Contrary to what many commentaries might lead us to believe, these gifts are not natural. They are manifested through the natural appendages of man such as our mind, mouth, ears, hands, eyes-but the gifts themselves are derived from the unfathomable nature of God Himself, and therefore they are supernatural. The super comes from heaven, the natural comes from us. God wants us to yield our natural members to His super power and we will see the glory of God in the earth.
Before we examine the gift of the word of wisdom, we cannot understate the importance the Bible places upon wisdom in our everyday lives. Several key chapters and verses, especially in the Old Testament, point out that wisdom is optimal. Let’s examine a few of them:
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(Proverbs 8:11)
Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars; She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine…Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine...Forsake the foolish, and live, and go in the way of understanding. (Proverbs 9:1-6)
Wisdom will always cause you to build. You can build your finances, build your dreams, and build your relationships, ministry and business through the power of divine wisdom. It is far easier to destroy and tear down something, but to build takes skill. Build. Wisdom will always cause us to use our knowledge for the common good of an end.
The great King Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, was left with the daunting task of succeeding his father as king of Israel. After a great coronation and dedication service, the Lord appeared to Solomon and offered him a blank
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How resolute it is! There are many things we can glean from this parable. I’ll mention just one point. While you sleep spiritually, the enemy will steal your fruit and swap it out with a dead thing.
The emphasis on getting wisdom does not end under the Old Covenant. Throughout the New Testament the Apostle Paul prayed prayers concerning the wisdom of God and how it plays a vital role in navigating believers throughout the kingdom of God.
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. (Ephesians 1:15-18)
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. (Colossians
Their ignorance protects them from the anxiety that comes with life's misfortunes. Shortly after Charlie has the surgery to make him smart, he starts to discover problems that, beforehand, he was not aware he had, therefore, he did not worry about them. He soon learns, “the end of the maze holds death (something [he has] not always known...)”(Keyes 124). Similarly, Adam and Eve eat from the tree of knowledge and their eyes are opened to a problem they did not know existed; their nakedness. Both Adam and Eve and Charlie come out of their blissfully unaware state and realize how vulnerable, how “naked”
The daily application we can take from this passage of the Bible is the power of Godly wisdom. Without His wisdom, we will make choices that would not fully benefit us. God’s wisdom should be applied to every decision we make in our lives. God desires to be a part of every intricate detail of our lives, because He loves us so much. When we allow Him to be there for us, we will see no sorrow in it. What the Lord gives comes with no sorrow. Queen Esther, Mordecai and the Jews of Susa were made firm believers of this very true virtue as a believer of Jesus Christ. Just the Esther and her people discovered there is nothing impossible for Him to do for us. His wisdom will always prevail if we are willing to apply it to our daily lives. God is here to be our partner. He is our testimony of who we are in Him.
Walvoord, John F., Roy B. Zuck, and Harnold W. Hoehner. "Ephesians." The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1983. 613-45. Print.
The two words, wisdom, and folly are inseparable; they cannot be away from each other. Folly is the act of having the knowledge of the benefits of making a good choice, but rather choosing the wrong or foolish decision. Diligence is the act of being aware of something. Therefore, one who often postpones activities and comes up with excuses is lazy (Hindson & Yates, 2012). The Hebrew wisdom books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Songs of Songs, and Psalms covers teachings on diligence, folly, wisdom, and laziness. Proverbs explains the differences between wisdom and folly as well as diligence and laziness clearly.
Deffinbaugh, B. (n.d.). Wisdom Literature: The Psalms Part 1. Retrieved May 9, 2011, from Bible.org: http://bible.org/seriespage/wisdom-literature-psalms-part-i
An instructive and stirring string of verses, this passage from the Bible holds great relevance not only for the Ancient Israelites to whom it was spoken, but also acts as a herald to Christians today. This passage forms part of Moses great oration; his instructive teaching, advice and counsel narrated to the second generation of Israelites who required redirection before moving forward into what God had for them. Similarly, it is also relevant for all Christians as we remember what our faithful, loving and powerful God has done in the past, and what he requires of us to move forward.
Have you ever felt stuck? Wherever you are, it’s the absolute last place you want to be. In the book Into the Wild, Chris McCandless feels stuck just like the average everyday person may feel. Chris finds his escape plan to the situation and feels he will free himself by going off to the wild. I agree with the author that Chris McCandless wasn’t a crazy person, a sociopath, or an outcast because he got along with many people very well, but he did seem somewhat incompetent, even though he survived for quite some time.
The psalms in the wisdom category are so identified because they mirror language and form more common to the “wisdom” literature of the Hebrew Scriptures such as in Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. They generally depict the retribution principle in the lives of people: those who are righteous will prosper, and those who are wicked will suffer. These help us in our devotional life because they stand as reminders of how to conduct our lives and bring us back to a point of acknowledging God as the true source of all the blessings (material, spiritual, emotional, etc) we possess.
Authority of Scripture reconciles the community with God and can transform our lives. To participate in the fuller blessing of understanding, it is important to view Scripture with historical and literary sensitivity, interpret theocentrically, ecclesially, and contextually. I realize each of these can be overwhelming to the average person who is seeking direction for a specific concern in their life. Therefore, Migliore reminds us, interpreting Scripture is practical engagement in the living of Christian faith, love, and hope in a still redeemed world. When we listen carefully to the voices of the past, from a worldwide culture, and guided by the Holy Spirit, we will open ourselves to those transformational opportunities.
Proverbs 16:9: The mind of a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
The Bible student, laymen, or pastor will find the principles presented by Fee and Stuart helpful despite the weaknesses presented. The author’s contribution on how to interpret each of the different genres is especially beneficial. The Bible Student will have more knowledge of how to interpret God’s Word when finished with the work. Fee and Stuart achieve their goal helping the reader not only with interpretation, but with application.
His grace and that each believer receives at least one. These gifts are different from the
...ers and from the interaction others have had with the books we have read. In the book of Proverbs, the Bible speaks of our interaction with others as being akin to iron sharpening iron, on person sharpening another ( Proverbs 27:17). White, J. E. (2006). A mind for God.
Analysis of biblical writings has helped us to better understand the challenges and mysteries of scripture. In studying Ephesians 1: 15-23, research will help us draw out the bigger picture of what the writer intends to convey in his message. This passage is a prayer of thanksgiving and intercession in which Paul expresses gratitude to God upon hearing of the Ephesians “faith in the Lord Jesus and love toward all the saints” (1: 15 NRSV). This leads Paul to pray intensively that the Ephesians will gain an expanded awareness of the extraordinary and unsurpassed power of God manifested on their behalf. Paul writes this as encouragement and support to the readers.
Proverbs are not promises (as Ecclesiastes and Job emphasize) but are a call to action…wise living.