Wisdom Is From God – And Real Discernment

Feature 3 – June 2021 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Wisdom Is From God
And Real Discernment

Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. —Psalm 97:11 NKJV

God’s wisdom is seen in His creation, government, calling of believers and dealings with His chosen people Israel. But His wisdom is especially seen in the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, we read that the angels learn of God’s wisdom through the Church, the Assembly of the living God (Eph. 3:10). As our living and perfect Example, the Lord Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me” (Mt. 11:29). Let’s learn from Him to receive wisdom and discernment!

The Example Of Noah
Noah is the first “righteous” man mentioned in the Bible (Gen. 7:1) – Scripture adding that he was “blameless” in his generation (6:9 NASB). These words indicate a tremendous contrast between Noah and the people of his day, who had been affected by a sinister, or evil, scheme to corrupt the entire human race. Satan’s attack against God implied that some of the fallen angels1 had adopted male bodies to have relations with beautiful women (vv.1-4). The enemy’s intention was to pervert the whole of humanity, to keep God’s plan about the Seed of the woman (see 3:15) from being realized. Obviously, the offspring of a corrupted human race would never please God, nor could it bring the promised Messiah. He, as even the early rabbis recognized, would be the Seed of the woman.

God waited patiently (see 2 Pet. 3:8-9) until Noah and his family were the only ones still pure – blameless, complete – in his generation. This implies that they were free from the violence and corruption that the fallen angels had caused among Adam’s descendants (Gen. 6:5), yet this grave situation must have affected Noah, his wife and children. God could wait no longer; He had to act in judgment.

Before executing it, He gave Noah the needed discernment to be His instrument, for he walked with God just as Enoch had done (5:22-24). Therefore, God instructed Noah how to accomplish his desires for his family. “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Heb. 11:7 ESV). This verse elaborates on the theme of discernment, according to God’s promise for the righteous.2

A Man Named Job
Job is our next example of discernment and wisdom. He lived not long after the flood (consider Job 40–41) and learned important lessons in God’s school, summed up in his beautiful statement, “Behold, the fear of the Lord [Adonai], that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding” (28:28). Introducing God into every matter, because of love and respect, will give us discernment – the ability to know the difference between good and evil, and to act according to God’s thoughts. That is exactly what Job had been doing and how we are encouraged to live. “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil” (1:1 NASB).

Nevertheless, he had to learn important lessons and to judge and humble himself in God’s light, which he had the courage to do (42:1-6). After numerous difficult trials – his business destroyed (1:13-17), his ten children killed (vv.18-19), himself becoming gravely ill (2:7) and then being abandoned by his wife (v.9) – he had many discourses with his few friends. They had come to comfort him, yet they wrongly accused him.

Up to this point Job had not judged himself in God’s light, even though he had been living an exemplary life. He felt that God had failed him. After many lessons in His school, God could finally use the repenting Job as an instrument of blessing for his friends who had fiercely criticized him, and for his wife who was also restored. Having honored the Lord, Job continued to be a blessing to his wife and new family, in his growing business and for his relatives. This is the man who could say, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). May we learn our lessons in God’s school and have the discernment that comes with obedience.

The Book Of Psalms
This is an amazing book. It reveals God’s wisdom in many contexts. Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper” (vv.1-3 NKJV). The perfect example in these few verses is given to encourage us to follow the One described and learn from Him, even though we realize that here on earth we will not reach the perfection He displayed. God says as it were, “Look, here is how I want you to walk on this earth.” Yes, God’s standard is very high, but He encourages us to pursue it. God condemns those who refuse His salvation, but He does not condemn believers who sincerely desire to follow the Lord Jesus yet fail in doing so perfectly.

Psalm 1 beautifully and clearly demonstrates discernment. We can see how our perfect Example, the Lord Jesus, showed it in His walk on earth – staying away from what is not according to God’s thoughts yet being always accessible to everyone. Notice the threefold progression, with negatives, in verse 1: (1) walk, stand, sit; (2) counsel, path, seat; (3) ungodly, sinners, scornful. Verse 2 outlines the positive: His delight in God’s law, the law (Torah) of the Lord, which was also given to help us to learn from Him (Mt. 11:29). Notice that this instruction does not place us under the curse of the law, for the Lord Jesus took that curse together with God’s judgment, which we deserved (see Gal. 3:13; Acts 13:39).

The Spirit of God uses this remarkable psalm to encourage us to meditate, think and speak about God’s thoughts, and follow Christ’s perfect example. The reference to meditation does not mean to empty our minds, as new-agers are teaching. Rather, it implies that we fill our minds and hearts with the most important and encouraging Theme of all: the Lord Jesus (see Dt. 6:1-9).

