Pastor's Blog: "The Beginning of Wisdom"
| | Dr. Wayne Splawn
“Because I said so.”
Chances are, everyone reading this blog has either said or heard those words at some point. I am the proud father of three children, and I vaguely remember the first time I uttered these words to my eldest child. It was one of those moments when I finally understood why my parents had said this phrase to me at various points during my childhood. Parents cannot be effective in their role of guiding their children through life if they are required to give detailed reasoning behind every command or prohibition they give.
In the ideal situation, godly and loving parents will direct their children in paths that will lead to their ultimate well-being and children will respect and honor their parents enough to obey even when they do not fully comprehend why they are being commanded to do or avoid something. However, we know that we do not live in a world characterized by ideal situations. Even though they are not wise enough to understand the long-term consequences of their decisions, children often rebel against the authority of their parents and pay the price for foolish decisions. This situation epitomizes the biblical definition of a fool.
In addition to listening to our daily Bible reading plan podcast, Project 119, I have recently returned to the practice of reading along with a Bible reading plan I have used in the past. As a part of these readings, I recently read the book of Ecclesiastes. Many people find the book of Ecclesiastes to be depressing as Solomon concludes that so much of life is vanity in the end. However, I was encouraged by my reading of the book. It reminded me of the benefit of reading the wisdom literature in the Bible and asking the Lord to shape me into a person who can wisely navigate the challenges and temptations that come to all who seek to be faithful to the Lord in an unfaithful world.
After all his deliberations on the struggles we all face in life, Solomon concludes that the wise person must “fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, ESV). The Lord does not intend to provide reasons for every command or prohibition he gives his people. At some point, our obedience must flow from our faith that the Lord loves us and wants what is best for us. He deserves our faithful obedience even when we do not understand every reason behind his commands.
My reading through Ecclesiastes has set me on a fresh journey to gain wisdom. To do this, I have decided to read one chapter of Proverbs every day of the month. For example, I write this blog on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, so this morning I read Proverbs 1. In Proverbs 1:7, I read, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (ESV). If you do not fear the Lord, you cannot be a wise person. If you expect the Lord to provide you with a detailed reason for every command or prohibition he gives you, you will never be satisfied. You will be like an immature child who seeks to assert your own will in life rather than humbly submitting to the will of your Heavenly Father. In doing so, you will cause much harm to yourselves and others. Unlike our imperfect earthly parents, God the Father has infinite wisdom, and he has proven his love for us in giving his only son Jesus Christ on the cross, so that we might be reconciled to him and to others and might experience abundant life now and forevermore.
I pray that the Lord will help me and everyone in our congregation become wiser people who walk in the fear of the Lord. If the Lord is gracious to answer this prayer, the good work that God will do in and through us will not be in vain.