Godly Wisdom

[00:00:00] This audio sermon is provided by AnabaptistSermons.com and may be freely copied and distributed. You may not sell or edit this sermon. Our prayer is that you would be blessed by this ministry. I'd like to consider with you the topic of wisdom. I know we're in the Christmas season and could have talked about that. I would just like to consider with you wisdom. [00:00:30] What do people do that are wise people? What is wisdom? Synonyms that Vines gave me are understanding and prudence, and I think that is good. In the Webster's, it talks about the ability to discern inner qualities and relationships. There's one thing that especially caught my attention. Inner qualities and relationships. Not something that is readily apparent to everybody, but it's something that some people are gifted with is what I get from the Webster's and not everybody. [00:01:11] also uses as a synonym insight, good sense, judgment, or we might say good judgment too. And then wise is marked by a deep understanding, and I notice the adverbs here. It's not just an understanding, it's a deep understanding, a keen discernment, and a capacity for sound judgment. Those are definitions of the word wise. I suppose if we would ask who do we think of when we think of wisdom, many of us would think of Solomon. [00:01:51] And the Bible says that Solomon was the wisest man on earth. He asked for wisdom. That was his request to God. When God came to him in a dream and said, what is it that I can do for you? What do you want me to do for you? Solomon asked for the ability to guide this people, the wisdom to guide the people. And I think in the ability that Solomon had to discern, as I read here, maybe he was unsurpassed. [00:02:27] I think of the time when the two women, I think they were prostitutes, brought one child to Solomon. Solomon and the one said that I was sleeping and this other woman lay on her child. She suffocated it. But I didn't find out when this happened, but I know the other child is mine. And you remember the story and the other person said, no, that this is my child. So Solomon, I suppose he thought about it, I don't know, I don't know how much time he took [00:03:00] But he gave an answer that makes us recoil and it's exactly what he wanted to have happen And the mother of the child said no, let her have the child And he said she's the mother That kind of wisdom Solomon is noted for I don't know how you or I would have fared if somebody would have come as the Queen of Sheba did to Solomon and she had all kinds of questions that she had for Solomon. [00:03:34] Solomon passed in flying colors. In fact, there was nothing that she had on her heart that he couldn't answer. But I suspect perhaps all of us would give Solomon a little less than a passing grade on the way he lived the last part of his life. Because the Bible says that he let his wives turn him aside. We could talk about what happened to Solomon there. I didn't choose to do that this morning. but I was doing a little bit of reading about Solomon [00:04:09] how he started depending on the things that he had the horses that he had the chariots and the troughs and we could talk about that but I think in a nutshell Solomon quit depending on God The God who gave him the wisdom that he had. I'd like to, if you would turn with me to James. James talks, and I'd like to finish then with James too. [00:04:42] But I'd like to just simply notice what James tells us about wisdom. In the first chapter of the book of James, he tells us something that we need to remember. However, in verse 5, if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. The modern Berkeley, I appreciate, I'm going to be reading some from other renderings. [00:05:16] The modern Berkeley says this, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives to everyone without reserve and without reproach. or without scolding, I think is what we could get from upbraideth not. But he should ask in faith with never a doubt, for one who doubts resembles a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed of the wind. God is the source of true wisdom is one thing that I see here. We see that as well in other places in scripture. [00:05:50] And if you want to turn to these scriptures, you're welcome to. In Genesis chapter 40 verse 8, Joseph was in prison and he saw that two of his charges, two of the people he was responsible for, had a countenance that was troubled one morning. And he asked them, why aren't you your normal selves? Why aren't you as happy as you usually are? And so the butler and the baker of Pharaoh told him, well we had dreams and we don't know what the dreams mean. [00:06:23] What did Joseph tell them? Doesn't the interpretation of dreams belong to God? You tell me. I am a child of God. I don't think he said that in so many words, but I will try to help you out. And he did. The one person had good news, the other person had bad news. And it was interesting to me to read, I'm not sure where I read this, but some place I read that evidently the evidence piled up against, [00:06:59] evidently these were two people that were in charge of the king's food and drink. and evidently one of them had tried to poison the king and that was kind of a new thought to me I didn't realize that there was something quite that sinister behind their imprisonment and I see that some of you that is not new to some of you but I guess that just tells you that I didn't know as much as I should have there and of course we remember that Pharaoh had a dream [00:07:29] was it the baker? Now, the butler forgot all about Joseph. Joseph said, would you speak to Pharaoh for me? I'm in this prison unjustly. And would you speak to Pharaoh for me? And he forgot all about it until Pharaoh had a dream. And then the butler remembered, oh, yeah, there was somebody that helped me out. Maybe he could help us out because Pharaoh was troubled. In chapter 41 and in verse 16, when Pharaoh asked Joseph to interpret this dream, I'd like to notice again, read what it says there. [00:08:10] Joseph said, it is not in me. God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. The Berkeley says, not by myself. God will give Pharaoh a favorable response. The NIV says, I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires. What