We like options – lots of options! That is especially true when it comes to wisdom. We want to debate which variance is better. Pick and choose what we deem to be the perfect fit for us. This is so prevalent that we call this bent of being picky and prioritizing our preference as being wise. The more advantageous our choice proves to be, the wiser we deem ourselves to be. Our human/horizontal (---) definition of what it means to be wise is simply: to be right. All it takes is someone to affirm that we or they are “right” and we crown them as “wise.”
In the previous lesson, What Wise Looks Like, we discerned that instead of a horizontal definition we need a vertical (|) one – a divine perspective. Being wise looks like Jesus. Instead of just being right, it is being righteous: rightly connected with God so His attitude and attributes define our behavior, thinking and speech. The simple answer to What does unwise look like? is: it doesn’t look like Jesus.
How did we get to this place where unwise looks like being wise? Proverbs 1:7-19 answers that question.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching; 9 indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. 11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause; 12 let us swallow them alive like Sheol, even whole, as those who go down to the pit. 13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth, we will fill our houses with spoil. 14 Throw in your lot with us; we shall all have one purse.”
15 My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, 16 for their feet run to evil and they hasten to shed blood.
17 Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net in the sight of any bird; 18 but they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; it takes away the life of its possessors.
#1 We have a wrong perspective on things.
Proverbs 1:7a says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Knowing what is wise has to come from a heavenly perspective. We, on the other hand, make our assessment and our decisions from a very limited vantagepoint. More often than not, it is based on feelings, logic, justification and influences, rather than God.
#2 By nature, we are foolish at heart.
As children, being naïve is expected and a part of being immature. But as we age, continued immaturity is willfulness. Proverbs 1:7b Fools despise wisdom and instruction. We don’t like being told what to do. We really don’t like being told we are wrong. Psalm 36:1,2 NET tells us, “An evil man is rebellious to the core. He does not fear God, for he is too proud to recognize and give up his sin.” It is easy to blow this verse off until we look in the mirror and see our own rebelliousness. One way to keep that from happening is redefining what it means to be wise and unwise.
#3 We have a totally wrong attitude.
Proverbs 1:9 tells us that our fathers’ instructions and mothers’ teachings are “a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck,” instead, we see rules, guidelines, do’s and don’ts, as nooses and leashes.
#4 We are oblivious to the obvious.
Proverbs 1:10-16 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause; let us swallow them alive like Sheol, even whole, as those who go down to the pit. We will find all kinds of precious wealth, we will fill our houses with spoil; throw in your lot with us, we shall all have one purse.” My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, for their feet run to evil and they hasten to shed blood.
How does that even sound tempting? Yet we fall for the ridiculous over and over again. 1 John 2:16 tells us “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” The world offers us a multitude of ways to feel good, look good or be good. We label it “being wise” and go for it. Remember: the fingerprints of the demonic are justifications.
#5 We are gullible.
Proverbs 1:17 says, “Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net in the sight of any bird.” Yet somehow, we only see the bait. “Free food!” “Easy power!” “Get money … save money.” “Be influential!” “Attention!” “Admiration!” Back to: look good, feel good, be good! Comfort, convenience, control and crowns all for very little cost! 1 Peter 5:8 warns us: Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. We tune out the roar. We ignore his footprints, the scat and bones he leaves behind. All we see is our favorite “want” right there for the taking, and we walk right into the obvious trap.
#6 We are deceived.
Trying to get for ourselves, we end up getting got. They lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; it takes away the life of its possessors. Prov. 1:18-19 According to The Message, “Nobody robs a bank with everyone watching, yet that’s what these people are doing— they’re doing themselves in. When you grab all you can get, that’s what happens: the more you get, the less you are.
Solomon had to plead with his son. God has to plead with us, because we think we have what we don’t or don’t need what we truly need to have.
Wisdom is beautiful. Solomon equates her to a fine woman. She is personal, attractive, and dignified. Proverbs 1:20,21 says, “Wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square; at the head of the noisystreets she cries out; at the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings.”
- ”Shouts” sounds loud, demanding and intrusive. The Hebrew word is ranan. It means “to sing or exclaim with joy, to share wonderful news or truth.” It is full of excitement, attracts attention, and is definitely worth hearing. It stands out in contrast to all the noise going on around “her.”
- “Cries out” in verse 21 is qara, which means “to call, to invite, to summon.” It is one of those words where the setting determines the shade of meaning. Wisdom means to draw attention, but you have to choose to stop and pay attention to notice.
- “Utters” is amar. It means “to have something important to say.” But don’t expect it to insist on being heard. Wisdom doesn’t get louder until you hear it, but actually softens to draw you in.
