Category: Wisdom

I was recently watching a YouTube video in which a guy was stroking the chin of a cobra. As he stokes the snake, he says, “This is very dangerous, don’t try this at home.” Apparently, it wasn’t too dangerous to post the video. In all of the years that I’ve spent in animal welfare, snake handlers are by far the most stupid people that I’ve ever encountered. We usually don’t hear much about them until one of them gets bitten.

Then there is such a fuss that anti-venom has to be found that causes the depletion of anti-venom serum supplies. Police get involved and someone decides that the snakes must be rounded up and taken somewhere for safety. Guess where they go? Yep, I’ve been involved in incidents in which my shelter was caring for over 120 snakes at one time, many of them labeled as the most dangerous ones in the world.  I was in a room with a loose albino cobra; it took months for my testicles to decide to drop back down.  I think they still have PTSD.

The Milwaukee area seemed to be the epicenter of these stupid snake handlers. The good news is that during the winter months snakes are pretty easy to catch due to their cold-blood nature that doesn’t mix well with snow. If they ever escape, pray that it is winter.

I don’t fancy government regulation, but if someone wanted to regulate snake ownership, they would have my support. Without snakes, I wouldn’t have to check my toilet to make sure nothing was there to bite my butt. Sure, you don’t worry about such things. Apparently, you have not taken enough snake calls.

I didn’t watch the entire video because eventually, that guy is going to get bitten. Maybe not in that video, but eventually. That’s how Mother Nature works; she is patient. If you engage in enough activities that demonstrate that you have deleterious genes for stupidity, eventually, you’ll be permanently removed from the gene pool. I have to be honest. There is enough stupidity in our gene pool that these snake handlers won’t be missed.

Our recent Presidential election is evidence of the split between our brother Americans.  Both sides believed that their future rests with their candidate for President.  The reason that we have become so polarized is that we have become too distant from God.  You would rest better at night knowing that God is in charge and you can find peace within His arms.  No earthly wisdom can do that for you.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 1:5–8.

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 3:13–18.

Be not tempted by this world, but seek what God has prepared for us.

Proclaiming Christ Crucified
2 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Wisdom from the Spirit
6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Co 2:1–13.

Wisdom is knowing where your salvation comes from:

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Co 1:18–31.

In Matthew 12, we find Jesus going about making miracles and in the midst of his teaching that a tree is know by its fruit:

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

A group of Pharisees approach Jesus:

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 12:33–42.

Although the proof of who Jesus was was obvious, the Scribes and Pharisees keep pushing Jesus to prove who He was.  Rejecting Jesus is much like rejecting wisdom; although faced with the obvious, we cannot accept it.

In Proverbs 9:

Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2  She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3  She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
4  “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
5  “Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6  Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”

7  Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8  Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9  Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11  For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
12  If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The Way of Folly
13  The woman Folly is loud;
she is seductive and knows nothing.
14  She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
15  calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
16  “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
17  “Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18  But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Pr 9:1–18.

Forces that exist to pull us towards Folly.

In Proverbs 8:

22  “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of old.
23  Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24  When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25  Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
26  before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
27  When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28  when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
29  when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30  then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
31  rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.

32  “And now, O sons, listen to me:
blessed are those who keep my ways.
33  Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.
34  Blessed is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
35  For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the LORD,
36  but he who fails to find me injures himself;
all who hate me love death.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Pr 8:22–36.

Wisdom existed from the beginning.  Those who seek wisdom finds God.  Those who fail to find God, brings injuries to themselves.

Hear the voice of wisdom in Proverbs 8:

Does not wisdom call?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2  On the heights beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3  beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
4  “To you, O men, I call,
and my cry is to the children of man.
5  O simple ones, learn prudence;
O fools, learn sense.
6  Hear, for I will speak noble things,
and from my lips will come what is right,
7  for my mouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8  All the words of my mouth are righteous;
there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
9  They are all straight to him who understands,
and right to those who find knowledge.
10  Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold,
11  for wisdom is better than jewels,
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

12  “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and I find knowledge and discretion.
13  The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.
14  I have counsel and sound wisdom;
I have insight; I have strength.
15  By me kings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;
16  by me princes rule,
and nobles, all who govern justly.
17  I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.
18  Riches and honor are with me,
enduring wealth and righteousness.
19  My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
and my yield than choice silver.
20  I walk in the way of righteousness,
in the paths of justice,
21  granting an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Pr 8:1–21.

Wisdom cries out to us, yet we turn our backs on her.

I got a little ahead of myself.  Proverbs 2 spoke so personally to me that it started me on my wisdom quest:

My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2  making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3  yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
4  if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5  then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
6  For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7  he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8  guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.
9  Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10  for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11  discretion will watch over you,
understanding will guard you,
12  delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
13  who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in the ways of darkness,
14  who rejoice in doing evil
and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15  men whose paths are crooked,
and who are devious in their ways.

16  So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words,
17  who forsakes the companion of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18  for her house sinks down to death,
and her paths to the departed;
19  none who go to her come back,
nor do they regain the paths of life.

20  So you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21  For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
22  but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Pr 2:1–22. 

I feel God’s spirit stir within me as I read the first verse “treasure up my commandments.”