Joseph wanted to communicate to Pharaoh was, if you look to men, you're going to be disappointed. If you look to God, you will receive what you're looking for. [00:08:42] And that is something that we need to remember. Now, there are times when our fellow men will give us right answers. But this morning we were reminded that wisdom comes from here God's word must always be our guide Don't look to man, you'll be disappointed Look to God, that is always safe It's interesting to me that Joseph was given the wisdom to know [00:09:16] That he dared give advice beyond what Pharaoh asked Pharaoh asked for an interpretation of the dream. Joseph did more than that. And I think it was because of the wisdom that God gave Joseph that he was able to do that. And it was well accepted. You know, Joseph said, Pharaoh, I have some advice for you. Because of the interpretation of these dreams, you're going to have seven years of plenty. You're going to have seven years of famine. Put somebody in charge of putting some aside from the years of plenty. [00:09:51] So that when the years of famine come, you will be able to survive. You as a nation, I'm not talking about you personally. I had to think also of Daniel, as Daniel was gifted in the interpretation of dreams as well. But if we notice in Daniel, I'm going to turn to this. I read some of what the other people said as well. Well, Daniel chapter 2, if you will turn with me to Daniel chapter 2, we have Nebuchadnezzar who dreamed a dream. [00:10:34] And he needed an interpretation, but he needed more than that. Not only did he need an interpretation, he forgot what he dreamed. And so he asked his wise men, at least some of his wise men, he said, what did I dream? And they said, King, live forever, tell us what you dream and we can tell you the interpretation. He said, no, that's not what I asked you. I asked you to tell you what I have forgotten. And they just simply told him the truth. They said there is no man living that can tell the king what he's asking of. [00:11:12] And of course, you remember the verdict, the sentence that was passed was that all the wise men were to be destroyed. I've often wondered why it was that Pharaoh's sentence included people who never had a chance. But you know, remember, Ariok came to Daniel and his three friends to put them to death. And it's interesting to me to notice how Daniel answered. And this, actually I was going to touch on this later, but verse 14 of chapter 2, [00:11:44] Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Ariok, the captain of the king's guard, which was going forth to slay the wise men of Babylon. He answered and said to Ariok, the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Ariok made the thing known to Daniel. Then it says that Daniel went in to ask for some time and Nebuchadnezzar, I think, was maybe he had some time to think about his haste [00:12:16] and Nebuchadnezzar, I don't know what you think of Was Nebuchadnezzar a wise king? Was he a foolish king? I'll let you, we'll look at him a little bit later and try to answer that question But it's interesting to me, there are several things that are interesting to me But in verses 27 and 28, Daniel answered [00:12:46] I'm just going to read those verses Daniel 2, 27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king and said The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers show unto the king But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream and the visions of thy head upon thy bed are these. And he went on and shared with king Nebuchadnezzar what he had dreamed. [00:13:20] Notice that King Nebuchadnezzar said very much the same to him. I'm sorry, Daniel said to King Nebuchadnezzar very much the same that the astrologers told him. There's no man living that can tell you. But Daniel didn't stop there. Daniel had a resource that the others did not have. And that was a blessing for God. So that you may know there is a God in heaven. Maybe those are not the exact words that he said. I'd like for us to notice verse 30 as well. [00:13:53] I'd like for us to notice Daniel's humility here. And as I tried to think about who is a wise man, what is wisdom, it occurred to me that wisdom and humility need to go together. Could we say they do go together? Maybe you can tell me later. But verse 30 shows how Daniel felt about his abilities. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, [00:14:30] but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart. It's not anything in me, king, but it's the person, it's the God that I serve, is what Daniel was saying here. His modesty stands out. And I think that a person who is truly wise is that kind of person. Not all of the dreams that Daniel interpreted for the king were as easy for him to share. [00:15:02] If you turn back two chapters to chapter four, and if you notice what, here again was a dream. This time Nebuchadnezzar remembered his dream, but Daniel knew what the interpretation for the dream was. Did Daniel answer immediately here? If we notice here, chapter 4 of Daniel is the only portion that I know in scripture that was written by a pagan king. [00:15:41] Now, maybe there were others that I'm not aware of. But if you look at the first part, the first several verses of chapter 4, notice how he starts. Nebuchadnezzar the king unto all people, nations, and languages that dwell on all the earth, peace be multiplied unto you. I thought it good to show the signs and wonders now maybe he didn't actually pen the words but if he didn't he probably dictated to a scribe who penned the words notice that in three verses there [00:16:11] in verse 2, verse 4, and verse 5 I, Nebuchadnezzar, I saw a dream it's the first person if you know English language you know that he was doing the dictating if not the writing here And it's interesting to me that he is the person that was doing that. But I'd like for us to notice in verse 19 how Daniel felt. It says in the King James, Then Daniel, whose name Nebuchadnezzar had told him the dream, [00:16:46] and he was waiting for an interpretation. He was waiting for Daniel to say what he had to say. