Just What is Wisdom?

1 Kings 3 records that God offered to give Solomon anything he wanted… anything. Solomon upon reflection asked for…

“An understanding heart to judge your people, to discern between good and evil”

God responded…

“Behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days”

A description of the wisdom God gave to Solomon is recorded in 1Kings 4…

“God gave Solomon wisdom and discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than all other people He also told three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered 1,005. He told of trees he told also of animals, birds, crawling things, and fish. People came from all the nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon”

I’m so glad that God gave the details of the wisdom, otherwise I might have thought he only gave Solomon and intimate knowledge of his written word… something that might be duplicated by the intense study of God’s written word.

But no… Solomon was among other things a student and teacher of nature. He wrote down his wisdom in proverbs and was a great writer of songs which means he was also a poet.

My guess is that Solomon was intellectually curious and had a thirst for knowledge… all kinds of knowledge.

Remember that outside of the Bible God also reveals himself in nature so along with our Bible study… a study of nature and this world (God’s creation) also teaches us about God.

If it is our desire to be wise remember how God made Solomon wise and try to duplicate that path. And oh by the way though Solomon’s wisdom he also became quite wealthy.

Proverbs 8…

“I (Wisdom) love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full”