Seek Wisdom

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:1-6, NIV).[Read Proverbs 2]

Solomon addresses his son and pleads with him to seek wisdom and apply it so that he can gain understanding, insight and discernment. He begins with a conditional proposition “If you…” Then he balances the statement by showing the results of the pursuit: “Then you will…” Written in Hebrew poetic form using parallelism, Proverbs give a beautiful balance of cause and result, action and reaction. Wisdom is to be sought out diligently as one would seek for treasures of silver and gold. Moreover, the search will be rewarded with a fear and reverence for God and the gifts of wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

The world always offers enticements to draw us away from God. We have the choice: seek wisdom or seek the world’s way. If we choose the world, we deserve the destruction we will eventually experience. Later in chapter two, Solomon further uses the poetic device of personification to show the enticements of evil—a woman of allure who lies in wait to overcome any who seek her. But wisdom is personified as saintly and good: “Wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you” (Proverbs 2:10-11).

We are to ask for wisdom from God and He will grant it. He will give us discerning minds and knowledge of His ways. Wisdom is the gift of God. God speaks through the awakened mind and heart of a believer to lead him/her to truth and understanding. What a gift is wisdom! As we read the Word of God, meditate upon its precepts and seek to find the vast wisdom God has for the sincere seeker, He will gift us. Just as Solomon addressed his son in this Proverb, so we have a responsibility to tell others. The Psalmist declared our responsibility to teach others: “One generation will commend Your works to another; they will tell of Your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4). Therefore, fear God and seek wisdom…and tell others.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, June 29, 2010