I can only ever remember the first line of the song; the words go like this: “Immortal, Invisible, God only wise.” In this week's study of the attributes of God, we will look at God’s wisdom. This attribute is extremely difficult for us to grasp. In fact, God reveals to us in His word, that His foolishness is higher than our wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25). This is yet another aspect of God being transcendent. Therefore, the only words I offer you are those that God’s own Word says about His wisdom.
In Romans 16:27, Paul aptly calls God “the only wise God.” Certainly, to be the creator of all things (Psalm 104:24), to sustain all things by the power of His word (Hebrews 1:3), to give life (1 Timothy 6:13), to establish truth (Psalm 199:89), and to reign in righteousness and justice (Psalm 89:14), God would have to be all-wise.
Proverbs 3:19 says, “The Lord by wisdom founded the earth.” Jeremiah 10:7 proclaims, "Who would not fear you, O King, of the nations? For this is your due, for among all the wise ones of the national and in all their kingdoms there is none like you.” Both Daniel and Job declare that wisdom belongs to God (Daniel 2:20, Job 12:13).
Now, before we think that it was only the Old Testament prophets who recognized the greatness of God’s wisdom, let us consider the following: “Oh, the depth and the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God,” Romans 11:33. Colossians 2:3 tells us that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ and 1 Corinthians 1:30 tells us that Jesus Christ is our wisdom from God. James 3:17 tells us that wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
The wisdom of God is hard to grasp, but God doesn’t leave us dumb. The Bible says in more than one place that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and is itself wisdom (Job 28:28, Psalm 11:10, Proverbs 9:10). James 1:5 tells us that if we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it, because He gives it “generously to all without reproach.” Proverbs 3:13 says that the one who finds wisdom is blessed, because if you find wisdom, it was the only wise God that brought it to you.
Go Deeper:
Proverbs, sometimes called The Book of Wisdom, has 31 chapters. Read one chapter a day for the next month and take in God’s wisdom.
Grace & Peace,
John
(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)