Wordly Wisdom | Knowable Word

The End of Wisdom

October 6, 2014 By Peter Krol

Teti-Tots (2010), Creative Commons

This is my last post about Proverbs 1-9, and I end where Solomon ends—with a warning. Though folly looks a lot like wisdom, don’t let it deceive you. It will flatter you, trick you, and end you.

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 in pleasant.”
But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol. (Prov 9:13-18, ESV)

I’ve listed extensive comparisons and contrasts between the feasts of wisdom and folly. In this post, I simply want to warn you of 4 things that look like wisdom but are not. They have ensnared many in our day.

Materialism

Some find their life and security in their abundance of possessions. Others react and find their life and security in their lack of possessions. Both are fools, though they often think themselves wise. Money is neither a god to be worshiped nor a demon to be exorcised. It is a tool useful for building God’s kingdom. It makes friends; it persuades kings. But God can give it or take it away as he pleases, and the wise will bow to him alone.

Sensuality

Some think sex will make them happy. Others react and treat it as something unfit to be discussed in Bible study. Both are fools, though they often think themselves wise. Sex is neither the chief end of man nor the fruit of the fall. The wise won’t ignore the temptation common to man, to abuse this gift. And the wise won’t wield the subject like a taser, merely for its shock value. But…what can I say? The wise husband loves his wife’s breasts (Prov 5:19). And the wise wife will find things about her husband that are equally intoxicating (Song 1:2).

Autonomy

“If you are wise, you are wise for yourself” (Prov 9:12). But that doesn’t mean you can be wise by yourself. Nor that you get to decide what is wise (Gen 3:6). Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, and it ends when instruction goes despised and unheeded. Those who have their act together may have an appearance of wisdom, but they deny wisdom’s true power to change and guide anyone (Prov 1:5).

Authoritarianism

Some fools believe their role or authority gives them value and power over people. Those who support such folly are fools themselves. A sanitized version of this folly exists in our churches when leaders are willing to tell their people what to do without being expected to show their people how to do it.

Now I’m not without guilt here. I drink these four poisons, and a thousand more, daily. The point of Proverbs is not to consign us to our folly but to expose the counterfeits so we might crave something more sumptuous.

Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:1-2)

5 Things the Wise Person Can Do

July 21, 2014 By Peter Krol

Because God implanted his wisdom in this world, wisdom empowers us for life in this world. It doesn’t take us out of this world into vague, ethereal, or escapist sentiments. Thus, true wisdom will never lead us into otherworldly practices like denying pain (Prov 3:11-12), forbidding pleasure (Prov 5:18-19), or romanticizing the past (Eccl 7:10).

In Proverbs 8:12-21, we saw 5 things wisdom won’t do in this life. The wise person will take these things to heart and apply them diligently.

Because wisdom won’t run out (Prov 8:12), you can always draw on it. Wisdom is available to you, and it will always be available to you. You don’t have to rely on the experts to tell you what to think, and you don’t have to wait on authority figures to tell you what to do. Your questions are not beyond God’s concern, and your problems are not beyond God’s reach. And when same-sex marriage is universally legalized and religious freedom is broadly rejected, it won’t mean that divine wisdom has failed or gone on vacation. We shouldn’t get so uptight about increased hostility, lost opportunity, or apparently restricted liberty. Such things cannot thwart God’s kingdom and gospel from advancing. “And though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us, we will not fear for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us” (Martin Luther).

Because wisdom won’t pander to pride (Prov 8:13), you can relinquish your self-interest. You won’t get what you want by demanding it. And just because you don’t have to rely on experts or wait on authorities—it doesn’t mean that you can’t learn from anyone. You’re not always the expert or the authority; God made you to function in community with others. If you don’t have to protect or defend yourself, you’re free to hate the evil within you as much as the Lord does. Only then will you find the wisdom you need to put it to death. Luther again: “No man can glory in thy sight; all must alike confess thy might and live alone by mercy.”

Because wisdom won’t let you down (Prov 8:14-16), you have every reason to execute your responsibility faithfully. You can move into your own place. You can buy that house; you can learn that skill. You can work hard, even under a harsh supervisor. You can love and respect your spouse, even if it’s not returned. You can discipline your children consistently, even if it feels like you’ll do nothing but spank them all day (the feeling isn’t true!). You can lead your own Bible study this year. You can tame your tongue. You can set aside sexual immorality. The Spirit of wisdom—the Spirit of God—can do all these things and more through you. More Luther: “Christ is himself the joy of all, the Sun that warms and lights us. By his grace he doth impart eternal sunshine to the heart; the night of sin is ended! Alleluia!”

Because wisdom won’t play hard to get (Prov 8:17), you have only to ask. There’s nothing to complain about. You don’t need to make more money or buy more books. You don’t need to go to seminary or Bible college. You don’t have to earn your way. You don’t have to prove yourself. You have not because you ask not. Everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. Those who knock are the ones who have all the open doors. There’s no mystery here; you can try it now: “God, please give me wisdom for _____________. My only hope is Christ. Amen.” Luther once again nails it: “Christ alone our souls will feed; he is our meat and drink indeed. Faith lives upon no other!”

Because wisdom won’t leave you empty-handed (Prov 8:18-21), you have everything to gain by seeking it! Sure, you might spend some money or sacrifice financial stability. You might give up some free time that could have been spent on amusement. You’ll risk misunderstanding or ridicule if you look too fanatical. But what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Guess who: “Happy the man who feareth God, whose feet his holy ways have trod; thine own good hand shall nourish thee, and well and happy shalt thou be.”

