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Wisdom and Humility

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James J Jenkins (2009), Creative Commons

James J Jenkins (2009), Creative Commons

Wisdom takes flight in relationships.  It begins with the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7), gains momentum through seeking and finding (Prov. 2:1-8), and accelerates when we resist easy money and easy sex (Prov. 2:12-19).  In order to gain altitude, however, wisdom must be lived out humbly in relationships with real people.  Let me give an example.

I recently received some sharp criticism of my leadership in a particular area.  The critic was a friend who wanted to help, but he overstated his position with unexpected severity.  I was hurt and offended.  I wanted to protect myself.  I had lost my security – someone’s good will – and had to muster my self-respect.  To prevent a total loss, I prepared a masterful retaliatory strike.

Without realizing it, I had come to a crossroads with two paths before me: Would I choose the way of wisdom or the decline to folly?  In other words, did I believe all this stuff I was writing about wisdom, the fear of the Lord, and openness to change?  Would I live the truth out in my words and thoughts?  Would I despise instruction or humbly receive correction?

We all face the same choice every day.  Whenever other people are involved, our decisions demonstrate either humble wisdom or self-reliant folly.  Will we fear the Lord, breeding true humility, thinking of others more than ourselves?  Or will we turn inward and love ourselves most of all?

C.S. Lewis wrote that humility doesn’t mean thinking less of yourself; it means thinking of yourself less.  In other words, both “I’m awesome” and “I’m a terrible person” are proud statements.  The humble person chooses simply not to focus on himself, positively or negatively.  The humble person puts others first, loving them at least as much as he loves himself.  Such a person models Jesus’ life-giving death.

In this section of Proverbs, Solomon prohibits a number of proud and self-protective behaviors (Prov. 3:27-30) and catalogues God’s opinions of people who engage in them (Prov. 3:32-35).   Like the previous section, this passage has a center (Prov. 3:31), which this time exposes the heart of our selfish behavior.

Don’t Defend Yourself or Encourage Gossip

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ThemeliosThe Gospel Coalition recently published a new volume of its Themelios journal.  Within there lies a fantastic article by Eric Ortlund about “The Pastoral Implications of Wise and Foolish Speech in the Book of Proverbs.”

Now don’t get discouraged by the long title.  The article is great.  It quotes a little Hebrew, but always translates it for you.

Here’s his point:

I would like to argue that, in the book of Proverbs, one cannot argue with a fool without making things worse. The wise person instead trusts the Lord to intervene by silencing and stopping foolish speech and vindicating those who trust him.

And from his conclusion:

We must scour our hearts, with the help of the Spirit, for foolish tendencies in ourselves. For instance, if I have something negative to say about another Christian, have I said it to anyone else? While there are a few situations in which one might have to do this (if one is asked, for example, to recommend another Christian for a ministry position), it is extremely easy to point out the faults of other Christians to third parties. This is foolish because Jesus, our wisdom and our great high priest, is interceding for all Christians, speaking the best of them before the Father. Why would we speak any differently? To give another example: in a disagreement, do I spin things in my favor? Do I believe all things and hope all things for the other Christian (1 Cor 13:7)? Or do I assume the worst about them?

Ortlund expands on ideas I’ve written about the three kinds of people in Proverbs, and he beautifully applies the teaching of Proverbs to this difficult area of criticism, attacks, and gossip.

I highly recommend you check it out!

Find Your Satisfaction in Jesus

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court-gavel_0God’s example shows us the way of satisfaction.  His empowerment fuels our search for satisfaction.  But most importantly, his Son motivates our satisfaction and makes it possible, because he shows us that the Lord’s satisfaction is more important than our own.

Jesus satisfied God’s justice so we could be satisfied by his mercy.  Jesus filled himself with our sin so we could be filled with his righteousness.  Jesus is ready; we have only to ask for more of him, and we’ll be the most satisfied people on the planet: “Until now you have asked nothing in my name.  Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).  Wisdom pushes us toward the Lord to rub shoulders with his Son, who is our life.

If you are the unhappy romantic, you might look to Jesus’ example to show you how to love.  You might even ask for his Spirit to help you love rightly.  In the end, however, your only hope is to rest in the fact that Jesus already loves and respects you.  He suffered for your failure to obey him, and God treats you as his son or daughter – as though Jesus’ obedience were your own.

