The Beginning of Wisdom
Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain insight,
for I give you good precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.
Get wisdom; get insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
She will place on your head a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.
I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
and if you run, you will not stumble.
Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.
(Proverbs 4:1-13, ESV)
What is the goal of your teaching and learning? Many passages of Scripture highlight different types of desired outcomes, encouraging us to think broadly and deeply about this. On the one hand, put simply, the goal of my teaching is that those I teach would learn – but what are they to learn? Is it enough that they learn the information I desire them to know? Is it enough that they understand ways this knowledge can be useful? While both are important steps along the way, the real goal in leading a Bible study group is something far more important and deeply needed – wisdom.
Scripture repeatedly emphasizes the value and earnest pursuit of wisdom, particularly here in the book of Proverbs. “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.” But what is wisdom, and how does it compare with knowledge? Knowledge is information gained, but in itself gives no guidance in how that information should be used. It has no ethical component – no “ought” to it. This is quite different from wisdom. In essence, wisdom is the ability to exercise sound judgment, to discern what is true, right, and good in a given situation, and to act accordingly. It requires the ability to evaluate information, identify that which is good, and then determine how best to pursue it.
In the field of education there is much discussion of the importance for students to develop critical thinking skills. These skills are, indeed, important to help people evaluate what they hear and read, to test it to see if what they are told is true or not, whether the arguments are sound or misleading, and if the conclusions are valid or false. In an era of “fake news,” this is a critical skill. But, as important as the development of critical thinking skills is, it still falls short of the biblical understanding of wisdom. Wisdom builds upon critical thinking and adds the aspect of moral judgment, seeking to see the world from God’s perspective and to pursue what God judges as both true and good. Scripture shows us that intelligence, knowledge, and critical thinking in pursuit of the wrong goals is not wisdom, but wickedness—the comparison often being made between the “righteous” person and the “wicked” person. Growing in wisdom is the pathway to becoming a righteous person. We are to pursue righteousness, even as we recognize our inability to attain it on our own. No one but God is fully righteous, yet we are called to imitate Him, and through faith in Christ we receive forgiveness and grace from God for our failings and disobedience.
Wisdom enables a person to live a good life, one worthy of praise. “Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” In addition, wisdom enables the person who possesses it to avoid fruitless or harmful pursuits, escaping the bad results that would have come from them. “When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble.” So important is the gaining of wisdom that the end of this passage tells us, “Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.”
It’s easy to forget this bigger picture and long-term goal of our learning and teaching. Ask God to help you maintain this focus, and in light of this goal, to develop your teaching in ways that help those you lead in Bible study to gain greater wisdom, not simply greater knowledge.
Father, thank you for your desire that I would grow to be more like you in my character and for the gift of your Word and your Holy Spirit to help bring that about. Give me increasing wisdom and discernment so that as I grow to know your Word and yourself more fully, I also grow in insight as to how to live a life that honors and glorifies you, and reveals your renovating work in my heart that impacts my actions. I desire that my life would show both your grace of forgiveness and your power of transformation. Teach me your wisdom, I pray. Amen.