Wisdom’s counterfeits have been around from the beginning.
Wisdom has built her house;
She has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her beasts;
She has mixed her wine;
She has also set her table.
She has sent out her young women to call
From the highest places in the town,
‘Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!’
To him who lacks sense she says,
‘Come, eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways, and live,
And walk in the way of insight.’The woman Folly is loud;
Proverbs 9:1-6, 13-18
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.’
But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.”
Wisdom and Folly are two women who both want to have you over for dinner. One of them has done the hard work of building her house, setting the table, and sending her servants out with a personal invitation for you. The other woman is a moocher. She just sits in her doorway moaning, and the best she has to offer you is what she stole from the first lady. She’s a phony, a fake, and a counterfeit.
Wisdom’s Counterfeits
Today, there are all kinds of phony beliefs people have about wisdom, and becoming wise. The sneakiest of these are not total falsehoods, but rather half-truths. The woman Folly offers a real, albeit unsatisfying, banquet. In other words, these counterfeits sound and feel credible on the surface, but they don’t fully capture the truth of God’s wisdom. Here are 5 examples of wisdom’s counterfeits prevalent in our culture. For each one, I’ll state the common perception, identify the true part of it, and expose the foolish part of it.
1. Wisdom comes from something inherent in our status, like noble birth or wealth.
What is true about this idea? By living wisely, someone may actually be able to improve his circumstances or status (Proverbs 3:16). However, the folly surfaces when we realize that even rich people can be fools (Psalm 49:20).
2. Wisdom comes with education.
The truth here is that godly people should value good education (Proverbs 23:23). What part of this example is foolish? Those with education, degrees, titles, or letters after their names are still fools if they haven’t been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).
3. Wisdom comes with experience.
The truth: experiencing or practicing something can help us grow in discernment (Hebrews 5:14). The folly: even the most experienced individual may not have learned the right lessons yet (Proverbs 27:22).
4. Wisdom comes with age.
The truth: there may be a certain wise perspective that comes with the hindsight of age (Psalm 37:25). The folly: unfortunately, some older folks can be bitter, unteachable, and more foolish than ever (Ecclesiastes 4:13).
5. Wisdom comes with leadership.
This counterfeit is particularly insidious because godly leadership is a gift from God, and also because those who are young and simple desperately want trustworthy heroes. However, Jesus often was most angry with those who used their positions of religious leadership to excuse and ignore their own incessant moral failures. The truth to hold on to is that our church leaders should be the wisest people in the community: an elder or church leader “must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9). We get this backward, however, when we think leadership qualifies a person to be a wise counselor, rather than recognizing that wisdom is what qualifies a person for leadership (Psalm 119:99). Just because this person is my priest, pastor, bishop, elder, deacon, Sunday School teacher, youth leader, or parent, does not mean that everything he or she says is wise or biblical! Everyone (except for Jesus) is a sinner who makes mistakes, occasionally demonstrates unclear thinking, or simply might be too subjective to make a good decision right now. Therefore, we must be careful not to naively equate wisdom with leadership roles.
Wisdom’s Reality
What is the whole truth? How does one actually become wise? Go back and re-read Proverbs 9:1-6, 13-18 and see that the answer is this: You become wise by dining at wisdom’s table. You simply know the best place to eat! You’re hungry, and you need some carbs. You refuse to consume counterfeits; you want the real deal. Imitation crab meat might help your casserole in a pinch, but who would choose that over an authentic Maryland feast awash in Old Bay seasoning?
What does it mean to dine at wisdom’s table? “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink” (John 6:53-55). Jesus is wisdom’s feast. Trust in him. Feast on his goodness and mercy. Ask him for life and wisdom. Quit gorging yourself on the secret bread of reputation, pleasure, relationships, wealth, or religious activity.
In Proverbs 1 through 9, Wisdom will build her house. She’ll hew out her pillars. She’ll cook her meat and mix her wine. She’ll even set a place for you at the table. Then she’ll invite you to tuck in and enjoy the feast. The rest of Proverbs will lie before you ready for consumption. Even more so, the rest of Scripture will open up for you, a delightful spread of all manner of wonderful things. But above all, Jesus will become more real to you, his mercy will extend toward you, and his passion for your freedom and glory will captivate you. All you can do then is start munching.
Next week we’ll begin.
This post was first published in 2012.
