Wisdom and knowledge are two traits that
are intimately associated with one another.
Both have their origins in God, for Proverbs 2:6 states, "For the LORD
gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Those who apply themselves to the study of
God's word may obtain both wisdom and knowledge at the same time. In fact, as wisdom is personified in Proverbs
8:12, she says, "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and
discretion.” Indeed, it would seem
impossible for anyone to possess great wisdom without also having substantial
knowledge.
However, there is a measure of wisdom
that exists apart from knowledge. This
wisdom comes when we realize our finite nature and the limitations of what we
can know. Because of our finite nature,
we simply cannot fully comprehend things that are infinite and eternal. We can understand the concepts of infinity
and eternity, but we cannot know the substance of them as our eternal God
knows. Furthermore, our capacity for
knowledge is limited even within the realm of finite information. We cannot possibly learn everything there is
to know. Further still, there is some
knowledge that God has chosen to give to us and other knowledge that He has
chosen to withhold from us. This was
declared by Moses in Deuteronomy 29:29 when he said, "The secret things belong
to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons
forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” As we grasp these truths about our own
limitations and what we cannot know, we become wise about these things.
For
this reason, a man can actually become wiser by realizing and admitting that
which he cannot know. Consider the
example of Job, who gained wisdom when he confessed his limitations. Throughout the book of Job, he had sought an
audience with God so that he could plead his case. At last, when he had the opportunity to speak
to the Lord, he could not answer God's questions about His power20., and he
realized how foolish he had been. At
that moment, Job's wisdom grew, and he replied to God,
"I know that You can do
all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without
knowledge?' Therefore I have declared
that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not
know.” (Job 42:2-3)
Notice that Job was actually answering
God's first question to him from Job 38:2.
God's question was, "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without
knowledge?” Job's answer was that it was
he who had attempted to counsel God by words without knowledge. When Job realized his severely limited
knowledge and the foolishness of his prior words, he was made wiser.
By this same reason, a man can become
foolish by attempting to declare that which he does not know and cannot know. Speculation and educated guesses are
sometimes confused with knowledge, but they are in no way the same. Much harm, trouble, and mischief have arisen
because of men promoting baseless ideas, unproved theories, or unsubstantiated
claims as genuine knowledge. Paul warned
Timothy of such foolishness when he wrote, "O Timothy, guard what has been
entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments
of what is falsely called ‘knowledge' – which some have professed and thus gone
astray from the faith” (1Tim. 6:20-21).
We should take this advice as well.
There is also wisdom in accepting
spiritual things that cannot be known by the physical senses. When the Bible discusses such things, it may
at first appear to be contradictory as it speaks of knowing things that cannot
be known. However, it is simply
expressing paradoxes by mixing the ideas of spiritual knowledge and physical
knowledge. For example, a prayer of Paul
is recorded in Ephesians 3:14-19 in which he prays that Christians may "know
the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge” (v. 19). How can we know something that surpasses
knowledge? Of course, it is a spiritual
knowledge of the love of Christ that surpasses any worldly knowledge of
love. Similarly, Philippians 4:7 speaks
of having the "peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension.” How can we know that we have such peace? It is a spiritual knowledge of peace that
surpasses all worldly comprehension.
Therefore, we see that we can become wise in the knowledge of things
that cannot be known by physical means.
Perhaps the greatest wisdom we can have
is rooted in knowing and accepting that which we cannot know. Consider these wonderful words of praise from
Ephesians 3:20-21 – "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond
all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him
be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and
ever. Amen.” There is great wisdom in knowing that God can
"do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.” We cannot know all that God can do, but we
can know that He can do it all. We can
also know that the great power of God that surpasses our knowledge is at work
within us (Eph. 1:18-21). Knowing these
unknowable things leads to great wisdom, and it is this wisdom that we have
from the word of God.