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. What does it mean to be astonished? I don't know, is it astonished? I'm not quite sure. The modern Berkeley says he was stunned and stood aghast for a time. The NIV says he was greatly perplexed for a time and his thoughts terrified him. Why did his thoughts terrify him? Well, what kind of king was Nebuchadnezzar? [00:17:21] I don't know if Daniel was afraid for his life or not But I think Daniel knew that the interpretation here was not going to be flattering to Nebuchadnezzar. And so he didn't answer until finally Nebuchadnezzar said, don't be afraid to say what you have to say. And then he went ahead and told him. And notice how he answered in verse 19, the last part of verse 19. [00:17:52] Again from another rendering. My Lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries. Why did Daniel answer that way? Wasn't it just simply because of the wisdom and tact that we read about earlier in chapter 2? He recognized that his life could very well hang in the balance. And I am thinking that even more perhaps it was because the king was his friend. I don't know why Daniel answered the way that he did. [00:18:23] But we are called on to be a wise people. We are called to look to God. We are in the book of Daniel. I would like to notice the psalm of Daniel or the psalm that he wrote after the dream was revealed to him. In verse 19, I'm going to begin reading in verse 19 of chapter 2, going back to chapter 2. [00:18:56] And I'd just like for us to notice the words that Daniel penned in praise to God here. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are his. And he changeth the times and the seasons. He removeth kings and setteth up kings. He giveth wisdom unto the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding. He revealeth the deep and secret things. He knoweth what is in the darkness and the light dwelleth with him. [00:19:35] I thank thee and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee. For thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter. Where does wisdom come from? Where does might come from? Daniel said it here. It comes from you. Thank you, God, that you were willing to show that. You know, again and again in scripture we see that God is the source of wisdom. [00:20:12] Juan talked to us this morning about things that seem wise on the part of human beings. I see as I travel through Goshen signs on the traffic signs, we promote tolerance. I think Juan mentioned that very thing this morning. We promote tolerance. Are we tolerant as God's people? Yes, we are. [00:20:44] But are we tolerant of sin? Do we call good evil and evil good? We should never do that. If we are people that are wise, we will call evil evil. We will call things that are good, good. It's a real blessing to sit under teachers. One of the things that I always enjoyed about going to teachers' institutes was to sit under some teachers who could make things in nature come alive. [00:21:17] And they'd show us, Lester Showalter was a good one for this, he would show us facts of science. But he didn't stop there. He pointed us, he said, now this points to a God, an orderly universe points to a God. And that is such a blessing. And I have mentioned this before, but I think it bears repeating. I don't know how many of you heard me say this. There was a man who worked in a laboratory where he had access to an electron microscope, [00:21:50] One that could magnify many, many, he could magnify things. And one evening after hours, it was in a vibration-free room, and I, you know, that doesn't even, I didn't even realize that it needed to be in a vibration-free room, but it was. One evening after hours, he was there and was just going to do a little bit of experimenting on his own, and he noticed a moth on the wall. And so he focused on that moth and he turned the dials of his microscope until he had magnified that moth 50,000 times. [00:22:27] It's hard for me to believe that something can magnify something that much, but he could. And he looked at the eye of this moth and he noticed that the eye was like a honeycomb. and where the honeycomb, where the corners came together, there were tiny filament of hair and he wondered to himself, he knew that human hair is hollow and he wondered to himself, I wonder if those tiny hairs are hollow. [00:22:59] So he turned the dial some more and he magnified that moth 250,000 times And he looked very, very closely at the hair and he discovered that not only is the hair hollow, there were tiny creatures that were moving freely inside that hair. And the thing that was probably that touched me as much as anything was the fact that he bowed his head in worship. Why? Because he recognized the creator as he saw the creation. [00:23:38] You know, some things we see that are huge and vast, and this is just the opposite. How small is small? And that certainly is small. If you want to look at just a little more detail, if you have the book by Margaret Penner-Taves on page 18, you'll find that account. And I think I told you most of what you will find in there. But certainly as we see creation, and we talked about creation this morning, Melvin in our Sunday school class talked about the beauty of this morning. [00:24:12] One of the blessings of living in northern Indiana, he said, and it certainly is true. But as we see these things, do we just see them or do we see the creator behind them? that is the part of wisdom when we see the creator behind them and I trust that we see a picture of God himself as we see these things when God can speak a universe into existence by the spoken word [00:24:43] why do we question what he has to say to us is the question that comes to us and that statement was taken from Maria Penner-Tave's book Did I say the title of the book? Through the Scent of Water. It's taken from Job, is it 914? But if you don't have the book, we do have the book. It's actually devotional that was written for women. And I have been blessed by looking in there. [00:25:15] I'd like to just spend a little bit more time looking at some scriptures and the wisdom that we find in scripture. Turn with me again to James chapter 1. Sometimes wisdom is identified as wisdom. Sometimes it's not. Does that make that it's not wisdom, even if it's not identified as wisdom? I think not. But James, the bishop of the church in Jerusalem, I think the first bishop, if I am not mistaken, [00:25:49] wrote these words in verse 19 of chapter 1. It says, Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Are those words of wisdom? Wisdom isn't mentioned in there. But are they words of wisdom for you and me today? I think they are. They are for me. I think they are for each one of us. [00:26:21] Turn with me to James chapter 3. I think I'll read the entire chapter here. My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater damnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Words of wisdom? Certainly they are. