Sophia Part 2

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Who is the wisest person that you know?  Would someone like to
tell me about that person?

What do you think made her/him wise?

Do you know anyone whose wisdom is foolishness?  

Let me share with you what is not wisdom.  A news report told of
a burglar charged with raiding vending machines paid his bail
with $300 in coins.  That's not right bright.

AS we begin there are two things I want to point out from our
text last week.

First, the wisdom that is considered wise by most people is
foolishness.  What those same people consider to be foolishness
is wisdom.  

Secondly, the wisdom from God is given to us by the Holy Spirit,
who brings true wisdom by dwelling within us.  Unfortunately,
Paul does not spell out what this wisdom brings to us.  But
other places in the Bible give us some clues.

I find it very interesting that Spirit and wisdom are connected
in the Bible first in Exo 28:3  ""So you shall speak to all who
are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of
wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments, to consecrate him,
that he may minister to Me as priest." 

In fact the first 7 references to wisdom have to do with the
making of the tabernacle.  Men were given wisdom to create the
furniture, the wood that was overlaid with gold and the vessels
that were used in the services..  Women were given wisdom to
weave the curtains.  Wisdom was given to carve jewels, spin
yarn, make the priestly robes, build the tabernacle, and on and
on.  

That was the wisdom that was necessary for  the creation of the
sanctuary.

There was more wisdom available for the Israelites than that. 
In Moses' final sermon to the Children of Israel, he said in
Deut 4:4  "But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive
today, every one of you.

5  "Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the
LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them
in the land which you go to possess.

6  "Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your
wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who
will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation
is a wise and understanding people.'

7  "For what great nation is there that has God so near to it,
as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call
upon Him?

In this passage, wisdom is referred to in two areas.  First,
having and observing the laws that God had given the Israelites
through the wilderness journey.  Secondly wisdom was (and I
believe still is) having God near to you.

And as you look at some of the laws that were given, you will
find wisdom that science has demonstrated to us today.

For instance, the laws on leprosy.  This is the first recorded
instance of people with communicable diseases being quarantined
for the health of the rest of the community.  Other laws such as
being to go outside of the camp to relieve themselves then bury
their waste, a person touching someone dead having to go through
cleansings, the laws of leprosy for buildings and things, and so
forth, were all laws designed to keep God's people healthy.

By the way, you may ask why I include the laws of leprosy on
buildings, etc.  It has become well known in our day that
mildews and molds can cause allergic reactions and sickness. 
God knew that, but He communicated it to the people in a way
that they could understand.  

There were individuals in the OT that were stated to have
special wisdom. This was usually connected with the spirit of God

Deu 34:9  "Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of
wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of
Israel heeded him, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses."



I Kings 4:29  And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great
understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the
seashore.

30  Thus Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of
the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.

There are a large number of wisdom texts which refer to Solomon.
 But we find one problem here.  Was the wisdom that Solomon had
always wisdom of God or was it sometimes foolishness?

He answers that question.  But let's follow the progression that
we find in his writings.

Prov 1:Prov 1:1  The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king
of Israel:

2  To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of
understanding,

3  To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and
equity;

4  To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge
and discretion;

5  A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of
understanding will attain wise counsel,

6  To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise
and their riddles.

7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools
despise wisdom and instruction.

Prov 2:6  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 uprightly;

This is the beginning.  What was the end?

Ecc. 1:12  I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13  And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom
concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task
God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised.

14  I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and
indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.

15  What is crooked cannot be made straight, And what is lacking
cannot be numbered.

16  I communed with my heart, saying, "Look, I have attained
greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before
me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and
knowledge."

17  And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and
folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.

18  For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases
knowledge increases sorrow.

Yet Solomon seems to come full circle.

Ecc 12:8  "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "All is
vanity."

9  And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught
the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in
order many proverbs.

10  The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was
written was upright; words of truth.

11  The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of
scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.

12  And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many
books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.

