Seeking Wisdom

The apostle James instructs in his epistle, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). The implication is that we get wisdom by revering God and asking Him for it. Sometimes God will simply impart wisdom to us for a certain situation when we ask. That is what happened for King Solomon in 1 Kings 3. 

Since the Temple had not yet been built in Jerusalem, Solomon went to Gibeon regularly to offer sacrifices to the Lord. The text tells us he offered 1,000 burnt offerings on that altar. “Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places” (v. 3). God saw that the heart of this young king sought after Him and desired to serve Him. 1 Kings 3:5 continues, “At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask! What shall I give you?’” Solomon was a young, inexperienced ruler, but he had the humility to realize his need for wisdom, and asked for it.

At other times, I find that God answers our prayer for wisdom by developing it in us through life experiences. The great preacher, Charles Spurgeon, said, “Wisdom is the correct use of knowledge. Knowing is not being wise. Many men know a lot and are dumber for it. There is no fool as the knowing fool. But knowing how to use knowledge is having wisdom.” Solomon knew the right things to do and the things that God said to avoid. Unfortunately, he did not make use of the knowledge, eventually falling away from the Lord. Life experience brings us knowledge. To be wise, we need to reflect on our good choices and mistakes and learn from them, then change our behavior accordingly.

It requires wisdom to request wisdom. You must already have the humility to know that you lack it and need it. It seems James understood well what Solomon taught, “My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly” (Prov. 2:1–7, emphasis added).

Wisdom Brings Wisdom 

God, then, gives wisdom to those who ask and He stores up sound wisdom for the upright. Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites of Israel, offers helpful insight, “The Holy One, blessed be He, gives wisdom only to one who already possesses wisdom.” He explains that this concept comes from Exodus when the Israelites were preparing to build the Tabernacle in the wilderness. In Exodus 31:6 God states, “I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you.” In the original Hebrew the verse is often translated, “And in the heart of every wise-hearted person I have placed wisdom.” A “wise-hearted person” in Hebrew is a chakham lev (לב חכם), which is derived from the Hebrew words chokhmah (חכמה), wisdom and lev (לב), heart.

The logical question would be: “What is the initial wisdom that brings additional wisdom?” It is an inner yearning for more wisdom that goes beyond knowledge to transform one’s actions and character. Today information and access to knowledge abound. Many people are educated and informed, yet their hearts are empty and devoid of substance. It is crucial to cultivate wisdom of the heart. We must yearn for wisdom, and never cease growing and deepening our connection to the One who alone gives wisdom. We should follow the example of David, the Psalmist, when he called out, “Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek’” (Ps. 27:7–8). This should continually be our heart’s posture toward Almighty God. Our ability to receive wisdom is proportional to our heart’s condition toward God.

The One Who Has Will Gain More

The more wisdom we gain, the more we will understand our need for wisdom. Proverbs 9:9 teaches, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser.” The original Hebrew reads, “Give to the wise, and he will become yet wiser.” This truth reminds me of Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) teaching in Matthew 13:12, “For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” This difficult saying of Jesus troubled me for years. It seemed harsh. When we lived in Africa, a man from a neighboring village became a believer and I started to meet with him weekly to study the Bible. When we came to this passage in Matthew, he was troubled. This man was a subsistence farmer with very few earthly possessions. He was concerned that even the little that he did own may be taken from him.

However, when seen in the perspective of Proverbs 9:9, Matthew 13:12 becomes clearer. Those who have a yearning for God and His wisdom will be given more. And those who do not have a heart after God and His ways, will not find more of Him.

The first time that Jesus gave this teaching, He was explaining to His disciples why He only spoke to the crowds in parables. As His students, they were seeking truth, therefore, Jesus explained, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matt. 13:11). He went on to clarify, “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” (v.13). At the end of the parable, Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (v. 9)! “He who has ears to hear” is a Hebrew idiom referring to someone who listens with the intent to understand and obey. The disciples had it, and therefore, more would be given to them.

The Parable of the Sower

This teaching came directly after Jesus taught the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1–9. In the parallel passage, Luke explains, “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance” (8:11–15 NASB95).

Luke’s version in verse 18 reads, “So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him” (NASB95, emphasis added). Note the focus on taking care how you listen. We should listen with humility and the wisdom to know that we need help understanding. We should be those who have “ears to hear.” Those who believe that they already understand will not receive more insight.

Based on the explanation of the parable, the seeds that fell on good soil relate to people who already possess wisdom to revere God and follow His ways. Their wisdom brings more wisdom and in the end, they produce a harvest of a hundredfold. Others who do not possess such wisdom relate to the remainder of the seeds. Some seeds fall on hard, arrogant hearts that the seed cannot even penetrate. For others, there is some initial interest and they seek after God, but they have no depth and their seeking wanes. More still start to make progress, but then the values of the world choke out their desire to follow God. The wisdom required to gain further wisdom is not a one-time or occasional seeking for God. It must be a continual yearning and stretching to have more of Him and His wisdom, living more fully in His ways.

Rabbi Rabinowitz continued to share wisdom from Rabbi Hirsch, “The inner drive and the aspiration to grow are what propel a person forward and expand both his wisdom and his character. It is not a thirst for knowledge that remains external to one’s personality and leaves his essence unchanged. Such a person in Rabbi Hirsch’s words, remains a simpleton.”

The Parable of the Talents

The other place in the book of Matthew where Jesus gives this teaching is at the end of the Parable of the Talents. “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away” (Matt. 25:29). In the parable, the servants who made wise use of the talents entrusted to them received more talents as well as the praise of their master. But the servant who refused to make use of the talent entrusted to him had it taken away, was harshly reprimanded and cast out. When we have some wisdom and seek God’s face to ask for more, He will be faithful to give it. The cycle repeats and builds on itself. But we must persevere, grow in wisdom and faithfully use it. When we do, our lives will be a light to others, drawing them toward God and abundant life with Him.

The Bottom Line

As King Solomon taught, wisdom (fear of God and willingness to walk in His ways) is vitally important in life. Humbly ask God for wisdom on a regular basis. Then, consistently put it into practice by making good decisions and walking out God’s instructions. The world in this generation is perhaps the darkest that it has ever been. Use your God-given wisdom to help others learn about God’s light and peace through your example.