Satan wants to drown out what wisdom has to say with all the noise on the streets, coming from our devices, and filling the airways. Ephesians 2:2 doesn’t call Satan “the prince of the power of the air” for nothing. His goal is to distort and distract, so we ignore or dismiss the message of righteousness that Wisdom has to share. We need to lean in and listen to what “she” has to say.
Proverbs 1:22 “How long, O naïve ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, and fools hate knowledge?
What is a scoffer? The Hebrew word is litz or luwts. It means “to scorn, make mouth at, talk arrogantly.” I love the description of “make mouth at,” because sometimes they say nothing, just arrogantly mimic talking, demeaning and implying that the one they are mimicking is talking nonsense. Proverbs 15:2 says, “A scoffer does not love one who rebukes him, he will not go to the wise.” When on rare occasion he does seek wisdom, Proverbs 14:6 tells, “a scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.” Why can’t they find it? Because it isn’t what they are looking for. Psalm 1:1 states: “Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers!” We are told in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals!”
In response to being naïve, Proverbs 1:23 tells us: Turn to my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. Why do we have such a problem with being told “turn to my reproof”? Because we know what that reproof is going to say. It is going to tell me how big a screw up I am, how everything I think, say and do is wrong, remind me I am inadequate and a loser. I am fine the way I am. Thank you, but no thank you! We have a very rebellious attitude towards being reproofed.
The Hebrew word for “reproof” is tokehah. It does mean “correcting what is wrong.” However, it doesn’t come with an intent of beating down, but lifting up. It comes from a place of grace that wants and pursues best.
It is our resistance to reproof and God’s wisdom that got us to where we are today with our distorted understanding of what being wise truly means.
How did we get to where we distort what wise truly means?
1. Proverbs 1:24a I called and you refused,
Wisdom had something to say (qara), but we refuse to listen. The word translated “refused” is ma’en, which means “to stubbornly and emphatically reject.” We respond with heals-dug-in stubbornness! Ongoing stubbornness can be quite serious and lead to a repeat of Psalm 81:11,12 in our lives and in country. “But My people did not listen to My voice, and Israel did not obey Me. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices.” We insist on being stubborn; He steps back and lets us reap the consequences of our stubbornness.
2. Proverbs 1:24b I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
Back to being oblivious to the obvious! “No one paid attention” is qasab in Hebrew: “to prick up your ears.” Not just ears: didn’t see, didn’t hear, didn’t notice, even though it is right there in our faces. We get lost somewhere in autopilot, oblivion and unconsciousness. The Lord doesn’t use just His word and His Spirit speaking in a still quiet voice, He uses everything and everyone. But we have to pay attention. We have to want to hear.
3. Proverbs 1:25a You neglected all my counsel
Neglected (para’) means “to ignore, let it go unheeded.” His guidance is deemed insignificant and treated with indifference. Sometimes this comes from an over-inflated opinion of ourselves – we deem ourselves above it, but more often than not, this actually comes from underestimating our value and potential. “I’ll never go there or be able to do that, so this doesn’t apply to me.” Proverbs 15:31,32 says, “He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. He who neglects discipline despises himself, but he who listens to reproof acquires understanding.”
4. Proverbs 1:25b You did not want my reproof
We just don’t want it. Loh = unwilling, unyielding, uncooperative, resistant. There are several different kinds of resistance: denial, dismissive, duck and dodge, deflecting and defensiveness. We’ve mastered them all.
We have to take an honest look at ourselves. When warned, confronted or convicted, do any of these describe our reactions and responses? Are we being wise or unwise? We can’t be flippant with our response or our evaluation. There can be big time consequences for being unwise.
Proverbs 1:24-32 [Wisdom personified speaking.] But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you — when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
Scary! If you want to see this played out in real life, pick up a history book or the newspaper.
Let’s end on a high note: “But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.” Prov. 1:33
- Securely (batach) means “calm assurance, inner sense of well-being, unexplained confidence.”
- Ease – which doesn’t mean easy – is the Hebrew word sa’an = a state of security, peace and rest; undisturbed. In other words, not freaked out!
Take a minute and write your own version of this verse. Here is mine: Tapping into God’s wisdom with a willing listening heart is the key to being calm in the chaos, and finding peace in the panic inducing. Right now, I need both of these. They are found in tapping into God’s wisdom, and being wise in an unwise world.
It provides that sense of well-being and security because our focus isn’t just on what is happening on the horizontal level, but because of the elevated perspective God extends to us. His truly-wise wisdom, His perspective, His power, and His provisions are flowing vertically into our minds and hearts, and then hopefully, horizontally out our lives and mouth.
Proverbs 3:21b-26 Keep sound wisdom and discretion, so they will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck. Then you will walk in your way securely and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden fear nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.