Drawing nearer to the Lord through the grace of Christ will melt your heart and conform it to his heart.  Then it won’t be so bad if you don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend; all you’ll need is Christ.  If you do get hitched, you’ll do it for Jesus and not yourself, which is so much more satisfying.  It’s okay if another person lets you down, because Jesus never will.

I know someone who is totally satisfied with his life.  He has a high-powered professional career, a beautiful and delightful girlfriend, a lovely home in the heart of a large city, and a perfect home theater system.  He has plenty of golfing buddies.  His future looks good.  His goals are clear.  I love this man, and I pray that he’ll get to know Christ.  I’ve tried telling him the Good News, but how do you convince someone that he needs Jesus when he already has everything he wants?  What concerns me most is not that he wants too much, but that he doesn’t really want enough.  He settles for small corporeal pleasures, but doesn’t see that these things will end up letting him down.  Please pray for him, and for others you know like him, that his quest for satisfaction would culminate in the best place possible: with Jesus.

And let’s be the kind of people who turn to the Lord for our satisfaction and reflect his joy and glory in everything we do.

Satisfaction is God’s Design Part 3: Redemption

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To find satisfaction, we must follow God’s example and receive his provision.  But that’s not enough.  Here’s a third reason for looking to the Lord for satisfaction

3.  In redeeming all things, God became wisdom.

God’s example and God’s empowerment are wonderful things, but they are not enough to satisfy us with wisdom.  If God merely demonstrated and disbursed wisdom, it would be bad news for sinful people; God’s example would crush us, and his empowerment would condemn us.  So he didn’t leave it there.

Instead, he became wisdom for us.  The eternal God entered the world as a man, Jesus Christ, and he did for us what we could not do for ourselves: find and keep wisdom.  He showed us wisdom, he gave us wisdom, and best of all, he became our wisdom (1 Cor 1:30).

Jesus lived without a trace of foolishness and should have been rewarded with long life, riches, honor, pleasantness, and peace.  However, consider what he got:

"At the cross I bow my knee" by Demi-Brooke (2009), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Demi-Brooke (2009), Creative Commons

  1. Instead of gaining long life, he died a premature death in our place.
  2. Instead of keeping riches (a close relationship with God), he was abandoned on the cross by his heavenly father.
  3. Instead of receiving honor, he experienced great shame in the physical nakedness of his crucifixion and the spiritual darkness of his substitution when he became sin for us.
  4. Instead of finding pleasantness (a straight path to God), he was cut off from fellowship with the one he loved most.
  5. Instead of enjoying peace, he was attacked by God and men.

Yet in dying our death, he brought us life: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21).  After God accepted Jesus’ sacrificial death on our behalf, he raised Jesus up:

  1. He came back from the dead, acquiring an indestructible life.
  2. His relationship with God (true riches) was restored, and he took his seat at God’s right hand.
  3. His shame gave way to unprecedented honor, for every knee will bow at his name.
  4. The pleasantness (unhindered straightness) of his way to God was restored.  And this restoration is not just for him, but also for all who love him.
  5. As was foretold at his birth, he brought glory to God in heaven and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.

In short, Jesus lived wisely, and we could not; so he took our place.  Upon doing so, he suffered the consequences of our foolishness, so that we who are fools could reap the satisfying rewards of his wisdom.  Such is wisdom: Accept God’s rescue.

Satisfaction is God’s Design, Part 2: Provision

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To find satisfaction, we must follow God’s example.  But that’s not enough.  Here’s a second reason for looking to the Lord for satisfaction.

2.  In enthroning mankind, God provided wisdom.

"Plug" by Rob Pongsajapan (2005), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Rob Pongsajapan (2005), Creative Commons

At the end of God’s creating work, he gave humanity the authority to rule the world as his representatives: “Fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over…every living thing” (Gen 1:28).  They were to care for and protect God’s possessions with love and respect: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Gen 2:15).  When God entrusted people with this task, he did not leave them ill-equipped.  He gave them everything they needed: clear instructions (Gen 1:28, 2:16-17), nutrition (Gen 1:29-30), hydration (Gen 2:10-14), aesthetics (Gen 2:9: “every tree that is pleasant to the sight”), and life (Gen 2:7).  He even spelled out the consequences of failure so they’d know what to expect: “in the day that you eat of [the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] you shall surely die” (Gen 2:17).  In short, he gave them both the knowledge of what to do, and the resources to carry it out.  He built wisdom right into the world so they could download it into their hearts.  Such is wisdom: Receive God’s help.

