Wisdom calls aloud in the streets, she raises her voice in the public squares; she calls out at the

street corners, she delivers her message at the city gates, ‘You ignorant people, how much longer

will you cling to your ignorance? How much longer will mockers revel in their mocking and fools

hold knowledge contemptible? Pay attention to my warning: now I will pour out my heart to you,

and tell you what I have to say (Proverbs 1:20-23).

You don’t need to be wise in order to seek wisdom. Some people have it in their mind that they must be like a hermit atop a lonely mountain with a flowing white beard and a stoic demeanor before they can seek wisdom. That faulty premise inhibits any sort of meaningful progression. Imagining what one should be before setting out on what one could be is putting the cart before the horse. So no, you don’t need to first be wise in order to become wise. It’s actually closer to the opposite (but not quite).

The book of Proverbs has traditionally been categorized as wisdom literature within the cannon of the Old Testament. Chapters ten through thirty-one are, for the most part, short sayings. A great example of this is found in chapter nineteen, verse two:

Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good;

haste makes mistakes.

Notice the structure of this particular proverb. Characteristic of the book, each saying is written out in a poetic style rather than as proses. It’s a technique that helps with memorization and is similar to our current maxims (‘loose lips sink ships’ or ‘birds of a feather flock together’). Furthermore, the book of Proverbs often uses contrast (like in the above example) or similarities:

Good news from far away is like cold water to the thirsty (25:25)

Again, this helps with memorization but also with understanding and explanation of principles for

godliness, virtue and success. The Hebrew word for proverb is māšāl which essentially means to

represent or be like, as in a similitude or parable. Some even think that māšāl may originally come

from māšal which can be interpreted to mean power, rule and ruler. The students of postmodernism

would conclude that Proverbs is about the exercise of dominance over others for the sake of privilege. These students of humanism, in all of its variances, place the highest value in people’s fleeting vanities and not the eternity of God and the soul.

To say that the postmodern is completely wrong in their conclusions would not be true. They are

partially correct in that Proverbs does focus on the exercise of power but only so much within the

parameters of reality dictated by God through the books of the law (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,

Numbers, Deuteronomy) and the prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc.). Obviously the historical

books, like first and second Samuel, were of importance and helps us to interpret Proverbs. Many of the sayings were written by King Solomon, third king of Israel who was known for his incredible wisdom. His story is relayed to us through the historical writings of the Old Testament. This helps us with context but doesn’t supply us with the epistemological roots of the sayings; that is, history will often answer the who, what, where, and when of a Biblical passage but it will not answer the ‘why’. The theology of Proverbs is dependent on the books of the law and the prophets.

Keeping these principles in mind clarifies the sayings of Proverbs as well as the first nine chapters of

the book where the primary focus is on the many appeals to seek wisdom. We are told to “cry out for

insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden

treasures” (2:3-4). To be passionate about curiosities (or as some say, “useless information”) is a

longstanding trademark of decadent civilizations. Many can expound for hours on celebrities or

hobbies but are unable to change a tire. Biblical wisdom is composed of many bits of profound

knowledge that can be understood within relation to the bits as well as to the whole. It is firmly within

the realm of concepts, and so can be contemplated, and the realm of reality, and so can be experienced. Wisdom isn’t knowledge for the sake of knowledge. It’s not a curiosity. Nor is it purely objective (or subjective for that matter). Biblical wisdom is permanent for all time and can be universally known, and it always affects the individual.

You do not need to be wise in order to seek out wisdom. You simply must start with a desire for it.

Many begin to seek wisdom when they realize their deficiency is approximate to that of a fool. To say

that one is a fool for not being wise might be taking it too far, but it is closer to the truth than not.

Proverbs often depicts the fool as someone who is antagonistic towards wisdom. “How much longer

will mockers revel in their mocking and fools hold knowledge contemptible” (1:22)? The fool is also

depicted in the worst societal ways and often shown to lead a life of utter destruction and death. So to begin the quest for Biblical wisdom from the assumption that one is a fool might be harsh, but it can be a powerful way to stimulate a proper appetite for wisdom.

Exercise

Read Proverbs one and note any passages that stick out to you. Why do you think these passage are

significant?

Questions for Reflection

If Wisdom were to shout in today’s streets, what would that look like and what would Wisdom say?

In which areas of life do you need to pay attention to Biblical wisdom?

In what ways are you wise? Who can you pass on your insights and knowledge?

Next Week: Wisdom is a Powerful Relationship