Don’t Abuse the Sexiest Parts of the Bible

September 30, 2013 By Peter Krol

Drink water from your own cistern,
Flowing water from your own well.
Should your springs be scattered abroad,
Streams of water in the streets?
Let them be for yourself alone,
And not for strangers with you.
Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice in the wife of your youth,
A lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;
Be intoxicated always in her love.
Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman
And embrace the bosom of an adulteress? (Prov 5:15-20, ESV)

Sexual freedom is an illusion because immorality always brings death. But the Lord’s alternative is surprisingly intoxicating.

Before sipping from the glory of this text, however, consider two misconceptions regarding such sexually ecstatic and eye-popping-ly explicit Bible passages.

No peeking!

The first misconception is that it’s not decent. We shouldn’t discuss anatomy in public. Intoxicating love is awkward and uncomfortable. This sort of thing is okay to discuss in the last session of pre-marital counseling (at least, if the couple-to-be asks about it), but nowhere else.

Such prudishness about sexual matters led the medieval church to all sorts of ridiculous limitations on not only discussion but also the practice of vibrant sexuality in marriage. A friend of mine once showed me a “flow chart of sexual decision making, according to medieval penitential manuals.”[1] If you’re trying to bring back that loving feeling, make sure you answer each of the following questions correctly.

Are you married? Is this your spouse? Married more than three days? Is the wife menstruating? Is the wife pregnant? Is the wife nursing a child? Is it Lent? Is it Advent? Is it Whitsun week? Is it Easter week? Is it a feast day? Is it a fast day? Is it Sunday? Is it Wednesday? Is it Friday? Is it Saturday? Is it daylight? Are you naked? Are you in Church? Do you want a child? Then go ahead, but be careful: No fondling! No lewd kisses! No oral sex! No strange positions! Only once! Try not to enjoy it! Good luck! And take a bath when you’re finished.

Of course, we’re far more sophisticated today. We’d never go to such excess. We just make sure to teach the youth what they can’t do, and in the process, we neglect the beauty and glory of what God has in store for those who do it his way.

The second misconception about such Bible passages is that marriage will solve my lust problem. As an unmarried man, I once memorized Prov 5:15-20 with the full intention of wielding it against whichever fortunate young lady fell to the irresistible charm of my marriage proposal. If you can relate, let me challenge you: Your lust is selfish, and marriage won’t fix you. If you’re already married, more frequent sex won’t fix you. Yes, Paul said, “it is better to marry than to burn with passion” (1 Cor 7:9), but that does not authorize you to treat your spouse as kindling for your own consumption. Far better for you to cleanse her “by the washing of water with the word” (Eph 5:25-28), even if it means you have to take lots of cold showers along the way. Your problem lies not with your singleness (nor with your spouse’s unresponsiveness), but within your own heart. Your greatest need is not for the freedom to execute your desire on a beloved, but for the freedom that comes from self-controlled self-denial.

Both misconceptions fail to grapple with verse 18: “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth.” Observe two things: You ought to rejoice in your spouse, and you ought to rejoice in your spouse. We’ll unpack these two observations over the next two weeks.

[1] From James A. Brundage, Law, Sex, and Christian Society in Medieval Europe (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987), p.162. Disclosure: this is an affiliate link, so if you click on it and buy stuff from Amazon, you’ll support our site at no extra cost to yourself.

The Death of Immorality

September 16, 2013 By Peter Krol

Sexual freedom is an illusion, because immorality is not as pretty as it seems.

But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
Her steps follow the path to Sheol;
She does not ponder the path of life;
Her ways wander, and she does not know it (Prov 5:4-6).

Last week, we saw that the “adulteress” is an image of all sexual immorality. Immorality has a sweet candy coating, but inside it’s a bitter pill (Prov 5:4). “Wormwood” is a plant with a bitter taste, and that’s what immorality is once you move past first impressions. I know a guy who works for a chemical company that works on both drugs and candy. He told me that the outer shell on an M&M is the same thing as the shell on an Advil. Next time you have the chance, I dare you to chew the Advil.

Immorality leads only to death (Prov 5:5). The last thing it has in mind is our good (Prov 5:6a). In fact, it’s not even aware of the harm it causes (Prov 5:6b). Immorality is full of passion, but it’s clueless and self-defeating, like a pimply freshman inviting the homecoming queen over for video gaming.

How does this apply? Sexual immorality promises life, but the wise know it really gives death. We ought to be ready, especially for the battle of words. We have to expose immorality’s sweet-talk. We must remind ourselves of the truth. We need to talk about it often with others, to warn them. We unhinge its power when we strip it of its secrecy.

In 2008, pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle shared some astonishing statistics about sexual immorality in America.

Pornography is a $60-billion a year annual industry globally. Twelve billion of that is spent by Americans…This is more money than is spent on pro-baseball, basketball and football combined…Over 200 porn films are made in the U.S. every week. That’s more than one an hour. Porn sites are 12 percent of all Internet sites. Porn is 25 percent of all search engine requests…Every second $3,000 is spent on porn in America. Twenty-eight thousand Internet users are viewing porn every second in America, and 372 Internet users every second in America are typing in words looking for more porn. Ninety percent of children between the ages of 8 and 16 have viewed porn online. The average child sees porn for the first time at age 11 online, usually inadvertently.

Death surrounds us, and it’s covered in pretty makeup and stage lighting. We must talk about it frankly yet graciously, for no one who indulges in it will go unharmed.