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us. And we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm. [00:26:58] Or a rudder, it says in some other translations. Whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth, and the tongue is a fire, the world of iniquity, and so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beast, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind. [00:27:33] But the tongue can no man tame. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse we man, which are made at the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Moreover, can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries, either of vine figs? So can no fountain yield both salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with wisdom among you? Let him show out of a good conversation or a good walk of life his works with meekness of wisdom. [00:28:16] Notice the meekness. I really question whether we can separate meekness and wisdom. I wonder, I'm not going to say you can't, but it seems to me that once you take the meekness away, you lose the wisdom as well. That is how it seems to me. Verse 14, but if you have bitter envy and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth. this wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly, sensual, devilish [00:28:51] for where envying and strife is there is confusion in every evil work now verse 17 it seems to me kind of is the capstone of this entire chapter but the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. [00:29:21] Verse 17 is just a verse that I appreciate that wisdom that's from above, it's pure, it is peaceable, it is gentle, it is easily entreated, full of mercy and good fruits without partiality, without hypocrisy. It's a mouthful. If we can live up to that, certainly we will be blessed. Romans chapter 11 also talks about God's wisdom. [00:29:54] I'd like to read just several verses out of the last part of Romans 11. Verse 33, O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out for who hath known the mind of the Lord and who hath been his counselor or who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed unto him again for of him and through him and to him [00:30:25] are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. I appreciated another rendering I think it's a modern Berkeley O the depth of the wealth, the wisdom, and the knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments, and how untraceable his footsteps! That how untraceable, his ways past finding out is translated here, how untraceable his footsteps. For who has understood the Lord's mind, or who has become his counselor, or who has given anything to him that it might be repaid him? [00:31:02] For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. We could turn to other scriptures. I would like to turn to one more scripture. This is the last scripture that I'll be returning to. Jeremiah chapter 9 talks about wisdom. Jeremiah chapter 9 verses 23 and 24 Thus saith the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Neither let the mighty man glory in his might [00:31:34] Let not the rich man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this That he understandeth and knoweth me, God speaking That I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth For in these things I delight, saith the Lord If we're wise, we shouldn't glory in our wisdom If we're wealthy, we shouldn't glory in our riches. There is one place to glory in, and that is understanding and knowing God, doing His will. [00:32:14] I know that I have left a whole part of this message unsaid at this point. In practical terms, what does this mean to us? And maybe that's another message. You know, I drive down the road and I do that quite a bit, not as much as I used to. But why do we have a 30 mile an hour speed limit right here? You know the feeling? Sometimes you're in a hurry and, well, it's just not, it doesn't seem that heavily traveled [00:32:47] nor are there that many houses there or businesses and you just, well, you know the feeling, I'm sure you do. We know that children might be tempted, you know, this is what mom and dad say, but really, is this practical? What does the scripture say that is a part of wisdom? Children obey your parents, doesn't it? And to bring it home to us, the rest of us, you know, God's word says this. [00:33:26] But really, I'm reminded of a saying that somebody wrote, I think it was on a church sign, sin. It seemed like a good idea at the time. But you see, we don't see the, when we look at it and we say that, we don't see the outcome. We don't see the reaping that needs to be done. And to make it very practical, what if the church says, this is what is required. [00:34:01] You name the area, but I don't see the wisdom in it. Am I a wise person if I disregard, or am I a wise person if I simply submit? And I am the first to admit that not everything that we have in our statement of faith and practice is necessarily a thus saith the Lord. But I think if I miss submitting to the church, [00:34:38] I am missing something that God has for me. I am not doing, I am missing out on a blessing. I'm just going to leave it there. And there could be, we might say a whole lot more than that. In order to receive a blessing, I think that we go through the proper channels. We do things. There is a way that seems right unto man, but the end thereof are ways of death. [00:35:11] You know God's word, but there is also a way that is wise. There is a way that we can take that will lead the way we want it to go. Shall we kneel to pray? Our Father, we thank you this morning that you are all wise, that you know our heart,