548-2 - THE SCHOOL OF WISDOMJune 1, 1980
Henry F. Kulp
Proverbs 2: 1 - 5 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
Here we have the school of wisdom. In the last part of the last chapter we have wisdom crying out to the teen-agers of Israel. Crying out, because it is outside of the religious circles of that day. And then wisdom warns what will happen if wisdom is rejected.
1/ When the trials and tribulations of life come, you can’t get wisdom in a moment of time, because wisdom is the knowledge of God—that is the Word of God, plus the fear of God. And knowledge does not come in a moment. This is something you must accumulate. Of course, the knowledge without the fear of God can be very sterile—the two are needed for us to have wisdom.
2/ Job 28: 18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
The price of wisdom is above rubies. That means wealth can never replace wisdom. No matter how much money you have, wisdom is far more important. As a matter of fact, one can have wealth, and without wisdom can lose it very quickly. WISDOM IS GREATLY TO BE DESIRED.
Proverbs 4: 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Here we read, wisdom is the principle thing, therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting, get understanding. Wisdom is to be desired in a great way, but very few believers seem to have it.
3/ Psalm 119: 98, 99 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
Here a very wise man ascribes his wisdom to a knowledge of the Word of God. For he says, in verse 98 Thou through Thy commandments hath made me wiser than mine enemies. He had the fear of God connected to it. Then in the 99th verse I am more understanding than all my teachers, Thy testimonies are my meditation—in other words, his teachers had knowledge, but not wisdom. They had facts stored up in their heads, but they lacked the fear of God.
4/ James 1: 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.
Here James says, if any of you lack wisdom—notice he says ask God—don’t ask man. Don’t ask the teachers. Ask God because true wisdom comes from God. Men may give you good advice, and then again they may not. If they are unsaved, their advice will be wrong. But even saved men can have bad advice—can give bad advice, because believers are not always right, but the Word of God is always right.
5/ Proverbs 3: 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
We read, trust in the Lord with all you heart, and lean not to thine own understanding. In other words, ask God, don’t ask yourself or try to figure it out yourself. Ask God for wisdom—that means, turn to the Word of God.
6/ Literally, that is a simple definition of prayer. Ask God. This is the first of many references to prayer in the book of James. But is praying enough? Just asking God enough? No. How does God answer prayer when we ask for wisdom? Only through the Word of God. He does not speak to us in any other way, other than the Word of God. You say doesn’t He use circumstances? He most certainly does, but again circumstances in the light of the Word of God—Doctrine from the Bible.
7/ Notice, God loves to give. He is a great Giver, and He does not charge for anything. He is really the Giver of everything we eat, wear and use.
8/ Then notice, our Lord not only gives, but he gives liberally.
Ephesians 1: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Notice how liberally the Lord does give. He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings—not with many, not with most, but with all, and we receive this freely at the moment of salvation.
9/ James 3: 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
Here is another verse that is important as we study wisdom. It starts out by saying, this wisdom descendeth not from above. This is not Godly wisdom. It is wisdom that doesn’t come from God.
Let’s contrast it with verse 17 But there is a wisdom that is from above. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
So we suddenly realize there are three different kinds of wisdom. First of all, there is the wisdom from above. Then there is wisdom that is not from above, and then there is human wisdom.
Let us look at the 15th verse This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
Wisdom not from above. It is earthly, sensual which is natural and is devilish. Earthly is an interesting word—it comes from a Greek word, GHEY, and it means earth – we get our words, geology from it—and it has the Greek word, EPI, before it and this is super-earthly.
So the wisdom in James 3: 15
Super-earthly wisdom—and it is from demons. The last word, devilish means demons. It is demonical, and it is plural—there is one devil, but many demons. Those who are demon possessed have this wisdom. Let us look at this word, EPI-GHEY. Let’s notice how it is used elsewhere.
John 3: 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
Jesus Christ told Nicodemus, if I have told you earthly things and ye believed not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of Heavenly things? Earthly is our Greek word, EPI-GHEY – super-earthly, things pertaining to the kingdom. He told them they needed a righteousness that exceeded the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, and He said, if I tell you of this super-earthly thing and you believe not, how shall you ever believe Heavenly things?
10/ Again we see this word in Philippians 3: 17 - 19 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
He talks about those who are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end, or fulfillment is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things—or super-earthly things. They are always looking for that which is beyond the realm of the natural. How we see that in our world today—especially our religious world.