What does God’s empowerment have to do with satisfaction?  God’s gift to the wise is not only the strength to make wise choices, but also the satisfaction found in doing so.  (See Ecc 5:18-20.)  If you need strength to do what God wants you to do, you’ll have to seek God to get it.  He is the giver of instruction and ability.  Wisdom pushes us toward the Lord to receive his power for living.

Let’s say you have a history of unwise dating relationships.  You can’t resist a nice body or an attentive ear.  You get the attention you desire, but you desire more of it all the time.  Because you haven’t learned self-control and self-sacrifice, you can’t keep your lips or hands off your partner.  You feel guilty every time you cross the line, but you can see your resolve weakening.  You know what Jesus wants you to do.  You know what he would do in your place.  It’s just so hard to do it yourself.  What hope is there that you can find and keep wisdom, and be satisfied in doing so?

Know that if you trust in Jesus, his Spirit is within you.  He is at work in you to carry out his will.  He can make you more faithful and selfless than you thought possible.  His example might encourage you, but his indwelling power provides you with the strength to change.  Stop making excuses.  Ask him for help, and believe that he can give it.

R.C. Sproul’s Proverbial Peccadillo

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Thanks to Jake Swink for pointing out a helpful post by R.C. Sproul on the Proverbs.

Sproul uses Prov 26:4-5 to show how the application of a proverb often depends on the situation.  Part of wisdom is figuring out which instructions apply to different life situations!  Read Sproul’s excellent thoughts, and learn wisdom from a sage.

However, I disagree with the framing of Sproul’s chief conclusion that proverbs “reflect insights that are generally [not universally] true.”  In his book Knowing Scripture, Sproul elaborates the point: “A common mistake in biblical interpretation and application is to give a proverbial saying the weight or force of a moral absolute” (p. 89).

This approach to Proverbs is common among evangelicals.  Even the ESV Study Bible, which I really appreciate, goes in that direction.  Consider the note on Proverbs 3:9-10:

“Your barns will be filled with plenty is a generalization concerning the effect of honoring the Lord with all that one has and is.  It is not, however, more than a generalization (as Job’s comforters held), for to view this as a mechanical formula dishonors God and his inscrutable sovereign purposes.”

Sproul believes proverbs are not commands, and the ESV Study Bible claims they are not promises.

My problem here is that this approach to Proverbs fosters mistrust of the text by claiming that it doesn’t really say what it says.  So, “Honor the Lord with your wealth…then your barns will be filled with plenty” (Prov 3:9-10) applies only when you’re not in a recession.  Since proverbs are not promises, they must be only probabilities.

But I ask: Is Prov 2:1-5 not really a command with a promise?  If I seek wisdom, is it possible, but not guaranteed, that I can know God?  Can someone seek and seek and never find him?

Is Prov 3:11-12 only generally true?  If I suffer God’s discipline, is it only generally true that he loves me as a father loves his son?  Might he actually be disappointed with me, even if I’m trusting in Christ?

Is Prov 4:5 not a moral absolute?  Is it not really the case that God commands people to get wisdom and hold on to his commandments?  Perhaps not, since it might be only a generalization to think that God will give life to those who find wisdom (Prov 8:35).

No, there’s got to be a better way to read Proverbs.

As commentator Bruce Waltke states,

“The popular evangelical solution that these are not promises but probabilities, though containing an element of truth, raises theological, practical, and psychological problems by stating the matter badly…A psychologically well person could scarcely trust God with all his heart (Prov 3:5) knowing that he usually, but not always, keeps his obligations” (The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 1-15 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2004), pp. 107-8).

So how would I frame the conclusion differently?  I would say that, yes, biblical proverbs (at least those with imperatives) are commandments.  Yes, proverbs (at least those that promise something) contain divine promises.  But they are commandments/promises with a context.  Each one applies (always) in its situation, but we ought not misapply it beyond the proper situation (as Sproul ably demonstrates in Prov 26:4-5).

