Many Faces of Wisdom

We admire wisdom, but struggle to define the term. In 2016, a team of psychologists a attempted to understand how people perceived the concept of wisdom. “e team presented historical figures who were generally esteemed as being wise, then asked what specific qualities made them wise. “Three templates emerged: practical wisdom, philosophical wisdom, and benevolent wisdom.

Scripture confirms that wisdom manifests itself in many ways. Bezalel was filled with wisdom for his work constructing the tabernacle (Exodus 31:2, 3). Joshua was filled with wisdom to lead Israel into the promised land (Deuteronomy 34:9). A wise woman persuaded her city to slay David’s enemy and save themselves (2 Samuel 20:16–22). Even in biblical times, it was apparent that wisdom has diverse blossoms.

The Roots of Wisdom

True wisdom is rooted in a single source: God himself. We open unit 1 with a survey of wisdom in the book of Proverbs. King Solomon, the primary contributor to the anthology, taught young men that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). “e word fear is best interpreted as a worshipful awe and respect of God, not an unhealthy terror of the divine.

Solomon’s belief that wisdom was accessible to anyone is evident through his anthropomorphizing (giving human characteristics to) wisdom as being a woman. She stands at the gates of the city and invites anyone who would come to partake in her lavish feast. But Solomon also recognized that wisdom wasn’t the only voice calling out to his rising leaders.

The Embodiment of Wisdom

Wisdom became incarnate in Jesus, discussed in unit 2. “The Gospel writers emphasized that Jesus was an unexpected and even unwelcome source of wisdom. As a boy, Jesus’ understanding of Scripture flabbergasted the religious teachers of his day. His eccentric prophet, John the Baptist, preached in the badlands of Israel instead of from the comfort of the temple. “the unprecedentedness of God’s wisdom taking human form was highlighted when Jesus was rejected upon returning to his hometown.

Jesus captured the Hebrew concept of wisdom as a road to be followed when he declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Wisdom could no longer be viewed merely as a collection of principles with which to organize one’s life. In order to be wise, one must hear the words of Jesus, believe them, and then follow after him.

The Way of Wisdom

In unit 3, James examines the interplay between following Jesus and possessing faith. James reaffirms God’s generosity in sharing his wisdom, which is especially needed in times of trouble. However, if a person’s faith is not marked by acts of obedience to God’s Word, then it is dead. Intellectual assent to God’s ways isn’t enough; wisdom is evidenced by a transformed life. According to James, the quality of a person’s speech and treatment of others is an accurate barometer for measuring one’s pursuit of wisdom. James revisits Solomon’s conviction that we are all presented with the choice of pursuing wisdom or folly. James details how possessing “wisdom that comes from heaven” (James 3:17) inevitably yields godly character.

May we trust God’s generosity in sharing his wisdom with us as we study together this quarter.

Unit 1: Wisdom in Proverbs

Date	Title	Bible Text
June 7	Listen to God’s Wisdom	Proverbs 1:1–4, 7, 8, 10, 20–22, 32, 33
June 14	Value Wisdom	Proverbs 2:1–11
June 21	Receive Wisdom’s Gifts	Proverbs 8:8–14, 17–21
June 28	Feast with Wisdom	Proverbs 9:1–6, 8–10, 13–18

Unit 2: Wisdom in the Gospels

Date	Title	Bible Text
July 5	Vindicating Wisdom	Matthew 11:7–19
July 12	The Boy Jesus	Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7b; Luke 2:39–52
July 19	The Wisdom of Jesus	Mark 6:1–6
July 26	Wisdom to Follow	John 14:1–14

Unit 3: Faith and Wisdom in James

Date	Title	Bible Text
August 2	Faith and Wisdom	James 1:1–11
August 9	Hearing and Doing	James 1:19–27
August 16	Living Faith	James 2:14–26
August 23	Taming the Tongue	James 3:1–12
August 30	Two Kinds of Wisdom	James 3:13–18; 5:7–12