“WISDOM is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding,” said Solomon, the wisest man of Adam’s fallen race (Prov. 4:77Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7)). Most men accredit themselves with having wisdom—at least a little. But human wisdom is one thing, divine wisdom quite another. Human wisdom dies with its owner, and as any one may die at any moment there’s an end of it. Divine wisdom gives the key to the other side of death. It is a far better possession than the philosopher’s stone. Human wisdom is useful for time, but divine wisdom puts things right for eternity.
Now the voice of divine wisdom has spoken. It spake of old from the heavens above, and then spake in the world in Him who was wisdom personified, our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God. In Proverbs 8:11Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? (Proverbs 8:1) we read, “Doth not Wisdom cry, and Understanding put forth her voice?” It is an unmistakable cry, a plain, clear voice that all may hear. It is the height of folly to close our ears to it. Have you listened? Have you let its sayings sink down into your ears?
This voice speaks everywhere. “She standeth,” Or the original is more forcible still, “She taketh her stand on the top of high places by the way, at the places of the paths (or the cross paths). She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors” (vers. 2:3). That is, the voice of Wisdom speaks publicly to all, in every part of the city, and at the entrance gates, so that all are without excuse. This thing is not done in a corner. On the marketplace, at the cross paths, at the gates, and at the doors Wisdom speaks so that all may hear. “Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. O ye simple, understand wisdom, and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.” The voice calls to all sorts and conditions of men. It is a voice of authority, and all, from the prince to the peasant, are responsible to listen. It is the voice of the Lord, the voice of Him who called us into being, and to whom each must render an account of the deeds done in the body. In the natural fallen state we are all simple and fools (or foolish). We are away from God, and in our simplicity and folly we love our own wills and ways, which are wholly contrary to His. We can only get true wisdom (or prudence) and sense by hearing His voice.
“Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things” (vs. 6). In this verse we get a reference to that which the voice communicates. It speaks of excellent and right things, the things of Christ. Man’s world is full of things evil and wrong. A babel of voices communicate continually a thousand and one things that are anything but excellent and right. Of Wisdom it is further said, “For my mouth shall speak truth: and wickedness is an abomination to my lips” (vs. 7). But error has the upper hand, and wickedness abounds, and the love of many has long begun to wax cold (Matt. 24:1212And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. (Matthew 24:12)). How deeply important, then, now to give ear to the excellent things flowing from the lips of Wisdom. All these things circle around and center in Christ; He is the truth; and all who receive Him depart from wickedness.
Excellent things innumerable flowed from the voice of Wisdom of old, from Christ when on earth, and from Him by the Spirit when returned to glory. What can be more excellent than the glad tidings of the grace and love of God to man in his guilty and lost estate! They exactly suit the case, and meet the need of every one. There is nothing that our souls require that is not to be found in Him. Do you want the pardon of your sins? “Through this Man is preached unto you forgiveness.” Do you long to be just in God’s sight? “God is just and the Justifier of him which believeth in him.” Do you crave for peace? “Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Do you cry out for salvation? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Do you seek reconciliation? The words of the apostle reply, “Now, then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)). And we might go on multiplying the excellent and right things which abound in the blessed Scriptures of truth.
Listen, then, to Wisdom’s voice whilst ‘tis still the day of salvation; understand prudence and sense. It may be the last opportunity you have. Life is but a very short span at most; thousands are daily being snatched away by the unsparing hand of death. Its sentence is on you, as upon all, and you never know from moment to moment when it may be executed. But the sting of death is sin. And as we have just seen, Christ has been made sin, and the sting is gone for the feeblest believer in Him. Happy, indeed, is that soul that can meet death with a smile, knowing it has been conquered by Christ, and that for him it is but the love of God, taking him home, a passport to everlasting bliss in the presence of our Lord.
“All the words of my mouth are in righteousness: there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge” (vers. 8:9), continues the voice of Wisdom. Words that are in righteousness are to be thoroughly depended on. Men’s thoughts and ways are often tortuous, wily, and twisty, which is the force of the word “froward” in the original. But there is nothing twisty or perverse in the precious righteous words of Wisdom; they are all plain, or “right on,” which is the actual force of it, to him that receives understanding from God and straight as a line to them that have the know ledge of Him, How precious for any one that has had any experience of the twisty character of the imaginings of his own heart, or of the words and ways of the men of this world, who have no fear of God, to be guided by reliable words which show him the way of God, which is right on in a straight path to glory, God’s narrow way, the blessed way of Christ!
“Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than rubies (or pearls); and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions” (or which come of reflection) (vers. 10-12). Alas! how many there are who pay no heed to Wisdom’s teaching. How few there are who take time to reflect seriously! And how many are set for the wealth of this world, pursuing the amassing of silver and gold in forgetfulness of God, and losing sight of the unsearchable riches of Christ. We brought nothing into the world, and it is certain that we can take nothing out. Silver and gold, rubies and pearls are valuable in their place. We all need means to live. They are given for our use, but not for our abuse. But the moment they get a place in the heart, the excellent things that Wisdom speaketh begin to be shut out; and it is manifest on all hands, that they have so taken possession of the hearts of thousands that there is no room for Christ. And yet not only the things that a man may possess, but all the things (mark all) that may be desired, are not to be compared to wisdom. What a priceless gift God offers us! Strange that man should be so utterly foolish as to despise or neglect it!
Moreover, not only is wisdom better than wealth, and all that our hearts can desire, but “riches and honor are with me: yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance: and I will fill their treasuries” (vers. 18-21). Wisdom not only delivers from the idolatry of the heart in the love of wealth, but introduces us to an inexhaustible mine of spiritual wealth. We receive the true riches and the knowledge of God in Christ. We inherit durable riches and righteousness, riches that we can take with us into the world to come. Earthly wealth must all be left behind, but heavenly wealth will endure for eternity. You might possess the richest mine of the choicest silver, but you are a poor man indeed in comparison with the weakest true believer on the Son of God. “My revenue is better than choice silver,” says Wisdom. That is a greater revenue than the revenue of the British Empire. It is truly a record one; and the possessor is led in the way of righteousness, and this is God’s way. It terminates in the light of His holy and blessed presence for evermore, whereas the way of even the greatest possessor of the mammon of unrighteousness, apart from Christ, who is true wisdom, leads to the domain of endless disappointment, misery, and despair (Matt. 22:1313Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 22:13)).
The Lord will cause them that love Him (do you?) to inherit substance. The natural heart grasps at shadows. In this poor world, the valley of the shadow of death, there is nothing else; it is all fleeting, and rapidly passing away. The world is an empty bubble, man’s life but as a vapor. Listen to the voice of Wisdom. Hear Him who speaks with power and authority. Listen to His blessed words of grace and truth, and the love that you will discover in Him—love that was faithful unto death, that you might escape the judgment of God and be saved by faith in His blessed name—will beget love in your heart in return: and He will cause you to inherit substance, and He will fill your treasuries with His own untraceable riches evermore.
“Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death” (vers. 32-36).
Now therefore hearken unto me. God’s time to be wise is now. The Lord may return at any moment, or death may overtake you at any moment; hence there is no tomorrow in the gospel of God. Hearken then now, that you may keep His ways and get among the ranks of those whom He calls blessed Hear instruction! Be wise! Refuse it not! How gracious are Wisdom’s pleadings! Whom could you blame but yourself for the folly of your unbelief, if you remain indifferent to the Lord’s appeals. See how rich the range of blessing is for every one that believeth on Him. You are pronounced blessed, you are privileged to watch daily at His gates, and to wait at the posts of His doors. You find life and obtain favor. You find yourself, in short, among true Christians, among those of whom the risen and victorious Saviour said, “Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:2929Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (John 20:29)). Life too is yours, eternal life, God’s precious free gift in His Son.
“But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul” (vs. 36). The force of this in the Hebrew is, He that misseth Me. Yes, if you miss Wisdom, you wrong your precious, never-dying soul eternally. If you miss Christ, you had better never have been born. If you miss Christ you miss everything worth having, for He is all. If you miss Christ, the blessed Saviour whom God presents to you once more in His long-suffering grace in this little paper, you miss His everlasting, full, and free salvation, and you will reap the fruit of your unutterable folly in eternal woe.
Our chapter closes with the solemn words, “All they that hate me love death.” If the one who misses Christ must die in his sins and perish eternally, how much more all they that hate Him! How can Christ-haters be saved? How indeed? All such love death. Mark the solemn contrast. Hatred of Christ is the love of death. It is the love of being separated from God. It is the love of darkness rather than light. It is the love of the fallen state, and the love of sin. All such must receive the wages that are their due. “The wages of sin is death,” and after death comes the judgment of the sinner who loves it, and the eternal consequence is the second death, the lake of fire. There is not the remotest possibility of escape. Hear then once more, we appeal to you, the voice of Wisdom! Unto you, O men, I call. Hear! hear instruction! Be wise! Refuse it not! Christ is the true wisdom of God, and this day from the highest glory He speaks to you. He is the living One who has the keys of Hades and death, and He says to you, “If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” But “verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).
“Not to condemn the world”
The “Man of Sorrows” came;
But that the world might have
Salvation through His name:
For “whosoever will believe
Shall everlasting life receive!”
E. H. C.