Everyday, wisdom calls out to man. It is the duty of wisdom to ensure that man is well equipped to sustain himself in life. Too many times, however, man has ignored the call of wisdom. Wisdom is excellent and she desires to bestow her gifts upon man, but he must first heed the call.
"Does not skillful and godly wisdom cry out, and understanding raise her voice? [In contrast to the loose woman.] Proverbs 8:1, Amplified
I am not sure if this is the idea that Solomon was trying to convey, but the translator of the Amplified Bible seems to think so. It is interesting how the loose woman of chapter seven was discrete and walked around searching out the simple. If chapter seven and eight are one continues proverbs, then yes I would agree with the translation of this translation.
With all the other translations that I have read over the years I have never interpreted this verse in quite this fashion. Wisdom has always been calling out for man. Within one century man went from driving in horse drawn carriages to flying to the moon. Advances in medicine are being made everyday. All this wisdom is given by the Lord, but the true wisdom that Solomon is speaking of is the moral wisdom of life. How is one to live his life on this earth. Morally and ethically. I believe that not all Christians have truly heard and heeded this call of wisdom. But the day is coming when all will understand, and all will know. Wisdom cannot and will not be ignored forever.
"On the top of the heights beside the way where the paths meet, stands Wisdom, skillful and godly..." Proverbs 8:2, Amplified
Did you catch that? Wisdom stands by the way where the paths meet. In other words, Wisdom stands at the cross roads in life. There are certain junctures in life where wisdom makes herself available. When you have two doors open for career opportunity, pray for wisdom. Finances are tight and you have one of two bills to pay, pray for wisdom.
Wisdom also makes her stand in the heights. she is hidden from no one. There are no secret hand shakes, no elusive quests. Pray for wisdom, listen for the cry of wisdom. Wisdom will be found by any who seek it out.
"At the gates of the city at the entrance of the town, at the coming in at the doors she cries out..." Proverbs 8:3, Amplified
The city gates is where the elders would sit and all important decisions would be made. When reading the book of Ruth, the finale takes place at the gate of the city. If a man were to seek out wisdom, it is there that he would go.
I love the Lord. He is making painfully obvious that wisdom is readily available to everyone who will heed the call. Not only is that wisdom available, but also where to find wisdom.
"To you, O men, I call, and my voice is directed tot he sons of men. O you simple and thoughtless, understand prudence; and, you [self-confident] fools, be of an understanding heart." Proverbs 8:4-5, Amplified
Wisdom call out and first states to whom she is addressing herself. She is calling to all men and all generations. She is calling out to the simple and the foolish. To both she calls for an understanding. The heart is where all growth begins. In the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13, Jesus speaks of the four different types of soils and only one is ready to hear and understand and receive the Word which will bring forth either a thirty, sixty or a hundred fold of what was sown. "Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times..." (Isaiah 32:6, NKJV) Today is a day of wisdom.
"Hear, for I speak excellent and princely things; and the opening of my lips shall be for right things." Proverbs 8:6, Amplified
What wisdom speaks is excellent and right. She even speaks princely things. This tells us that we will receive the same wisdom as royalty. Wisdom does not change nor is it biased. The prince and the pauper receive the same wisdom. The thief and the priest receive the same wisdom. Right and excellent is the way of wisdom.
"For my mouth shall utter truth, and wrong doing is detestable and loathsome to my lips. All the words of my mouth are righteous - upright and in right standing with God; there is nothing contrary to truth or crooked in them." Proverbs 8:7-8, Amplified
Wisdom is in this place of right standing with God. We cannot pull it down to our level, rather we must step up into wisdom. As we heed the call of wisdom, all wrong doing will become detestable and loathsome to ourselves. In heeding the wisdom of God, we begin to take on the traits of that wisdom. We become in right standing with God. We come to a place in our walk where we are no longer living contrary to God, nor is the path of our feet crooked, rather straight and narrow.
"They are all plain to him who understands [and opens his heart], and right to those who find knowledge [and live by it]." Proverbs 8:9, Amplified
Once we come to a place of openness, we come to find that the truths and ways of wisdom are very plain. In Greek mythology, for a hero to find wisdom he had to subject himself to fantastic tasks. It seemed impossible, and was intended to do so. Man was never intended to receive the knowledge of the gods. But our one God desires for us to have that wisdom, to live decent and prudent lives. Once that acceptance of the heart comes, then we can live out wisdom through practical application. As we live out this wisdom in our lives one can find there is no wrong found in right living.
"Receive my instruction in preference to [striving for] silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; for skillful and godly Wisdom is better than rubies or pearls, and all the things that may be desired are not compared to it." Proverbs 8:10-11, Amplified
Riches and wealth and the acquisition of stuff cannot be compared to rubies or gold or silver. How is a ruby supposed to help you in making a moral decision? It cannot. As a matter of fact, it has been proven throughout the years that riches have corrupted the heart. True wisdom has no price on it. It is free for all who seek for it and it is priceless for those who find it. "But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living. The deep says, 'It is not in me.'; the sea says, 'It is not with me.' It cannot be purchased for gold, nor can silver be weighed for its price." (Job 28:12-15, NKJV)
The call of wisdom is not finished. Wisdom has more to say.
No comments:
Post a Comment