40. OBTAIN WISDOM
Many attempt to better their lives by cunning. The Bible says there is a better way. What is it?
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What is a real man? Television shows most often portray a “real man” as one who can kick down doors and solve problems with a gun. Of course, he always gets the girl. In movies the "real man" is clever and has no objection to lying, cheating, or stealing to get what he wants. But what about the wise man, the honest man, the intellectual man, the compassionate father, and the loving husband? Where do they fit into manhood? In today’s lesson we will look at the calling of King Solomon. He de ned a real man as one who is looking for righteousness, loves wisdom, and turns from evil. Before we look at what King Solomon has to say about man- hood, let's read a story.
Erdinç felt the cold hard steel of a gun barrel pressing against the back of his head. His heart was pounding as if it were about to ex- plode. He listened to the loud drunken words behind him,
“Now I will show you who the big boss is.”
Erdinç was a university undergraduate student. He had hopes of be- ing a children’s doctor. For two months he had become fascinated with going out late in the evenings and playing cards. He loved the challenge of logical thought, and with his mathematical mind he had gured out a way to memorize which cards had already been played and the odds of certain cards coming up. As a result of his new method, he began to see his win ratio as higher than mere luck would allow. Always in need of money, Erdinç thought that his cleverness and card counting system would be an easy way to get cash. So he started playing in clubs where the bets were higher.
Erdinç was usually playing with men twice his age and twice his size who liked to drink lots of rakı. Many of them were foul mouthed and had an empty darkness in their eyes. At rst, Erdinç felt uncomfortable in this environment. But he stayed encouraged by remembering how many times he had won while playing poker with his university classmates. Erdinç played by the rules and in the quiet of his mind used his ingenious card counting system. People would get mad when he won 70% of the games. But what could they do? Erdinç loved the feeling of success when he was collecting all the money from the table time and time again. He was doing it with his cleverness!
He thought to himself, “If I am playing by the rules, then there is nothing they can do to me.”
That was his mistake. Now he saw clearly what these men could do to him. An angry man could kill him without thought.
In the dark street the drunk man had grabbed him. He stood behind Erdinç ready to pull the trigger. Just at that moment two men grabbed the drunk man's arm. The gun went off. Erdinç felt a terrible sting of pain in his leg.
Today if you were to visit Erdinç’s pediatric clinic, you would meet an aging doctor with a slight limp. He has grown old but his injured leg is a daily reminder of his bad choice. It also reminds him to pass on some good advice to the children in his clinic. He closes each appointment by looking every child in the eye and saying,
“I will give you two keys to success. First, choose your friends well. Second, remember there is something more important than being clever.”
The children take his bait and ask with curiosity, “Doctor, what is better than being clever?”
He smiles, his grey mustache wiggles, as he reveals his secret, “Wisdom!”
The next question that needs to be answered is, "What is wisdom?" To find an answer to that question, let’s open our Bibles and look at the experience of one of the world's wisest men. His name was King Solomon the son of King David.
At the end of a long reign, the much loved King David was about to die. So he called his young son Solomon to his side to give him some advice. Let's start reading in 1 Kings chapter 2 verses 1-4:
1 When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, 2 "I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3 and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 that the LORD may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'
This is very much like the historic words spoken by Ertuğrul to his young son Osman Ghazi. Perhaps Ertuğrul read the Tevrat and Zebur himself and was inspired to share this bit of ancient wisdom with his son.
“Hey oğul, beysin bundan öfke bize, uysallık sana. Güceniklik bize gönül almak sana. . . . Ey oğul öfken ve nefsın bir olup aklını yener. Sabretmesini bil. Rabbinden önce çiçek açmaz. Şunu da unutma; insanı yaşat ki devlet yaşasın. Ey oğul, işin ağır, işin çetin, gücün kıla bağlı Allah yardımcın olsun.”
Solomon followed his father’s instructions, and he did become a great leader.
In the first part of 1 Kings chapter 3 verse 3 we are told:
3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father.
One day, Solomon went to Gibeon where the tabernacle which Mo- ses built was located. While in this holy place, the God of Abraham appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked him a question. Let's read it in 1 Kings chapter 3 verse 5:
5 “In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee?”
What an amazing opportunity! God offered Solomon anything he wanted. What would you ask for from God? Would you ask for wealth and long life? If you were a king, would you ask for the defeat of your enemies or a disaster free life? The possibilities were limitless and King Solomon knew that God would give him anything he desired. So what do you think he chose?
