Wednesday, November 18
The words for school, study, and education are clearly understood in our time, but they are not common in the Bible. There is one word, wisdom/wise, which is much more common. For example, the Old Testament makes mention of wise men and women (2 Samuel 14:2, Proverbs 16:23).
Read 1 Kings 4:29-34. What does this teach us about the importance of wisdom?
King Solomon is singled out as a very wise man who spoke about animal and plant life and uttered proverbs with great wisdom, meaning as a man of education (1 Kings 4:29-34). The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes contain many wise teachings on numerous subjects, attributed to Solomon as well as to other wise teachers in ancient times (Proverbs 1:1, 25:1, 30:1, 31:1).
According to the Bible, wisdom is very much like our education today. It is something one learns from parents and teachers, especially while young (Ecclesiastes 12:1), but actually a person accumulates wisdom all through life. Second, wisdom generally has a practical side to it; for example, learn from the ants that save in the summer in order to have enough for the winter (Proverbs 6:6-8).
Yet wisdom is not only practical; it also has a theoretical side to it, for it begins with faith in God and follows certain foundational principles (Proverbs 1:7). Wisdom helps us live responsibly and for the benefit of others, and it also helps protect us from misfortune. Finally, just like education today, wisdom does not answer all the questions we may pose, but it enables us to be content with what we know while continuing to search for what is still unknown, and that is a good position from which we can learn to know God and to trust in His grace. According to Jeremiah 18:18, the role of the wise teacher is considered on a par with the roles of priest and prophet. All three convey messages from God to His people, in the form of instruction in the law, educational counsel, and special messages from God.
How can we learn wisdom and then pass it on to those who come after us? Why is this so important for us, as a people, to do?
