The pursuit of wisdom and knowledge is a human trait common to us all. We see it in the beginning; with Eve succumbing to the temptation of increasing her own wisdom to the level of her Creator:
“No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman.“In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.’ ( Genesis 3:4-6 CSB emphasis mine)
Arguably, the only knowledge that Eve acquired was knowledge of evil. She already had the knowledge of good. God had already surveyed all He had made and declared it was good. There was nothing missing, nothing lacking and nothing broken.
We see this desire for more knowledge in every academic institution, through mass media, in global politics and in the vast amounts of information we consume which solidifies our own personal worldviews. Knowledge is power, they say.
The accumulation of wisdom and knowledge is endlessly enticing. For me, it adds colour and vibrancy to my everyday life. It sparks creativity and understanding. Problems can be solved and solutions found when wisdom and knowledge are applied to situations. I believe wisdom is a common good and the pursuit of it should be encouraged.
But what happens when this pursuit is detached from the fear of the Lord?
‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever.’ ( Psalm 111:10 CSB)
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.’ (Proverbs 9:10 CSB)
‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.’ (Proverbs 1:7 CSB)
The fear of the Lord, for believers, is to demonstrate deep reverence and awe of God. To recognise that He is holy and to live our lives in accordance with that awareness.
If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, then without it we are on a quest towards something other than wisdom. Without the fear- we are accumulating wisdom and knowledge that is not true wisdom and true knowledge. The starting point on the map is already off course before we’ve even begun, meaning it is highly likely the destination will not be one we anticipated or hoped for.
The scriptures are clear that when we follow His instructions we have good insight, to know God is to understand ourselves in the light of who He is. We were made in His image. The worldly belief which implies that to follow Christ is to conform to a ‘Stepford Wives’ kind of life frustrates me. This belief assumes that inevitably we will lose a vital part of ourselves when we take up our cross and decide to follow Jesus. That we effectively become a shadow of our former selves.
In some ways this is true, we do change inwardly as we conform slowly (oh so slowly!) into the likeness of Christ. Habits and tendencies may change, most likely desperately need to change. However, the longer we live for Christ, the more we become our true selves. We have the same personality and characteristics but they are being sanctified, purified and redeemed. This again, is true wisdom and true knowledge.
Without the fear of the Lord, we become foolish and begin to despise wisdom and knowledge when we hear it. Discipline is viewed resentfully and healthy boundaries are erased. This has always been true and is certainly true today in every sphere of our world.
Would Eve have eaten the fruit in blatant disobedience to God’s clear command if she had been walking in the fear of the Lord? Instead, she relied on her own reasoning and understanding which led to ramifications she could not have imagined or understood. I can easily recall major decisions made in my own life, relying on my own understanding and wisdom, that have had significant consequences. We do not know the end from the beginning, there is only one who does- this is why we should fear Him. Wisdom is wrapped up in the fear of the Lord, there is an open invitation to unwrap this gift and reap the rewards for eternity.
There is no need to strive for wisdom, to search for it in hidden places. According to Proverbs wisdom is calling aloud in the streets. God’s infinite wisdom is written out for all to read and listen to through His infallible word. We can study it, research it and discuss it- dig as deep as we possibly can.
James 3:15 uses strong terms to describe the wisdom of this world- earthly, unspiritual, demonic. Why such strong admonishment? It may be that being wise in what is earthly, unspiritual and demonic is to wander the furthest away from true wisdom rooted in the fear of God.
It seems like the endless human striving for more wisdom and knowledge is an attempt at omniscience and immortality. The wise pursuit would be to know the one whose praise endures forever. To know the one who has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
‘He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.’ (2 Timothy 1: 9-10 CSB emphasis mine)
In all our gaining of wisdom and knowledge; may we see with our eyes, hear with our ears, understand with our minds, return to the fear of the Lord…and be healed.
‘When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity.’ ( Ecclesiastes 12:13 CSB)