11/ I Corinthians 1: 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Here we see human wisdom, and he tells us the world by wisdom knew not God.
I Corinthians 3: 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
So much wisdom is not to be coveted after.
12/ But true wisdom comes from above.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
This wisdom is not to be found in the natural man, in the old nature. It is from God, it is from above.
Let me show an example of this, Acts 6: 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
It speaks of Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom of the Spirit by which he spake. If we desire to have this wisdom, we too must get where he got it—from above.
13/ There are eight things about this wisdom from above, and we would like to show them to you. The first is, pure. The first result of wisdom is purity, an impure man, though intelligent in other ways, has not begun to be wise. Purity begins in the mind. It is important, therefore, that we keep our thoughts clean, We can’t help having evil thoughts come into our mind. They are all about us. We do not need to harbor those thought in our minds.
14/ IMPURE HABITS Christians should be careful as to their habits. Of course they shouldn’t enter into a tavern, or drink alcoholic beverages—not to excess, but even in moderation, much better to leave it alone. They do not add to purity. We must give current culture a wide berth.
15/ PURE IN MOTIVES This means why do we do things? Not for self-gratification, not to heap honor upon ourselves, but rather to glorify the Lord Jesu Christ.
I Timothy 5: 25 Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.
Paul says in writing to Timothy, Keep thyself pure.
16/ PEACEABLE This is the second element of wisdom. If a man or woman is quarrelsome, they do not demonstrate wisdom from above. There were many in the early Jewish churches showing bitter zeal and were striving for pre-eminence and they brought turmoil and confusion rather than peace. One who is peaceful will seek rather to put an end to bitterness and animosity, to keep strife and arguing down.
17/ GENTLE
II Corinthians 10: 1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
I beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. How gentle Jesus Christ was with Nicodemus, and with the woman at the well of Samaria. He was never hard on anyone except religious hypocrites. Then Paul was very gentle.
I Thessalonians 2: 7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
He would write, we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children.
II Timothy 2: 24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
18/ FULL OF MERCY It is wonderful to be merciful, but I am sure it is quite another thing to be full of mercy. Mercy, again, we must instruct you, is not giving you what you deserve. That means some around you may deserve to have you treat them harshly, but you don’t give them what they deserve. You are full of mercy.
19/ GOOD FRUITS The word, full, applies to good fruits, as well as to mercy. And of course, immediately, Galatians 5: 22, 23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The fruit of the Spirit is love.
20/ WITHOUT PARTIALITY A man who has wisdom from above will have an impartial and pure motive. He will not favor one person above the rest. Not just those who have money, not just those who have influence in life, those who are far up on the ladder. One who has wisdom will not be a name-dropper, always talking about people of pre-eminence he knows and he deals with and he talks to.
21/ WITHOUT HYPOCRISY We generally think of hypocrite as one who professes to be a Christian, but is really not. This they do to help their business, or to gain respect, or to keep people off their backs. But hypocrites can be believers. Believers can show hypocrisy at times. We profess to love one a great deal who we really despise, and we act hypocritically. Let us never be like Judas, who kissed the Lord Jesus and then betrayed Him. Some talk and act as though they are very generous, but they really are stingy. So someone who is without hypocrisy will not profess to be someone he is not. You can depend on what he says. He is perfectly honest and sincere.
22/ So you can see that wisdom from above is what we are to get. Get it through the Word of God, mixed with the fear of God.
23/ The important point we want to see is found in the 2nd chapter.
Proverbs 2: 4, 5 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
In other words, it is a very difficult thing—it is not easy, it is not for the lazy. It is not for those who are willing to just drift with the tide. If you want wisdom, and wisdom is desirable, you have to pay a price. It doesn’t just come automatically to you. It is not something that is just bestowed without any labor. You must search for it with the Word of God as one that searches for a hidden treasure.
24/ Verse 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
So you see again, fear comes before knowledge. Knowledge of God is valueless without the fear of God coupled with it, united to it.
25/ Notice verse 6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
He gives us wisdom, and we have the fear of the Lord, the knowledge of God that we have gained by great mental labor, by being diligent in our study of the Word of God, and paying the price to receive it.
AMEN
Ref: 06/01/1980 / 548-2 THE SCHOOL OF WISDOM / 03/15/2021
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