13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and
keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

14  For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every
secret thing, Whether good or evil.

	When Solomon was getting his wisdom from God, it was
beneficial.  When he began to get his wisdom from other sources,
 he lost the connection that gave him real wisdom.

What the Wise Man was  trying to tell us is that real wisdom is
the fear of God. As we look at wisdom, we find that there are
three generally accepted definitions.  The first two have to do
with worldly things, and the third with things of the Spirit.

    First, wisdom is considered by many to be simply the art of
learning how to succeed in life. Apparently, ancient persons
learned very early that there was an orderliness to the world in
which they lived. They also learned that success and happiness
came from living in accordance with that orderliness (Prov.
22:17-24:22). 

Second, wisdom is considered by some to be a philosophical study
of the essence of life. Certainly, much of the Books of Job and
Ecclesiastes seem to deal with just such existential issues of
life (see particularly Job 30:29-31  by the way, the book of Job
is a major source of wisdom texts in the OT.). 

Third, I believe that the real essence of wisdom is spiritual,
for life is more than just living by a set of rules and being
rewarded in some physical manner. Undoubtedly, in this sense
wisdom comes from God (Prov. 2:6).   While it involves
observation and instruction, it really begins with God and one's
faith in Him as Lord and Savior (Prov. 1:7; Job 28:28). 

The Psalmist reflects this in Ps 111:10  The fear of the LORD is
the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who
do His commandments. His praise endures forever.

His son reflects the same thought.Prov 9:10  "The fear of the
LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy
One is understanding.

Job 38:36  Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given
understanding to the heart?

Against all of this historical background which Paul was very
aware of he makes that profound statement, "I have determined to
know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

All of the collective wisdom of the rabbis and Pharasees and
Sadducees went down the tubes with this statement.

You will recall how last week we looked at the
wisdom/foolishness/offence statement that Paul made.  In essence
what he was saying is that any thing that we can learn on our
own, any thing that we consider to be powerful and meaningful in
the realm of human understanding, without the true knowledge of
salvation through Jesus Christ our savior, who lived poorly and
died shamefully, is foolishness in the eternal scheme of things.

Paul did not know anything that was more wise and powerful in
the eternal sense than the mystery of salvation.  The
unfathomable riches of glory.  The indescribable riches of
salvation.  The knowledge of Christ as our crucified sin
bearing, 

Paul makes it clear that he knew no wisdom greater or deeper
than Christ crucified, Christ resurrected, Christ ascended, and
Christ coming again.  But the cross always came first.  1 Cor
1:17  "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the
gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ
should be made of no effect."

And in Rom 11:33 he sings a praise song.  "Oh, the depth of the
riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable
are His judgments and His ways past finding out!"

But the spiritual wisdom that Paul over and over speaks of is
not just a knowledge of the intellect.  It is an immersion of
the thoughts processes by a baptism of the Holy Spirit that
brings not just knowledge, but spirituality.  A change of life. 
A change of goals.  Different motives.  New thoughts.  A new 
home, and a new citizenship.

That is the wisdom that the Spirit would have us begin to know. 
The incredible mystery of Godliness that we will never
comprehend, but study through the ages.  The practical wisdom of
how to live healthier lives.  The emotional wisdom to have faith
that God is with you, even when you cannot see Him.  The wisdom
that is brought by the agent of Christ within you.  "Christ in
you, the hope of glory."



Do you have that hope today in your life?  Have you begun to
expereince wisdom from on high?

I pray that you have.  Sophia can be found.  She ( as wisdom is
a often referred to in the Bible) is a gift of the Holy Spirit. 
A gift that Jesus is eager to give, just for the asking.  A gift
that He promised when He left this world for heaven.  A gift
that found partial fulfillment on the day of Pentecost.  A gift
that He pleads with you to ask for.  Because this one gift
brings all other gifts that we need.  









Benediction

Ephesians1:17  (May) the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, .... give to you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of Him,

18  the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you
may know what is the hope of His calling,  Amen