Well, we know exactly what Solomon asked for. Let's nd out in I Kings chapter 3 verses 6-9:
6 “And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”
Did he ask for gold, health, or power? No, Solomon asked for the ability to discern between good and evil. He asked for wisdom and understanding. Let's see how God responded to his request in 1 Kings chapter 3 verses 10-15:
10“And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; 12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. 14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. 15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.”
To say God was merely pleased is an understatement. He not only rewarded him with wisdom, He also gave him wealth and honor. The Bible says that Solomon had forty thousand horses and twelve thousand horseman. There was peace on everyside of his kingdom and his reputation spread far and wide. On one occasion a great Queen, likely from Arabia, came especially to meet Solomon. Let's reveiw the story in 1 Kings chapter 10 verses 1-10:
1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. 3 And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. 4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the LORD, there was no more breath in her. 6 And she said to the king, "The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, 7 but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard. 8 Happy are your men! Happy are your ser- vants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness." 10 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones. Never again came such an abundance of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
King Solomon wrote down the secrets of obtaining wisdom. His book called “The Proverbs of Solomon” is packed full of advice. He explains the keys to success in business, government, and friendship. He makes known everything he discovered about how to have a good family and home life. If you haven’t read Solomon’s Proverbs, start now. You will find his sayings insightful. Some are even humorous, like this one in Proverbs chapter 11 verse 22:
22 Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.
See if you can nd the wisdom in that statement! Others, like Proverbs chapter 16 verse 3, are straight forward and offer sound advice:
3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
In Proverbs chapter 2 verses 1-5 and 7, he writes from the perspective of an old experienced man:
1 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure then you will understand the fear of the Lord and nd the knowledge of God. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless.”
In Solomon's Proverbs, the idea that wisdom should be our life quest rather than riches is a theme that occurs over and over again. He also repeatedly tells us that we are to hate evil and love wisdom. We can read an example in chapter 10 verse 23:
23 “A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.”
Once again in the rst part of Proverbs chapter 8 verse 13, he says,
13 "The Fear of the Lord is to hate evil."
What is the evil that we must stay away from? Among it's many forms, Solomon speci cally mentions pride, lying, adultery, alcohol, and laziness. In fact here is the difference between cleverness and wisdom. A clever action often contains a seed of evil. Whereas a wise act never does. Cleverness often includes lying or shrewd behavior that takes advantage of another person. Whereas wisdom is always honest, selfless, and noble.
Yes, above all else we are to seek after wisdom. Solomon says in Proverbs chapter 3 verse 13:
13“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.”
Men have been amazed at jewels since time began. But God’s word tells us that whether rich or poor there is a splendid jewel that all can find. It is a jewel called wisdom.
Every year millions of people from every corner of the planet visit Topkapı Palace. When they enter room number 4, they get to see the amazing 86 carat Kaşıkcı Diamond, the fth largest diamond in the world. It glitters in a setting of 49 smaller diamonds. But how the diamond made it's way to Istanbul is perhaps even more amazing.
Rasid, the official historian of the Ottoman court, describes its origin in this way:
"In the year 1669, a very poor man found a pretty stone in the rubbish heap of Egrikapi in Istanbul. He bartered it to a spoonmaker for three wooden spoons. The spoonmaker sold the stone to a jeweler for ten silver coins. The jeweler consulted another jeweler who knew immediately that the pretty stone was really a precious diamond. But now the Grand Vizier, Kopruluzade Ahmed Pasha, had heard of the gem. When Sultan Mehmed IV was told of the affair, he ordered the stone to be brought to the palace, and he took possession of it. No one knows what history preceded it being thrown into the garbage heap."
Wouldn’t it be a sad thing to lose such a treasure? On the other hand how exciting it would be to be the one who found the diamond in the trash! Unfortunately, most people have allowed the jewel of wisdom to be lost. Don't let another day go by! Be like King Solomon and ask God for wisdom. He will certainly grant it to you.
We began this lesson by asking, “what is a true man?” Here is Solomon’s answer in Proverbs chapter 19 verses 22 and 23:
22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar. 23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.
Let's be wise men for our wives, children, and country!