This psalm – Psalm 1 – is about how He was constantly engaged with and delighted in the written Word of God. Thus, He was prepared to face the foe in the wilderness for 40 days when being tempted (Mt. 4:1-11). The Lord Jesus passed those tests gloriously because He was the fruitful tree planted close to the streams of water, producing its fruit at the proper time without any deterioration or failure. He was very successful, as predicted in Isaiah 52:13 (see Jer. 17:7-8).3

The perfect Man of Psalm 1 is the King of Psalm 2 and the Son of Man of Psalm 8, who will reign in the world to come (Jn. 1:51; Heb. 2:5-8). Now, as we consider a few points in Psalm 16, we see He is also the spotless Meal-offering. This psalm is a Mikhtam, which possibly means “a precious golden portion.”

The perfect life of the dependent Man on earth (vv.1-8) continues in resurrection (vv.9-11), because the perfections of His life on earth will be before us throughout eternity. This is already true for us as we are linked with the world of resurrection. Thus, He is able and willing to help and give the discernment we need through this passage that describes how He will be known in the world to come.

The apostle Peter quoted this psalm on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:22-28) and explained how these words apply only to the Lord Jesus (vv.29-32) who, exalted at God’s right hand, has sent the Holy Spirit (vv.33-36). Those who repented and believed received the Holy Spirit, who gave them the faculty to grasp God’s thoughts. This discernment enabled them to survive among a crooked and perverse generation (Phil. 2:12-16).

In the first major speech the apostle Paul gave in the Gentile world – in a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch – he referred to the precious things God saw in the perfect life of the only reliable and dependent Man on earth (Acts 13:35-37). These are mentioned in Psalm 16 and Hebrews 2. God wants all believers to forever keep these precious things and desires to see them reproduced in us.

The Psalms are arranged in a specific order designed by God, as indicated by the word “second” in Acts 13:33. Even the 176 verses of Psalm 119 are put together in an amazing arrangement of 22 strophes, or poetic sections, in alphabetic order. Each section has eight verses beginning with the same letter. Psalm 119 is a mini encyclopedia of wisdom and has instructions for every situation and generation. It even has prophetic significance for the future Jewish remnant of believers, who will go through the coming great tribulation after the rapture of the Church. Yet, this long psalm is also relevant for believers today.

Proverbs – Another Book Of Wisdom
Proverbs is full of instructions and warnings, and it gives counsel for every generation. I remember a brother in our area who started reading Proverbs shortly after he was saved. He kept reading it, besides other portions, because the book is so practical. This is true of the whole Bible, for God’s Word is never theoretical, as it presents to us the most wonderful person in the universe. Every believer is privileged to learn at His feet, as did Mary of Bethany (Lk. 10:39). We are told, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Prov. 3:5 ESV). It is good to note that Proverbs has seven natural divisions – a study in itself – and the expression “fear of the LORD” (yirat Yahweh) is found ten times in this book.

Solomon composed Proverbs as well as many poems, of which Song of Songs is considered the greatest. The ancient rabbis said that only married men of 30 years or older should read it; they called it “the holy of holiest” and referred to Proverbs as “the holy place.” They compared Ecclesiastes, the Preacher, with the courtyard of the tabernacle. Besides these three books, Solomon also wrote Psalm 127. Psalm 72, however, was written by David, even though some ascribe it to Solomon, who was a great teacher and writer (1 Ki. 4:29-34). Read Proverbs 8 and you will see this is true. However, the Lord Jesus is greater than Solomon (Mt. 12:42).

Proverbs says, “Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established” (16:3 NKJV) – good advice and a happy promise. Some other important instructions are: “The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it” (10:22 ESV). “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (11:14), or “victory” (NASB). How important is the right counsel and the right attitude, for “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (14:12 ESV). Therefore, let’s submit to the Lord’s guidance. “There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the LORD’s counsel – that will stand” (19:21 NKJV). Such a godly attitude is essential for the right discernment, “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out” (20:5 ESV). One more solemn statement and precious promise: “Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand all” (28:5 NKJV).

Some Of The Prophets
Isaiah has been called “the prince of the prophets,” and he was marked by special wisdom. Besides his well-known passage about the suffering Servant (Isa. 52:13–53:12), which is one of the four Servant Songs, this prophet composed many beautiful passages about the Messiah. One of these can be compared with the golden candlestick in the tabernacle and later in the temple. The candlestick had a shaft placed on a solid foot with a light on its top, and on two sides there were three branches, each supporting a light. In all, the candlestick had seven lights. The whole piece was made from one talent of pure gold, an amazing design and work which speaks of the Messiah about whom Isaiah wrote: “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And [1] the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, [2] the Spirit of wisdom and [3] understanding, [4] the Spirit of counsel and [5] might, [6] the Spirit of knowledge and [7] the fear of the LORD. And His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what His eyes see, or decide disputes by what His ears hear” (Isa. 11:1-3 ESV).

