01/04/M – Wisdom’s Warning

Psalms: “I will declare the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance and the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with an iron scepter; you will shatter them like pottery.” So now, kings, be wise; receive instruction, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with reverential awe and rejoice with trembling. Pay homage to the Son or he will be angry and you will perish in your rebellion, for his anger may ignite at any moment. All who take refuge in him are happy.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭2:7-12‬ ‭CSB)

This is a messianic psalm that is referenced and quoted several times in the New Testament. The psalm begins with a rhetorical question, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?” For nearly the entire time that humanity has existed on earth, men and women, rulers and nations have sought independence from God – rejecting and resisting His word, will, and ways in deference to their own wisdom and desire to promote their own agendas and make a name for themselves… seeking out power and privilege that they can lord over others less fortunate than them. While scheming against God may bring temporary advantages, it is ultimately futile and done completely in vain. The devil offered Jesus the same temptation (Luke 5:4-8). He told Jesus that He could have rulership over all the kingdoms of the world… all he had to do was reject God and worship Satan. Jesus, unlike the rest of humanity, refused. Jesus knew that He was the Son of God, for God the Father had confirmed that weeks earlier (Luke 3:22). Jesus knew, as long as He remained completely obedient to the Father, all He had to do was ask, and the Father would give Him the nations of the world as His inheritance and the ends of the earth as His possession – not just temporarily, but for eternity. Furthermore, those who repent of their aberrant ways and place their faith completely on Jesus the Son, will become joint-heirs with Him for eternity. All of the sinful plotting and conniving for power and prestige ultimately gets you nothing – yet humbling yourself and placing your faith on Christ and becoming utterly dependent on Him and His Spirit graces you with everything… forever. So, be wise and serve the Lord (not yourselves) with reverential awe, for all who take refuge in the Son will be blessed and happy.

Proverbs: “Wisdom calls out in the street; she makes her voice heard in the public squares. She cries out above the commotion; she speaks at the entrance of the city gates: “How long, inexperienced ones, will you love ignorance? How long will you mockers enjoy mocking and you fools hate knowledge? If you respond to my warning, then I will pour out my spirit on you and teach you my words.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1:20-23‬ ‭CSB)

The wisdom of God is not hiding nor elusive. God wants us to have His wisdom, but it comes with conditions. God has openly shared His wisdom for millennia through His word, and has made His wisdom completely accessible by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus the Son. The problem is, because of their inherent sinful nature, humanity is stubbornly and foolishly independent. They don’t want to submit to the word, will, and ways of God. Like Satan who deceived them into sin, they want to lift themselves up… make a name for themselves… pound their chest and say, “I did this in my own strength and by my own intellect… so give me glory.” If we humble ourselves and seek God’s wisdom, He will pour out His spirit on us, give us His wisdom, lead us in all truth, and fill us with His glory. If we do not heed Wisdom’s warning, we will spend a lifetime striving by the sweat of our brow and ultimately leave this life with nothing.