Every person ought to seek wisdom. The sooner it is sought in life, the better. Wisdom is not automatic with a person’s age, education or civic standing. It is not denied to youth because of too few years. It is not automatic during inattention. Wisdom begins at any time one is mature enough to choose to seek and use it. Wisdom is something God commands us to seek. Relative to the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, the book of Proverbs is best known. The book, in over-all theme, is dedicated to wisdom perceptions. Several important words are used in this context, words that point to the acquirement of wisdom. Most common are: instruction, understanding, and knowledge to truth. These relate to knowledge, perception, and rightness.
Perhaps the disappointment related to Proverbs is that Solomon, the human author of the book, appears to have missed some of his own counsel. He did not consistently live out the wisdom he taught in his writings. There is a likely explanation for that hypocrisy. He made some unwise decisions for himself. In after-thought, he suggested to readers benefits accruing to them if their lives were guided by wisdom. In the book of Ecclesiastes he acknowledged his faulty conduct. He tried formal education, pleasure-focused living, excellence in service, eclecticism in beliefs – and found them wanting. No lasting satisfaction was found. His secular searches taken alone failed him. After careful thought, he stated, Vanity, vanity, all is vanity. His effort was vapor.
We may pass over what Solomon taught with the idea that if he did not practice some of the principles, why should we? The answer, of course, is that we learn from those who succeeded and those who failed. We find and use failure in others to teach us that similar failures need not be ours. I hate gambling because my father gambled – and usually lost. We need not become like yonder drunkard to learn that alcohol will be harmful to health and sensibilities. Solomon teaches us that failure, when we recognize and analyze it, plays a role in the discovery of wisdom.
We seem surprised to discover that those who have failed in ideals, even honest in admitting it may not be highly persuasive in what they advise us to do. There is no doubt that many parents have given wise counsel to a child, counsel parents did not follow early in their youth. We may hope that the failure of a parent will help guide the conduct of the child for benefit. The old adage, Don’t do as I do, do as I say, has little persuasive authority. Humbling us, our own failures can offer useful counsel. We can be sure that we have had, and will have, personal failures. Perhaps, that is one reason the Ten Commandments are put in the form of negative propositions. Thou shalt not give false witness: helps clarify a positive principle overlooked in our past. Always tell the truth: suggests the future. Both phrases express similar context. To tell the truth is to evade falsehood. Deliberately to evade falsehood is to rise to truth. To practice truth in belief and conduct is to make a vital turn in the direction of wisdom. Wisdom is a value we seek, and that seeking finds ultimate virtue. It shows in conduct, knowledge, understanding and wise application in experience. Wisdom in the Old Testament becomes maturity (perfect) in the New. (Philippians 3:15 – KJV) Righteousness is an important factor in the formulation and application of maturity. It is a part of wisdom related to earth and heaven. The wise person is committed to the concepts leading to wisdom, which includes learning in any context, from success/failure as well as achievement. It includes factors not measured, like emotions that motivate persons to belief and action. Wisdom accommodates to whatever is available. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020