Dad Devotional Day 11
2 Chronicles 1
When I was in college, one of the buildings had the words “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom” inscribed high on a main entry way. I remember liking it because as a public university it recalled a time when universities did not look at the church with defensive animosity. Today, those words chiseled into the building are safe only because no one recognizes them as Proverbs 4:7.
Most people know two stories about Solomon, one God came to him and told him he could have anything he wanted. When he asked for wisdom, God was so pleased He gave him everything else in addition to wisdom. The second is the baby chopping story to discern the true mother. (If you have no idea what I am talking about don’t worry we will get to it at another time.) The point is always Solomon’s wisdom and talents as an administrator far surpassed everyone else. Solomon was a great king and it is easy to identify him as someone to emulate and seek wisdom.
Wisdom is great. Plato, Socrates, and Confucius all made wisdom a pinnacle of their teachings. The problem is the Bible is not a wisdom book, it is a relationship book. It is a book that describes our relationship to God and vice versa. With this in mind what, why is God so pleased that Solomon asked for wisdom? Solomon is a young king and has a huge kingdom to administer. He is asking God to help him in his new job. Wisdom being the main tool for the job. God is pleased, not because he asked for wisdom specifically, but because he wanted to serve his kingdom well. Solomon is asking to enhance his relationship with his people and the people relationship with God.
Christians can be confused by all the entrapments of the world; lusting for wisdom and knowledge is no different. God calls us to care about people around us, not wisdom. The Bible has a whole section entitled wisdom literature, which is actually longer than the gospels. This does not mean that wisdom is more important. It means that our wisdom is different from other people. Our wisdom can be summed up in one verse, Proverbs 10:9 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Our relationship with God is the beginning of wisdom and everything else flows from it. Solomon understood this and was blessed. Put God first in your life and you will be as well.
Ironically, if you followed the directions of that verse on the University’s building you would do a U-turn and go to church. I don’t know if that’s what they intended…
