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Wisdom is not about how smart you are—after all, there are a lot of smart fools.
Instead, the book of Proverbs teaches us that wisdom is a matter of moral excellence. This involves practical application that stems from a radical dependence on God.
Notice that the first nine chapters of the book of Proverbs are not the proverbs themselves. They are the preparation for the proverbs, readying the student to apply the knowledge that he or she learns.
Preparing ourselves is part of how we learn and live rather than merely living and learning. We all will make mistakes, it is true, and we ought to learn from them. But it is far wiser to listen to the experience of others instead of making every mistake ourselves. The best way to turn from sin, after all, is to avoid committing it in the first place.
Wisdom has many facets to it—prudence, knowledge, discretion, righteousness, insight, and justice, to name just a few. For this reason, the Proverbs cover a multitude of aspects of life.
We find the foundation of wisdom in Proverbs 9:10, which teaches us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” We need to walk in awe of God as we go through life. If we do so, we will allow ourselves to be shaped and molded, becoming more and more conformed to His image.
As we’re shaped, we need to be brought under the tutelage of the Word of God. The book of Proverbs teaches us how to adapt our knowledge to develop wisdom, or skill in the art of living.
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NEW RESOURCE: Handbook to God’s Promises. Part of wisdom involves meditating on the truths of God’s Word. This handbook will walk you through the promises of God in Scripture. There is also a free, supplemental topical guide at handbooktogodspromises.com.
The Proverbs transcripts used in this video are available online.
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