ADONAI Gives Wisdom
2: 6-11
A proverb is a short and memorable saying designed to be our blueprint for living in the world that ADONAI has created. It is important to note that proverbs are not promises; they are generally true principles, all other things being equal.
For ADONAI gives wisdom. He is its source. From His mouth comes knowledge and understanding (2:6 Hebrew). The words from God’s mouth are contained in Scripture: God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the father of the faith and to the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us in His Son (Hebrews 1:1:2a). Because ADONAI alone has access to wisdom (Job 28:12-28) and gave birth to it from the very beginning (Proverbs 8:22-24), He alone gives wisdom (see the commentary on Dani’el, to see link click Au – Dani’el’s Prayer). ADONAI, not Solomon, is the fountainhead of wisdom (First Kings 3:12). God gives some forms of wisdom in common grace to all, including both the animal’s instinctual wisdom (Proverbs 30:24-28), the farmer’s practical knowledge of raising crops (Isaiah 28:26 and 29), and whatever moral understanding mankind possesses through our common grace (Job 22:22 and 32:8). But here wisdom refers to the special religious and ethical knowledge and understanding that the LORD gave to His people through Solomon’s proverbs, which were taught by the parents (see Ak – Obey Your Parents).53
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright. The search for wisdom cannot be fruitless, because He has deposited it and it is there to be discovered. This identifies those who are true believers – those who seek to know, love, and obey ADONAI and live righteously. These covenant keepers alone can know wisdom and experience God’s protection. He is a shield to those who walk with sound wisdom (2:7 Hebrew). People whose aim it is to proceed through this life with integrity find this a safeguard when assaulted by temptation. On the other hand, ADONAI is often described as a shield to those who deserve His protection through their obedience to His Word (Genesis 15:1; Deuteronomy 33:29; Psalm 59:12).
Guarding the paths of justice and He preserves the way of His godly ones (2:8 NLT). By being obedient to God’s wisdom, those who are wise follow His path of justice, and these, in turn, will be guarded by Him. Simply put, living wisely places us under an invisible umbrella of divine protection. By choosing to pursue wisdom, we align ourselves with ADONAI against foolishness, dishonesty, misconduct, and injustice. He delights to support us when we become a part of His agenda. Even so, the support He provides doesn’t mean we won’t suffer. We are, in fact, at war with evil. The world is a battlefield, and like soldiers, we will endure hardships and suffer wounds. Many thousands of martyrs have died as a result of the stand they took for the Gospel against powerful persecutors. His protective umbrella may be invisible, but that doesn’t make it invincible to evil. Not in this life.
But ADONAI promises that we will suffer less at the hands of evil if we accept, rather than reject His divine wisdom. Furthermore, the suffering we do experience will be used for good (Romans 8:28-39). Still more than that, the suffering we now endure is temporary, eventually giving way to a time when those who seek God’s wisdom will enjoy eternity, where: He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; for the first things had passed away (Revelation 21:4). We receive some protection now and the ultimate protection when Messiah redeems the world from its foolishness and evil (see the commentary on First Corinthians An – The Foolishness of Worldly Wisdom). Between now and eternity, wisdom pulls us up from our depravity, allowing us to both enjoy ADONAI’s best now and maintain an eternal perspective in the midst of a sinful and foolish world.54
Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path in walking through life (2:9 NLT). True righteousness can only come through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Yeshua. It is a gift freely given to all who believe in Messiah and cannot be earned by anyone’s good works. On a different level, however, righteousness can refer to acts of obedience to God’s Word, as it does here. Justice is a quality of God’s character, and those who act justly are acting in a godly manner. Equity refers to fairness and impartiality – the quality of treating all people equally. This is also a trait of the character of ADONAI, who is no respecter of persons (Romans 2:11).55
Wisdom is not mere head knowledge; it is a practical daily lifestyle – a living out the principles of God’s Word. ADONAI is able to give your heart a new taste, a new relish, a new instinct for wisdom. If you want to be a better husband, if you want to get out of credit debt, if you want to know which movies to watch (or not watch), you do not need someone to beat you down with guilt and pressure. You do not need five easy steps to this or seven sure-fire principles for that. You need a new heart, new character, an awakening deep within. And God is saying, “If you will seek Me, wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul” (2:10 NLT). Wise people do not pout and whine, “Do I have to?” They love the things of God as satisfying to the appetites of their renewed souls. They experience what Yeshua said: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Matthew 5:6).56
Discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you (2:11 NLT). This is the quality of being able to discern what course of action is the godly thing to do. Thinking through the consequences of an action and choosing the path of integrity. It is similar to prudence, which is another quality found in the book of Proverbs (see Ai – The Fear of ADONAI is the Beginning of Wisdom). As the ability to think for oneself and keep one’s own counsel, it is especially valuable in withstanding temptation.57 Think of a time when you acted wisely and found yourself protected from harm. How do you think ADONAI was involved in that situation? Sooner or later, you will face a situation in which integrity, honesty, justice, or righteousness could potentially put you in harm’s way. How will past experiences of God’s protection help you choose wisely?58
Dear Heavenly Father, praise You for always knowing the perfect right answer to any situation that I am in! Thank You that when I seek wisdom, You always hear and answer. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all without hesitation and without reproach; and it will be given to him (James 1:5). I never have to worry if you will hear when I call to You, for You are right there with me, upholding me. Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Surely I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). No evil power is able to stand against You. Even when all the armies of the world come against You, with merely the sword of Your mouth You slay them. Then the beast was captured, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs before him by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast, as well as those who had worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the One riding on the horse (Revelation 19:20-21a)! Thank You for being such a wonderful Heavenly Father, with Almighty Power and always watching over and caring for me! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His Resurrection. Amen.
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