Satisfaction | Knowable Word

Don’t Just Find Wisdom – Keep It!

April 8, 2013 By Peter Krol

Solomon promises blessing not only to those who find wisdom, but also to those who keep it.

My son, do not lose sight of these—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
And they will be life for your soul
And adornment for your neck.
Then you will walk on your way securely,
And your foot will not stumble.
If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Do not be afraid of sudden terror
Or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,
For the Lord will be your confidence
And will keep your foot from being caught (Prov 3:21-26, ESV).

Solomon details for a second time how wisdom satisfies. First, notice what’s similar between this list (Prov 3:21-26) and the first one (Prov 3:13-18). Both sections consist of six verses with a key word near the beginning and ending: This time the key word is “keep” (although, to be technical, the two “keeps” in the Hebrew text are synonyms and not the same word). In addition, both sections give the same list of benefits. Here’s the list from 21-26:

Life (Prov 3:22). Compare with “long life” on the first list.
Adornment (Prov 3:22). Compare with “honor.” Wisdom makes you influential, so others will honor you.
Security (Prov 3:23). Compare with “peace.” How could you be more secure than to have no (ultimately powerful) enemies?
No fear (Prov 3:24-25). Compare with “pleasantness.” The more you grow in godliness, the less you will fear being ruined. God is drawing you near, not pushing you away. You’ll sleep better because of it.
Confidence in the Lord (Prov 3:26). It’s possible that this item is parallel to “riches” on the first list. If so, Solomon explains what our true, lasting riches are: not anything found on earth at all, but a relationship with the Lord himself, made possible by the gift of his own righteousness.

Second, observe what’s different about the two sections: the first section is about “finding” wisdom and “getting” understanding (Prov 3:13), while the second section is about “keeping” them (Prov 3:21). It is not enough that we “find” wisdom (Prov 3:13). We must hold fast to it (Prov 3:18). We must never lose sight of it (Prov 3:21). We must keep it with us at all times (Prov 3:21). The difference is between beginning our journey and ending it. Remember that we never are wise; we can only become wise. Wise people are those who keep moving in the right direction. It might sound cliché, but it’s true: Wisdom is a journey, not a destination. The moment we slow down, we’ve lost our way.

The purpose of this journey is to take us to the Lord. Remember from chapter 1 that the wise are those who are moving toward the Lord. It is critical that we stay this course.

As we “keep” wisdom, the Lord himself will “keep” us from being caught (Prov 3:26). Caught by what, exactly?

Caught by our own love for being simple? Yes: See Prov 1:22.
Caught by others who will trample us on their way to self-fulfillment? Yes: See Prov 2:12-19.
Caught by the disappointment of living in a fallen world where things do not usually turn out as we expect? Yes: See Prov 3:11-12.
Caught by our proclivity to believe that money, or anything else we might desire, will give us the life, honor, pleasantness, and peace we’re looking for? Yes: See Prov 3:14-15.

God doesn’t want any of these things to ensnare you. Don’t ever let wisdom out of your grasp; chase after it every day. (See Prov 19:27.) Only wisdom can give the satisfaction you’re looking for.

One of my daughters loves fruit. She pursues it like a young lover; she consumes it like an American. She’ll lie like an incumbent to get it, and she’ll scream like a banshee if you take it. We took her strawberry picking once, before she could even walk, and she came home with the juice saturating her jumper, giving her the look of a cannibalistic fiend. She’ll rush through dessert just to get more fruit. Thirty minutes later, she’ll ask for more fruit in a cup to carry around the house and munch on. She’s simply insatiable, and our produce budget can’t keep up.

We should be like that when it comes to wisdom.

The Blessings of Finding Wisdom

April 1, 2013 By Peter Krol

Last week, we saw that those who find wisdom receive blessings. This week we’ll unpack what exactly those blessings are.

“Treasure Chest” by Tom Garnett (2012), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace (Prov 3:16-17, ESV).

Look at what awaits you if you find wisdom:

Long life (Prov 3:16). We saw previously that Solomon understands “long life” to go beyond the grave. You may or may not make it to age 100, but the life mentioned here is something far more significant. It is a “tree of life” (Prov 3:18). God took the tree of life from Adam and Eve when they sinned (Gen 3:22-24), but Jesus promised to give it back to everyone who endures in faith to the end: “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Rev 2:7). Finding wisdom is part of this restoration process.
Riches (Prov 3:16). Wisdom does not promise you more money; Solomon just said he’s offering something better than money (Prov 3:14-15)! The Lord offers a treasure that, unlike money, delivers from death: “Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death” (Prov 10:2). Wisdom’s wealth is God’s righteousness, now available through Jesus. It provides acceptance and rescue. (See Rom 3:21-26.)
Honor (Prov 3:16). It might not mean that everyone likes you. But there is a general trust and influence that results when you are gracious and humble, fearing the Lord: “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life” (Prov 22:4). Insightful people will see the outcome of your wise life and call you blessed (Prov 3:18). In Little Women, dying Beth finds a note written by her sister Jo enumerating her virtues and bestowing such honor as Solomon pledges. Her response? “Have I been all that to you, Jo? … Then I don’t feel as if I’d wasted my life. I’m not so good as you make me, but I have tried to do right.”
Pleasantness (Prov 3:17). When you seek wisdom, you may still suffer, but ultimately your way to God will become straight: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…and he will make straight your paths” (Prov 3:5-6). In other words, God’s will for you will become crystal clear: “For this is the will of God: your sanctification” (1 Thess 4:3). You will seek him and love him more every day. His commandments will seem more pleasant and less burdensome as you grow closer to him.
Peace (Prov 3:17). Our war with God has come to an end: “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). We can now be agents of reconciliation for others as well: “In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself…and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18-19). This peace will spill into every other relationship, wreaking havoc on disorder and waging war against conflict.

Why do we settle for less?

Finding Wisdom is Better than Anything

March 25, 2013 By Peter Krol

We think we’re blessed when life goes well for us. But Proverbs says we’re blessed if we find wisdom.

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
And the one who gets understanding,
For the gain from her is better than gain from silver
And her profit better than gold.
She is more precious than jewels,
And nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
Those who hold her fast are called blessed (Prov 3:13-18, ESV).

Thia section begins and ends with the word “blessed.” Notice the many blessings that come when one “finds wisdom” and “gets understanding” (Prov 3:13).

“Treasure Chest” by Tom Garnett (2012), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Prov 3:14-15 says that wisdom’s blessings are “better.” We’re often drawn to things like silver, gold, and jewels to give us value and satisfaction, but Solomon promises that what we gain from wisdom is better than whatever we might gain from such treasures. “But we don’t care about money,” we might say. “There are far more important things in life. Love, family, reputation, productivity, influence, world peace, pets, and chocolate all come to mind.” Solomon brushes every one aside with a sweeping, “And nothing you desire can compare with her” (Prov 1:15).

Consider the implications of this verse. Finding wisdom is a greater blessing than having sex, even if you waited until marriage. Wisdom is more satisfying than Thanksgiving dinner. Wisdom will make you happier than conceiving a child will. If your goal is to graduate, get a job, find a soul mate, help the needy, gain a hearing, start a business, write a book, join a band, fit in, get your kids through college, protect your kids from losing their faith in college, master theology, find a good church, go fishing, win the election, pay the bills, grow your church, buy a house, retire comfortably, live close to your grandchildren, leave a legacy, or be left alone, then your goal is too small. It won’t satisfy you. All of these things are good, but none of them can compare to wisdom.

We think we’re experts in satisfaction, but we’re like adolescents absorbed in hand-held video games at the beach: captivated in our own world while missing out on all the real fun.

Wisdom in Satisfaction

March 18, 2013 By Peter Krol

Over the last few weeks, we considered how wisdom speaks to our disappointment; now we’ll see that wisdom speaks to our satisfaction as well. The choices we make toward wisdom or folly can have a significant impact on the quality of our lives.

I know an aged couple who live an enviable retirement. They use their freedom to serve others more than themselves. The husband, a former pastor, provides free or cheap preaching to small churches that lack a full-time minister. The wife grows her own garden, cooks her own meals, and drives her own car. Although in their 80s, they frequent the local gym for aerobic exercise. They snack on oranges every evening, are living off their own savings, and get to see their grandchildren regularly.

Another elderly couple in my acquaintance unfortunately does not experience such delightful blessings. Their bodies have deteriorated from years of gluttony and various addictions. They have few friends because their conversation generally drifts into some sort of gossip or complaining. Their money has long since run out, and their children tire under the burden of both caring for them and negotiating matters with their creditors. I love these folks dearly, but I’m saddened by their situation.

I’m not arguing that it’s easy to make good choices, nor that the good life always results when wise people make righteous choices. My aim is simply to show that we don’t have to look very hard to uncover evidence of the fact that deeds have consequences. The chief consequence of wisdom is satisfaction: not in ourselves, but in the Lord Jesus. Satisfaction comes from having our desires met or exceeded, which can happen only through Jesus, who is our “wisdom from God” (1 Cor 1:30).

In this section of Proverbs, Solomon explains that there is tremendous satisfaction for those who find (Prov 3:13-18) and keep (Prov 3:21-26) wisdom. The reason is simple: God designed it this way so we’d be satisfied in him (Prov 3:19-20). As Augustine so keenly observed, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you” (Confessions, I.1.).

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