Solomon crafted his own portrait of wisdom, personified as the eternal companion of God (Prov. 8:22–31) who cries out to all people as a public voice: “Beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: ‘To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man’ ” (vv. 1–4). To seek after wisdom is not to embark on a mysterious journey into the hidden unknown but to answer an invitation from God to learn what He has clearly revealed by His works, in His Word, and through His Son.
What might a “portrait of wisdom” look like? Some may envision a learned scholar, a speculative philosopher, or an aged person full of life experience, but the Bible upends these notions of wisdom. True wisdom has its source in God, “who alone is wise” (1 Tim. 1:17, NKJV), and it is reflected in our lives only insofar as we reflect His character. Wisdom among men begins with the fear of the Lord (Prov. 9:10). This is the canvas on which the portrait is painted, and each hue and brushstroke of the wise man’s portrait will manifest, however dimly, something of the character of the One whom he fears. The Bible paints such portraits for us through the artistry of narrative, and these word-images are no less vibrant to our minds and hearts than a colorful painting might be to our eyes. The biblical portraits of wisdom that we will explore are not perfect or idealized; they are real men and women who walked by faith and struggled to be sanctified, but by the grace of God they left examples of wisdom in big ways and small.
The gallery begins with the patriarchs and a few digressions in their life stories that seem to be included only for the small examples of wisdom they afford. Abraham exhibited the wisdom of avoiding strife within his family and offered a solution that was more favorable to others than to himself when he divided territory with Lot (Gen. 13:5–11). His son Isaac learned the wisdom of peacemaking. When competitors quarreled with him over wells that belonged to his father, he moved along peacefully instead of pressing his rights, and the Lord blessed him for it (26:17–22). If the fool is known for his propensity to quarrel, the wise man is known for avoiding strife and stopping contention before it starts (Prov. 17:14; 20:3). To live peaceably with others, as much as it depends on us (Rom. 12:18), reflects the wisdom of “the God of peace” (15:33).
In the portrait of Joseph, diligence and foresight converge. While these traits can be motivated by self-interest, the godly man’s intention is the good of others (Eccl. 11:2). Joseph worked tirelessly to avert the devastation of a forthcoming famine (Gen. 41:46–49), knowing that the preservation of his family (45:7) and an entire nation (50:20) depended on the faithful exercise of the wisdom that God had given him. Even Pharaoh could see that such wisdom came from God alone (41:39). The stakes of wisdom may never be as high in our lives as they were in Joseph’s, but diligence and foresight exercised out of love for others may find a thousand small expressions in our daily lives.
In a backroom of this gallery of wisdom, we find the understated portrait of Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law. In contrast to the elaborate narrative of Joseph’s rise to power, Jethro’s story is less well known, which illustrates the Preacher’s warning that the wise should not expect wealth, favor, or fame in this world (Eccl. 9:16). But Jethro, a Midianite, had the true wealth of wisdom. He professed faith in the one true God and was received into the fellowship of Moses, Aaron, and all the elders of Israel (Ex. 18:10–12). He wisely observed that the shepherding of God’s people could be better accomplished with an “abundance of counselors” (Prov. 24:6) rather than through Moses alone. So his advice to his son-in-law was twofold: teach the people the Word of God, and place God-fearing and able men over the people to provide judgment and counsel (Ex. 18:19–23). Moses showed the wisdom of heeding good advice (Prov. 12:15), and the wise counsel of his father-in-law was later proved to be the will and the wisdom of God (Num. 11:16–17).
Few people will even recognize the next portrait, but Bezalel the son of Uri is among the few who are actually called “wise” in the Bible. Of the tribe of Judah, he was a master craftsman appointed by God for the construction of the tabernacle (Ex. 31:1–11; 35:30–36:1). He was said to have been filled with the Spirit of God, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Although he was gifted to teach (35:34), his wisdom was expressed in the work of his hands, as he gave glory to God through the practical skills that he had been given as a craftsman and artisan. Bezalel’s portrait reminds us that wisdom is not always a matter of the mind but is also a labor of the hands, using any skill or ability to the glory of God. Read Proverbs 31 and note how many times the “hands” of that wise and excellent woman are mentioned.
Because “wisdom” is a feminine noun in Hebrew, the book of Proverbs often personifies wisdom as a woman who is godly, winsome, and inviting. But wisdom also meets us in feminine form quite often in real-life characters throughout the Bible, such as in the character of Abigail. She had the misfortune of being married to a man whose name matched his character. “Nabal” means “fool” (1 Sam. 25:25), and he suffered from all the symptoms. He was quick-tempered (Prov. 14:17), hasty in his speech (18:2), and miserly (28:25). In contrast, Abigail was “discerning” (1 Sam. 25:3). When a conflict arose between Nabal and David, she showed her discernment by defusing the situation with a humble and gracious appeal for David to relent from the conflict. Her greatest discernment was something that her foolish husband either ignored or dismissed—that God was with David, and that he was to be king according to God’s promise (1 Sam. 25:30). Abigail showed the wisdom of bringing strife to an end (Prov. 20:3). More importantly, she showed the wisdom of believing that God’s saving hand was at work through His promise to David.
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