God's Wisdom

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe…For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:18–25, ESV)

God’s Wisdom

In the last post on God’s Attributes, we looked at the way the Bible speaks about God’s knowledge. This week, we’re moving beyond God’s knowledge to God’s Wisdom. There’s a difference. 

In the Bible

There are multiple places the Bible speaks of God’s Wisdom. In Romans God is called “the only wise God…” (Romans 16:27, ESV). Job describes God as “wise in heart” (Job 9:4) and the one who has “wisdom and might…counsel and understanding” (Job 12:13). When looking at creation, the Psalmist cries out, “O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” (Psalm 104:24). In the passage at the top of this post, it says that God’s foolishness is wiser than our wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25). 

More Than Knowledge

It’s important to know that God is not simply knowledgeable—knowing all things—but he is also wise. There’s a difference. 

In describing the difference between knowledge and wisdom, Herman Bavinck says, “Knowledge is theoretical; wisdom is practical and goal-oriented…Knowledge, accordingly, is often totally unrelated to life, but wisdom is oriented to, and closely tied in with life” (Reformed Dogmatics, p. 203). 

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. We can KNOW that it is cold outside and KNOW that a coat will keep us warm in the cold. The fool will not use that knowledge properly and will freeze. The wise will use their knowledge rightly and will stay warm. This is why wisdom is practical and applies to daily living. 

God’s Use of Wisdom

As I already mentioned, the Bible speaks about God’s wisdom in relation to creation. When God created the universe, he took his knowledge and applied it to this act with wisdom. That’s why things work so well. The sun rises and sets. The rains come and go. The seasons continue their pattern. This is why the Wisdom literature uses so many illustrations from creation. In creation, we see God’s wisdom. 

Yet, scripture also speaks about God’s wisdom in relation to history. When I speak about history, I’m actually speaking about ALL of history—past, present, and future. It’s important for us to understand that God KNOWS not only what has happened, is happening, and will happen, but that God has also applied his WISDOM to these things. This is why the Bible can say, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). In his wisdom, God is writing the story of history. That should bring us tremendous comfort. The One who is in control of the universe and history is Wise and Knowledgeable. 

Our Wisdom

Since this is a communicable attribute, we also have the privilege—and responsibility—of wisdom. Yet, our wisdom looks different that God’s. God’s wisdom flows from an all-knowing source. Our knowledge is limited, which means our wisdom is also limited. 

This is why the Bible tells us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…” (Proverbs 9:10). Since our knowledge is limited, we need to look to our all-knowing God for wisdom. That means we need to fear Him—be in awe and reverence of Him, trusting what he says. If we don’t do this, if we trust in our own knowledge, we will be fools. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 14:1, ESV).

Our Foolishness & God’s Wisdom

Because we continue to fight with our sinful nature, and we continue to trust ourselves more than God, we will continue to think God’s ways are foolish. If we rely on our own wisdom and knowledge, we see the cross as foolish—unable to accomplish what needs to get done. We are also tempted to think preaching is foolish—an ancient relic of a bygone era.

We don’t have the luxury of deciding what is foolish or wise. To be honest, we’re not that smart. We’re not qualified for the task. God is the one who tells us what is wise and what if foolish. When we listen to Him, see the world the way He made it, and then LIVE that way, we will become wise. This is why wisdom is often called “the art of living well.” Biblically, it means the art of living in the world that God created. 

Trusting the Wise God

We will often find ourselves saying things like, “God, what in the world are you doing?” The Psalmists and the Prophets asked similar questions. We often look at the story of history and think it is written by a foolish author. To be blunt, that shows our own foolishness. 

We must never forget that the God who is in control of the universe—the one writing the story of history—knows the beginning and the end, and HE IS WISE. He knows exactly what needs to happen to bring about his plans and purposes AND He is wise enough to bring about his plans and purposes. We can trust Him—even when the world around us is going crazy.