True wisdom comes from the mouth of God. The wisdom that you and I need for daily living is found only in God and comes from the mouth of God. This may be obvious in many ways…that wisdom comes from God; yet, on the heals of Proverbs 2:1-5, Solomon punctuates the point in verse 6 as a point of finality. “For the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:1-5 provide 6 ingredients on how to fear and know God, so it makes sense that Solomon would point us to the actual source of this wisdom…from the mouth of Lord himself. In light of this, there are several promises Solomon outlines in verses 7-11 concerning the nature and course of God’s wisdom.
The world is fraught with many, many messages about the nature of wisdom. As noted in a previous article, the wisdom of the world is always tailored to suit a fleshly version of wisdom. But the wisdom of the Bible is a wisdom that always points and leads us to the cross of Christ. In light of this, the Christian maintains a benefit unlike any other person in the world; namely, we receive words that come directly from the mouth of God.
This is inherently true through the Bible’s own testimony about itself (2 Tim 3:16, 1 Pet 1:21) and we can take great comfort in knowing that when we appeal to the Bible for wisdom, we are appealing to the very words of God.
WISDOM’S PROMISES
7 He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Pro 2:7-8 (NIV)
1st Set of Promises
- Victory/Success for the upright (vs 7)
- Shield to the blameless (vs 7)
- Guardianship for the just (vs 8)
- Protection for the faithful (vs 8)
Ask yourself the following: (1) What is victory; what does it mean to be upright; what does the shield look like; what does it means to be blameless? (2) How exactly will wisdom guard and protect us? We answer these questions by examining Verses 9 thru 11.
9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair–every good path. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
Pro 2:9-11 (NIV)
Uprightness and blamelessness is understood by Solomon as something only possible when we receive knowledge and understanding from the mouth of God. When you receive knowledge and understanding from God (vs 6), then you understand what it right, just, fair and good (Vs 9).
Therefore we understand verse 7’s reference to uprightness and blamelessness as possibilities only through reception and application of God’s knowledge and wisdom. The one who applies God’s words to their lives will be upright; the one who listens and obeys to God’s words will be blameless. Uprightness and blamelessness in the eyes of God is not possible apart from the knowledge and wisdom of God himself; this knowledge and wisdom that comes directly from his mouth.
A more outstanding claim Solomon ventures to make is that we will understand every good path when we have the knowledge and wisdom of God. This is a substantial claim on the power and ability of God’s knowledge and wisdom for our lives. Yet, it is not impossible. For the repository of wisdom that comes from the mouth of God is in the heart of upright and blameless men, and this wisdom will be felt at the level of our soul (vs 10).
10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Pro 2:10 (NIV)
This is where the knowledge of God goes and this is how it affects us. The wisdom and knowledge of God is unlike any other aspect of knowledge and wisdom. Firstly, no other sort of wisdom concerns itself with matters of the heart like the wisdom of God. God desires to extend his wisdom directly into your heart. Secondly, the effect is pleasant to the soul. The depth in which wisdom reaches is beyond match for any other wisdom, and yet this is the place that needs affecting. That is, our souls need satisfying and only the wisdom of God is capable of providing the satisfaction our souls need.
How can the wisdom and knowledge of God help us know and understand every good path? We must continue reading.
11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
Pro 2:11 (NIV)
2nd Set of Promises
- Discretion will protect (vs 11)
- Understanding will guard (vs 11)
The promises embedded in verse 8 are understood when we unpack verse 11. A quick visual aid below.
Discretion is the means by which we are protected and understanding is the means which we are guarded. Discretion and understanding are things embedded into the heart…these are some of the tangibles of God’s wisdom that enters our heart (vs 10). This is how we are able to understand what is right, just, fair and every good path (vs 9)…because God’s wisdom translates into discretion (in order to protect us) and understanding (in order to guard us).
The discretion we need comes from God and the understanding toward what is right, fair, just and good comes from God. There is no situation you can face where you don’t need wisdom, and the best wisdom is a wisdom from God.
The principle aim of the protection that discretion provides is a protection from sin. This is the standard of care in our handling of this text and the lens by which we process the discretion we need. The lens being, to sin or not sin.
We find protection from sin by opening up our hearts to the wisdom of God. We are guarded from sin by recognizing that the pleasantries our hearts and souls are designed to enjoy are experienced in the context of drinking in the wisdom that comes directly from his mouth of God.
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Application
- Where in your life do you see a need for the exercise of discretion or for an understanding that transcends your circumstances?
- Where in your life are you anxious about tomorrow…about what is the right way, the fair way, the just way, the good way?
- Who’s wisdom are you allowing to enter your heart? God’s wisdom or someone else’s?
- How pleasant is it, really?
