wisdom

Wisdom’s Folly

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

Wisdom isn’t always easy. Just ask King Solomon. If you know his story, you know that God appeared to him in a dream and offered to give him whatever he wanted. So Solomon, the newly crowned king of Israel, asked God to give him the ability to know the difference between right and wrong. In other words, he asked for wisdom. God was very pleased with his request, because he could have asked for fame and fortune. But since he didn’t ask for those things, God told him they would be his as well as the wisdom he requested.

You can read the story of this dream in 1 Kings 3:1-15.

Before Solomon had the dream, he had made an unwise decision that went against God’s plan for him. But this poor decision hadn’t yet soiled him. He had married the daughter of the Pharaoh of Egypt. I’m sure he thought this move would earn him favors and wealth, but what it did was introduce him to the worship of foreign gods. And he didn’t stop with one foreign wife. Under the guise of political alignment, he married hundreds of other women who turned him further away from the God of his father, David. Solomon must have thought it wise to marry foreign royalty in order to avoid political conflicts, but he didn’t take into account that those many wives would lure him away from the Almighty God.

The thing was. Solomon used his knowledge and wisdom to build the Temple that his father had only dreamed of. He also impressed many with his solutions to his country’s problems. And nobles from other lands visited him to glean wisdom and answers to their own questions. He was a wealth of knowledge. And as he shared his wealth of knowledge, they shared their wealth of goods with him in exchange. It seemed to be a marriage made in heaven. But what appeared to be good to outsiders was harmful to those living in his land. He worked his people long and hard. He demanded heavy taxes from his people to pay for his projects. In his search for wisdom, Solomon became a fool. He was a taskmaster who made slaves of his people while he charmed other world leaders.

Solomon’s request for wisdom early on in his royal position was made in regards to his people. He truly wanted the best for them. But his initial priorities were sidelined once he saw how he could benefit from offering his God-given gift to others who had the means to pay for his wisdom. God did say he would give fame and fortune to Solomon because of his request for wisdom. But Solomon chose to wrongly prioritize marrying pagan women who led him away from God.

Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 3:15

Is it true that wise men say only fools rush in? Would a wise man dare to act foolishly? Just look at Solomon. The wisest man in the world was overcome with the desire to be successful and gain power, so he formed foolish alliances. If the wisest man on earth could act foolish, then what’s stopping the rest of us from doing so?

Not only did Solomon marry outside of the nation of Israel, he amassed great fortune by marrying these pagan wives. Over time, his extreme wealth and wives led to his downfall. Once he had every material possession his heart desired, his heart no longer desired God. And so he strayed from his promise to worship only the One True God. His pagan wives influenced him to worship their false gods who could do nothing for him. Soon the nation of Israel was spiritually corrupt. All because of a wise man’s foolish decisions.

Solomon followed God’s instructions fully when he built the Temple. But when it came to personal decisions, he followed his heart. And the heart is folly. Some say that the heart wants what the heart wants, but that doesn’t mean a godly person should follow selfish leanings. As believers, our hearts should lean only toward pleasing God and not ourselves.

Wise men can stray from wisdom if their heart isn’t totally centered on God. Foolish decisions will be made. The eye will see what it shouldn’t. The ear will hear what it shouldn’t. The mouth will speak what it shouldn’t. The heart will desire what it shouldn’t. And the slide begins.

The Bible tells us that when we ask for wisdom, God will give it to us. It’s actually a wise and humble request. Who doesn’t want to have the ability to make good decisions, good judgment and discernment. That is a gift from God that not everyone has. The enemy of our souls, Satan himself, is a master strategist. He will make deception look attractive and entice us with ungodly opportunities. We need wisdom from God to give us the strength and perseverance to stand true to faithfully obey God.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5

Wise Men Still Seek Him

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

They were philosophers. Or astronomers. Or were they astrologers? Perhaps they were magicians. All we really know is that a group of men saw an unusual star one night and started an investigation into its meaning. The brilliance of it was unbelievable, and they had to know more. This star has been called an extraordinary celestial event. And the men have been called Magi.

The wise men studied the stars. When they saw a new star, they searched the Scriptures to find the meaning of it. Why were the Scriptures the place they turned to find the answer, one might ask. They were most likely educated men of their day. But what did their education consist of? How did they gain wisdom? Sure. Some might call these men pagan astrologers. But would men who didn’t believe in a deity travel many, many miles to worship a Messiah who had been promised many, many years earlier? It’s doubtful. And God condemned astrology many times in Scripture. So, would he seek out pagans to find his chosen Son? What we know is that God works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform.

These men commonly known as “wise” set out on a journey to follow the star. They believed it would lead them to the One promised in Scripture many years earlier. Funny thing is. No one else seemed to have noticed the star. No other group of wise men was traveling to an unknown destination to worship the promised Savior of the world. Nowhere else in history is it recorded that groups of travelers were following the star to find a new king. They were on their own.

This group of astronomers went out of their way to find the star. They traveled a far distance without hesitation. There were huge sacrifices. No one knows if they left families behind to trek across the globe. No one knows if they were truly equipped for the journey. No one knows how far they traveled or how long the trek took. And, apparently, they didn’t ask anyone’s permission. They just set out on the trip of a lifetime. Only hope. And a promise.

The star was one of a kind. It actually led these travelers to the sight they were seeking. Oh. They knew who and what they were looking for. But they stopped and asked for directions. The problem is. They asked the wrong person. Little did this small band of travelers know that the One they were seeking was not of the royal bloodline. His bloodline was eternal. And he would prove to be unwelcome and unwanted by those in authority.

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4

Those who believed in the promised Messiah assumed that his throne would be a human, physical one. So, of course, these men sought out the highest position possible, King Herod, to ask where to find the new king. It didn’t go over so well. Suddenly, Herod felt threatened, because he had never heard that someone greater than he was in the area. And it was a baby they were looking for. According to King Herod, the only natural thing to do was kill all boys age two and under. That should solve the problem.

But these wise men lived up to their name. God warned them not to tell Herod where they found the child. And after their visit with the promised babe, they left town taking another route. They duped the king. Such wise men! Before they left town, though, they offered precious gifts for the young boy. Gold. Frankincense. Myrrh. Only the best and most useful gifts were offered to the King of kings.

Foolish men think they don’t need God.   Wise men know they have a void, and they surrender to the only One who can fill their deepest longings. In him, they find deep fulfillment. Since he set eternity in our hearts, we’re only complete in him. It should only take common sense to realize that simple truth, but apparently over time, hearts and minds can become hardened to the truth.

If we look around us today, it’s hard to find wise men. Or women. We’ve been choosing unwisely for so long, we don’t understand true wisdom. We can easily fall prey to deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. We follow hypocrites and liars, and we turn away from the true faith. We follow influential people who lead us astray. We consider nothing sacred. 

Wise people want to live a godly life knowing they may suffer persecution as did their Savior. Wise people are humble and listen to advice. They also use their words with restraint and practice patience. They’re even tempered and hold their tongues. And wise men still seek the Savior of the world.

Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you. She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown. Proverbs 4:5-9

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5