wickedness. Their paths are in direct contrast to the right paths wisdom will guide you in (see v. 9).
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Related Scriptures: Acts 20:30
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Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” - 1 Corinthians 15:33