Another prophet was Jeremiah, who lived in very difficult times. As we see in Jeremiah 1, the LORD prepared him as His special instrument. This chapter contains many practical lessons for believers about discernment, wisdom and obedience. Jeremiah’s writings include ten object lessons demonstrating important truths, as the LORD gave him discernment. The story about the baskets with figs (see Jer. 24) is one lesson. In it, the good figs represent the believing remnant that would be sent into the Babylonian captivity. They were the obedient ones among God’s people, having humbled themselves and been marked by wisdom and discernment, such as Daniel and his friends. After many years, a remnant noted for obedience, wisdom and discernment from God returned to Jerusalem. This was the case later with the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, and leaders Ezra and Nehemiah, as well as many others with or after them (see Mal. 3:16).

Discernment And Spiritual Growth
The fear of the Lord is a characteristic of disciples in God’s school and is linked with obedience and faith; both are needed for discernment and growth. In the Gospels the Lord Jesus explained, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (Jn. 3:36 NKJV). Later, this solemn statement was followed by a promise of discernment. If anyone wants to do God’s will, “he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority” (7:17). “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (20:30-31 ESV).

This theme is elaborated in several epistles, intended for all believers. “Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love” (2 Pet. 1:5-7 NKJV). Peter gave this counsel to all Christians, with a promise for the future and a warning to be careful and diligent. He concluded this epistle with a challenge: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (3:18).

Instead of relying on man’s wisdom, solutions and ideas, as seen in Church history, such spiritual growth is what God intends for all true believers. It is needed for proper discernment and appreciation of what we have as linked with our glorified Lord Jesus (Heb. 5:12-14, 6:1-12). Engaging ourselves diligently in the things of our heavenly Lord will bring progress and spiritual prosperity, because of a good relationship with Him. The following quotes confirm this principle:

• “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee” (Isa. 26:3 KJV).
• “He will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is His treasure” (33:6 NASB).
• “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (Jas. 1:17 NKJV).

James links this provision with the wisdom from above (3:17-18) and the proper attitude of obedience and humility. We find similar thoughts in what is called “the Sermon on the Mount” (Mt. 5-7): “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (6:33 JND).

Concluding Remarks
Finishing these few thoughts about discernment, consider the biblical concept of “the wise” (maskilim) and “to act wisely.” This is found in a unique way with the Lord Jesus (consider Isa. 52:13), who is “the wisdom from above” (Jas. 3:17) – an expression referring to the Lord Jesus in contrast to the wisdom this world offers (vv.14-16).

Satan has his own wisdom, as “crafty,” or subtle, is linked with what is of him and his wisdom or resources which he uses to make one wise from his own perspective (Gen. 3:1,6). All this relates to “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (see 1 Jn. 2:15-17). But, those taught in God’s school receive His wisdom and reflect the wisdom of God as they learn from the Lord Jesus (Mt. 11:29). This wisdom will give us the right discernment and ability to interpret matters according to His thoughts, as we find with Joseph and Daniel. In God’s school we learn to choose between good and evil, an ability that comes with spiritual growth (Heb. 5:14).

“Dare to be a Daniel” is a challenge for all believers. Dare to be a Joseph; dare to rely on God as Elijah did (1 Ki. 17–18). Dare to seek His interests and rights first; make this a priority. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God” (Mt. 6:33). He will, as we pray, give the discernment and wisdom we need, for “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (Jas. 1:17 NKJV). Finally, dare to be a Timothy, to whom Paul wrote: “Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things” (2 Tim. 2:7).

ENDNOTES
1. At the flood God stopped these fallen angels from influencing people and put them in prison until their final judgment (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 1:6). The other fallen angels are demons, Satan’s instruments, but they can only act as long and as far as God allows. Both categories of angels are called “sons of God” (Gen. 6:2,4; Job 1:6, 2:1).
2. This term (Ps. 97:11) translates the Hebrew yashar, emphasizing uprightness as linked with a right condition of the human heart. Besides being upright, Noah was righteous (tsaddik) and blameless (tammim), as mentioned at the beginning of this article.
3. Mr. H. A. Ironside, in his commentary on Psalms, has a beautiful story about a Jewish believer in Jerusalem explaining to his fellow Jews how only the humble Rabbi of Nazareth fits the description of Psalm 1.

By Alfred Bouter