See, I don’t really disagree with Sproul all that much.  I agree with what he gets at in Prov 26; I just disagree with how he got there.   To say that proverbs “reflect insights that are [only] generally true” is to over-generalize what proverbs intend.  Such over-generalization can be misleading.

Observations about Women in Proverbs 31

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On Saturday, the Huffington Post ran a Religion article about what Proverbs 31 says (and doesn’t say) about women.  The journalist makes some excellent observations from the text.

The unfortunate thing is that he concludes that a woman’s value ought to be found in her character and accomplishments, when the Bible claims that one’s value derives from Christ and not self (Col 3:1-4).

Check it out!

How’d You Do That? (9/16/12)

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From time to time we like to “show our work” and explain what principles drive our Bible study.

In Sunday’s post, we examined Proverbs 1:10, ESV (“My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent”) and saw how the Bible commands us to reject easy money.  Here’s how we got there.

Observation

By observing the grammar of the verse, we noticed that the main sentence is a command: “Do not consent.”  Also, we observed the words: the thing we ought not consent to is enticement from sinners.

Interpretation

In my study, I started with a question: what is the enticement from sinners that we ought not consent to?  Is it just anything, or does Solomon have something specific in mind?

Answering that question led me to observe the whole section (Prov 1:10-19) in its context.  This examination led me to observe the final verse (Prov 1:19), which makes clear that the chief enticement Solomon has in mind is toward “unjust gain.”

What is “unjust gain”?  Acquiring money or possessions through any unlawful means.  Since most of the section describes a gang recruiting someone to violence against another person, it would appear that Solomon considers “unjust” any means of gaining money that will hurt other people.

Thus, my conclusion of the main idea: “the pursuit of a quick buck, at the cost of serving others, will always keep us from being wise.”

Application

From here, we merely had to consider what it looks like in our generation to gain more money at the cost of serving others.

The chief heart application is that we allow ourselves to be sucked into money-making schemes (like going into more credit card debt, getting a new car like the neighbor’s, or spending too much time at the office).

By way of head application, we must know which things will tempt us, and we must choose in advance to watch out for them.

For hands application, we should make different choices when the temptation comes.  We should reject easy money.

See here for an explanation of these three types of application.

 

My hope in walking through this process is that you will be able to duplicate it in your own study of the Bible!

Observation tip: Look for contrasts

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“The real problem is not why some pious, humble, believing people suffer, but why some do not.” – C.S. Lewis

“Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable.” – Mark Twain

“I don’t think marriage is a civil right, but I think that being able to transfer property is a civil right.” – Barack Obama

The quotes above, regardless of whether you agree with them or not, have this in common: they are all statements of contrast. (We’ve written about other examples of contrasts in an earlier post.) Contrasts are very helpful at emphasizing the difference between two things. That is, each side of a contrast can contain some observation that is useful, but when compared against one another, their differences are highlighted. This is very useful in determining the main point of the speaker/author.

We use contrasts all the time in our daily speech and the Scriptures are chock full of them. One sure-fire way to spot a contrast is to look for the word, “but”. That’s not the only way to find contrasts, but it’s a good starting point. (Did you notice that contrast right there?)

Consider these texts and how the contrasts emphasize the statements:

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” (Proverbs 31:28-29 ESV, emphasis mine)

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. (Romans 4:13-16 ESV, emphasis mine)

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18 ESV, emphasis mine)

The three examples above are from Proverbs, Romans and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). All three of those sections of Scripture make frequent use of contrasts. Why not go through a chapter or two of those sections to see how many contrasts you can pick out, and what it tells us about God, men, sin and salvation? It will be well worth your time!

Sometimes the Point is Clear

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Some Biblical authors are very clear about why they wrote their books.  When you study these books, don’t feel the need to be particularly profound.  If you don’t get to the stated point, you’re probably missing something.

  1. Proverbs – to know wisdom, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction, to give prudence, to understand a proverb (Prov 1:1-6).
  2. Luke – to give an orderly account, that we might have certainty concerning the things we have been taught (Luke 1:1-4).
  3. John – so you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, and have life in his name (John 20:30-31).
  4. 1 John – so you may know you have life (1 John 5:13).
  5. Jude – to encourage us to contend for the faith (Jude 3).
  6. Revelation – to reveal Jesus Christ and show his servants the things that must soon take place (Rev 1:1).

Please feel free to comment if I missed any.