The essential idea of wisdom (ḥākam) in the Old Testament represents a manner of thinking and attitude concerning life’s experiences including matters of general interest and basic morality. These concerns relate to prudence in secular affairs, skills in the arts, moral sensitivity, and experience in the ways of the Lord[1]
To be precise, wisdom is life lived well. It is not to be thought of synonymously with intelligence, for many knowledgeable and smart people do not live life well.
Proverbs 2:6-11informs us that it is “the Lord [who] gives wisdom. From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” This manifests in our lives by justice, equity (integrity & uprightness), and every good path.
You become wise by studying the acts of God. As you are formed by God’s loving faithful discipline and restoration you will become grateful for His faithful love.
An ungrateful person will be prone to act foolishly in two ways. First, God becomes small. In such a case one develops an inflated self-perception or thinks of him/herself too much and proceeds to live out acts of self-importance. This manifests in arrogance and demands for affirmation. “His soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him” (Habakkuk 2:4). This person’s reckless pride will lead to folly and failure.
Secondly, God’s love is forgotten. When one forgets God’s boundless and enduring love, he or she will go looking for love in places and degrees that will leave a soul thirsty, wanting, and often hurting.
If you find yourself drifting, dry, and prone to complain – and we all are from time-to-time in varying degrees – study what God has done; contemplate his justice and grace. He is for you. Most importantly, remember His faithful love; it is his chief self-description. When life under the sun is done, the grateful person will be more likely to hear, “Well done!”
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
for His steadfast love endures forever!"
Psalm 107:1
[1] Goldberg, L. (1999). 647 חָכַם. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 282). Moody Press.
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