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“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” – Mother Teresa April, 2025 I thought of Dan recently when I read a particular Bible verse: “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.” (Prov. 4:7a New International Version). As Dan might say, “Wow.” So if you want wisdom, get wisdom. That’s kind of like saying, “If you want to drink water, get water.” The book of Proverbs was mostly written by Solomon, King David’s son, and he was supposed to be the wisest man who ever lived. The Bible says Solomon “. . . was wiser than anyone else, . . .” (1 Kings 4:31a NIV). But based on that particular example, it sounds like his reputation might have been a bit exaggerated. As usual, other Bible versions make more sense, at least to me. Perhaps it says something about me, but I like the way the International Children’s Bible renders it: “Wisdom is the most important thing. So get wisdom.” Solomon knew a great many things (1 Kings 4:32-34) but his wisdom was displayed by his judgment (3:16-28). In a familiar story, two women each had a baby, but one baby died during the night (vs. 17-21). The mother of the baby who died swapped babies (vs. 20) and, as a result, each woman claimed the living baby as her own (vs. 16-22). In response, Solomon threatened to have the baby cut in two and give each woman half (vs. 24-25). When she heard it, the real mother said, “‘Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!’” (vs. 26b NIV). By this, Solomon knew what was the right choice. Wisdom is not mere knowledge. You can know a lot and not have understanding. The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day knew a lot about the law, but they didn’t apply it the way it was intended. They knew how to use the law to their advantage, but they didn’t seem to understand the spirit of the law. One day, Jesus came into the synagogue (Matt. 12:9-13), and a man was there who had a deformed hand (vs. 10a). It was the Sabbath, and the religious authorities wanted to see what Jesus would do. They asked him, “‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’” (vs. 10b NIV). The traditional interpretation of the law only allowed someone to heal in life-threatening situations. But Jesus asked, “‘If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.’” (vs. 11-12 NIV). He knew more than what the law said, he knew what it meant. He was the living Word of God (John 1:1), and so he was in a unique position to understand its intent. We don’t have Jesus’ perspective, but we do have the Holy Spirit (John 16:13a). So, how can we become wise? In the classic motion picture, “The Wizard of Oz,” the Cowardly Lion discovers his courage by being brave. Could it be that we can find wisdom by being wise? If we use good judgment in one situation, we might be “primed” to do the same next time. But wisdom by itself isn’t enough. Like the Lion, we need courage; and like the scribes and Pharisees, we need compassion. Wisdom can tell us what to do, courage can give us the strength to do it, but compassion can give us a reason to do it. Solomon doesn’t seem very compassionate. Instead, he was fond of the word “fool.” He uses the word 71 times in the book of Proverbs! Only the book of Ecclesiastes, also written by Solomon, even comes close, at 24 occurrences. But unlike Solomon, or my friend, Dan, we can’t show Godly wisdom by calling others “fools.” Paul told his young friend, Timothy, “. . . be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Tim. 4:2b NIV). That’s the wise way to win souls. “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” (Jas. 3:13 NIV.) Copyright © 2025 by David Phelps
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