Discussion Questions
1. If God came to you at night and asked you what you wanted, what would you wish for?
2. In the introductory story why do you think Dr. Erdinç told the children that wisdom was better than cleverness?
3. Why was God pleased with Solomon’s request for wisdom?
4. Compare the last verse of the lesson Proverbs 19:22, 23 with Proverbs 9:10, and Proverbs 8:13. What is the key to wisdom that is
revealed here?
Erdinç felt the cold hard steel of a gun barrel pressing against the back of his head. His heart was pounding as if it were about to ex- plode. He listened to the loud drunken words behind him,
“Now I will show you who the big boss is.”
Erdinç was a university undergraduate student. He had hopes of be- ing a children’s doctor. For two months he had become fascinated with going out late in the evenings and playing cards. He loved the challenge of logical thought, and with his mathematical mind he had gured out a way to memorize which cards had already been played and the odds of certain cards coming up. As a result of his new method, he began to see his win ratio as higher than mere luck would allow. Always in need of money, Erdinç thought that his cleverness and card counting system would be an easy way to get cash. So he started playing in clubs where the bets were higher.
Erdinç was usually playing with men twice his age and twice his size who liked to drink lots of rakı. Many of them were foul mouthed and had an empty darkness in their eyes. At rst, Erdinç felt uncomfortable in this environment. But he stayed encouraged by remembering how many times he had won while playing poker with his university classmates. Erdinç played by the rules and in the quiet of his mind used his ingenious card counting system. People would get mad when he won 70% of the games. But what could they do? Erdinç loved the feeling of success when he was collecting all the money from the table time and time again. He was doing it with his cleverness!
He thought to himself, “If I am playing by the rules, then there is nothing they can do to me.”
That was his mistake. Now he saw clearly what these men could do to him. An angry man could kill him without thought.
In the dark street the drunk man had grabbed him. He stood behind Erdinç ready to pull the trigger. Just at that moment two men grabbed the drunk man's arm. The gun went off. Erdinç felt a terrible sting of pain in his leg.
Today if you were to visit Erdinç’s pediatric clinic, you would meet an aging doctor with a slight limp. He has grown old but his injured leg is a daily reminder of his bad choice. It also reminds him to pass on some good advice to the children in his clinic. He closes each appointment by looking every child in the eye and saying,
“I will give you two keys to success. First, choose your friends well. Second, remember there is something more important than being clever.”
The children take his bait and ask with curiosity, “Doctor, what is better than being clever?”
He smiles, his grey mustache wiggles, as he reveals his secret, “Wisdom!”
The next question that needs to be answered is, "What is wisdom?" To find an answer to that question, let’s open our Bibles and look at the experience of one of the world's wisest men. His name was King Solomon the son of King David.
At the end of a long reign, the much loved King David was about to die. So he called his young son Solomon to his side to give him some advice. Let's start reading in 1 Kings chapter 2 verses 1-4:
1 When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, 2 "I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3 and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 that the LORD may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'
This is very much like the historic words spoken by Ertuğrul to his young son Osman Ghazi. Perhaps Ertuğrul read the Tevrat and Zebur himself and was inspired to share this bit of ancient wisdom with his son.
“Hey oğul, beysin bundan öfke bize, uysallık sana. Güceniklik bize gönül almak sana. . . . Ey oğul öfken ve nefsın bir olup aklını yener. Sabretmesini bil. Rabbinden önce çiçek açmaz. Şunu da unutma; insanı yaşat ki devlet yaşasın. Ey oğul, işin ağır, işin çetin, gücün kıla bağlı Allah yardımcın olsun.”
Solomon followed his father’s instructions, and he did become a great leader.
In the first part of 1 Kings chapter 3 verse 3 we are told:
3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father.
One day, Solomon went to Gibeon where the tabernacle which Mo- ses built was located. While in this holy place, the God of Abraham appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked him a question. Let's read it in 1 Kings chapter 3 verse 5:
5 “In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee?”
What an amazing opportunity! God offered Solomon anything he wanted. What would you ask for from God? Would you ask for wealth and long life? If you were a king, would you ask for the defeat of your enemies or a disaster free life? The possibilities were limitless and King Solomon knew that God would give him anything he desired. So what do you think he chose?
Well, we know exactly what Solomon asked for. Let's nd out in I Kings chapter 3 verses 6-9:
6 “And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”
Did he ask for gold, health, or power? No, Solomon asked for the ability to discern between good and evil. He asked for wisdom and understanding. Let's see how God responded to his request in 1 Kings chapter 3 verses 10-15:
10“And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; 12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. 14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. 15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.”
