"The Wisdom of God"
Jun. 11, 2019
Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: "To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man."
~ Proverbs 8:1-4 (ESV)
The book of Proverbs gives us a picture of wisdom as a woman who is calling people to come to her for help. She wants people to be wise, to learn the wisdom that God gives; and so she goes up in the hills, down to the crossroads, even to the city gate, trying to get people's attention.
She says, "O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right ...
"For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death" (Proverbs 8:5-6, 35-36).
Why is wisdom calling out so loudly? Why does she have to travel around everywhere instead of just staying still? The answer is simple: people don't pay attention. It doesn't matter if it's thousands of years ago or today, people are stubborn and foolish. They turn away from wisdom no matter how loudly she calls. Sometimes I think wisdom needs more than just her voice; she needs a club and a butterfly net to catch people with!
Human foolishness must be really frustrating to God. He tells us what is good and right, but do we listen? Not most of the time. We are like foolish sheep, the kind that Isaiah talks about: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—everyone—to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6a). We do things that harm us and other people, even when we know better. Wisdom may be crying out, but she isn't getting a hearing from us!
That is why God took matters into His own hands. We would not come to Him—we would not listen—so He came to us. He came into our world as a human baby, as Jesus Christ our Savior. He grew up among us, living our life, serving the people around Him and teaching with all the wisdom of God. Like the figure of Wisdom in Proverbs, He spent His days at the crossroads and the city gates, anywhere people might listen, calling them to Himself. And then He carried out the ultimate act of God's wisdom by going freely to the cross to die for our sakes. Paul calls Him "Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men" (1 Corinthians 1:23-25).
No human being could ever have imagined the way God chose to save us—not through power, but through weakness and suffering; not through human wisdom, but through the foolishness of God stooping down to be one of us. And yet, because He did this, because He was born, suffered, died, and rose again as one of us, for our sakes—now we have everlasting life. Now we share in the divine wisdom which gives life. God's Holy Spirit dwells in us, and our lives are forever new. "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! ... For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:33, 36).
THE PRAYER: Lord, make me wise to trust in Your Son Jesus. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- What, in your opinion, marks a thing or concept as wise?
- What is wisdom? How does attaining it and applying it impact our lives?
- How is the "foolishness of God wiser than men"?
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
What, in your opinion, marks a thing or concept as wise?
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