To say God was merely pleased is an understatement. He not only rewarded him with wisdom, He also gave him wealth and honor. The Bible says that Solomon had forty thousand horses and twelve thousand horseman. There was peace on everyside of his kingdom and his reputation spread far and wide. On one occasion a great Queen, likely from Arabia, came especially to meet Solomon. Let's reveiw the story in 1 Kings chapter 10 verses 1-10:
1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. 3 And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. 4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the LORD, there was no more breath in her. 6 And she said to the king, "The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, 7 but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard. 8 Happy are your men! Happy are your ser- vants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness." 10 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones. Never again came such an abundance of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
King Solomon wrote down the secrets of obtaining wisdom. His book called “The Proverbs of Solomon” is packed full of advice. He explains the keys to success in business, government, and friendship. He makes known everything he discovered about how to have a good family and home life. If you haven’t read Solomon’s Proverbs, start now. You will find his sayings insightful. Some are even humorous, like this one in Proverbs chapter 11 verse 22:
22 Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.
See if you can nd the wisdom in that statement! Others, like Proverbs chapter 16 verse 3, are straight forward and offer sound advice:
3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
In Proverbs chapter 2 verses 1-5 and 7, he writes from the perspective of an old experienced man:
1 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure then you will understand the fear of the Lord and nd the knowledge of God. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless.”
In Solomon's Proverbs, the idea that wisdom should be our life quest rather than riches is a theme that occurs over and over again. He also repeatedly tells us that we are to hate evil and love wisdom. We can read an example in chapter 10 verse 23:
23 “A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.”
Once again in the rst part of Proverbs chapter 8 verse 13, he says,
13 "The Fear of the Lord is to hate evil."
What is the evil that we must stay away from? Among it's many forms, Solomon speci cally mentions pride, lying, adultery, alcohol, and laziness. In fact here is the difference between cleverness and wisdom. A clever action often contains a seed of evil. Whereas a wise act never does. Cleverness often includes lying or shrewd behavior that takes advantage of another person. Whereas wisdom is always honest, selfless, and noble.
Yes, above all else we are to seek after wisdom. Solomon says in Proverbs chapter 3 verse 13:
13“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.”
Men have been amazed at jewels since time began. But God’s word tells us that whether rich or poor there is a splendid jewel that all can find. It is a jewel called wisdom.
Every year millions of people from every corner of the planet visit Topkapı Palace. When they enter room number 4, they get to see the amazing 86 carat Kaşıkcı Diamond, the fth largest diamond in the world. It glitters in a setting of 49 smaller diamonds. But how the diamond made it's way to Istanbul is perhaps even more amazing.
Rasid, the official historian of the Ottoman court, describes its origin in this way:
"In the year 1669, a very poor man found a pretty stone in the rubbish heap of Egrikapi in Istanbul. He bartered it to a spoonmaker for three wooden spoons. The spoonmaker sold the stone to a jeweler for ten silver coins. The jeweler consulted another jeweler who knew immediately that the pretty stone was really a precious diamond. But now the Grand Vizier, Kopruluzade Ahmed Pasha, had heard of the gem. When Sultan Mehmed IV was told of the affair, he ordered the stone to be brought to the palace, and he took possession of it. No one knows what history preceded it being thrown into the garbage heap."
Wouldn’t it be a sad thing to lose such a treasure? On the other hand how exciting it would be to be the one who found the diamond in the trash! Unfortunately, most people have allowed the jewel of wisdom to be lost. Don't let another day go by! Be like King Solomon and ask God for wisdom. He will certainly grant it to you.
We began this lesson by asking, “what is a true man?” Here is Solomon’s answer in Proverbs chapter 19 verses 22 and 23:
22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar. 23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.
Let's be wise men for our wives, children, and country!
Discussion Questions
1. If God came to you at night and asked you what you wanted, what would you wish for?
2. In the introductory story why do you think Dr. Erdinç told the children that wisdom was better than cleverness?
3. Why was God pleased with Solomon’s request for wisdom?
4. Compare the last verse of the lesson Proverbs 19:22, 23 with Proverbs 9:10, and Proverbs 8:13. What is the key to wisdom that is
revealed here?