Wisdom and obedience
Job 28:12-28 is a discourse on wisdom spoken by Job somewhere between 1000-2000 BC and recorded a few hundred years later by the author of Job somewhere between 950-400 BC. It begins with vs. 12-13 stating: "But where can wisdome be found? Where does understanding dwell? Man does not comprehend its worth..." and ending with vs. 28 "And (God) said to man, 'The fear of the Lord - that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'"
The concept of wisdom is one of the most common themes throughout scripture and specifically throughout the Old Testament. As I reflect on the context in which these words were spoken my perception of that concept changes rather dramatically. We must realize that Job lived at a time most probably pre-written word and therefore pre-books of the law. He had no scripture from which to gain understanding of God. Furthermore this was long before the gift of the Holy Spirit was given so the majority of Old Testament characters - and nothing would imply that Job was an exception - operated without the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Therefore their knowledge of God and of this law consisted mainly of traditions passed down from Adam, or at least from Noah, and their access to God and interaction with him consisted primarily of obedience to the law. This obedience to the law is basically what "wisdom" is defined as several times throughout scripture. As we see that these men had very real and active relationships with God there must really be something to this, relationship can be and was gained through the means of obedience.
As I look at the abundance of recources we have to draw from to gain our understanding of God and to pursue relationship with him I amazed how how richly we are blessed. We have not only the Holy Spirit to commune with and veritable unlimited access to scripture (something unheard of until only a 300 years ago or so) but also a profusion of other written recources and teaching. All of this is good and should be used as a means of pursuing God but in light of all this access to "knowledge" of God, have we neglected to truly prusue "wisdom" from him in the way that Job speaks. Even still with all that we have the root of wisdom has not changed and there access to communion with God - to fear him and to shun evil. Jesus life is the perfect example of the melding of all of these. While Jesus studied scripture emmensely and communed with God by means of the Holy Spirit at all times he also did not neglect the FURTHER "practice" of "wisdom" or of fearing God and shunning evil - in fact had he neglected this the cross would have held no power at all.
So I think it is good to imagine what it would be like if we did not have scripture and we did not have the Holy Spirit to give us insight and understanding - we would be left with obedience of God's laws as our key recource to interaction with God. Maybe then we would love it the way David does in Psalm 119 and not begrudge it as the less-enjoyable part of our faith which we are required to do.
The concept of wisdom is one of the most common themes throughout scripture and specifically throughout the Old Testament. As I reflect on the context in which these words were spoken my perception of that concept changes rather dramatically. We must realize that Job lived at a time most probably pre-written word and therefore pre-books of the law. He had no scripture from which to gain understanding of God. Furthermore this was long before the gift of the Holy Spirit was given so the majority of Old Testament characters - and nothing would imply that Job was an exception - operated without the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Therefore their knowledge of God and of this law consisted mainly of traditions passed down from Adam, or at least from Noah, and their access to God and interaction with him consisted primarily of obedience to the law. This obedience to the law is basically what "wisdom" is defined as several times throughout scripture. As we see that these men had very real and active relationships with God there must really be something to this, relationship can be and was gained through the means of obedience.
As I look at the abundance of recources we have to draw from to gain our understanding of God and to pursue relationship with him I amazed how how richly we are blessed. We have not only the Holy Spirit to commune with and veritable unlimited access to scripture (something unheard of until only a 300 years ago or so) but also a profusion of other written recources and teaching. All of this is good and should be used as a means of pursuing God but in light of all this access to "knowledge" of God, have we neglected to truly prusue "wisdom" from him in the way that Job speaks. Even still with all that we have the root of wisdom has not changed and there access to communion with God - to fear him and to shun evil. Jesus life is the perfect example of the melding of all of these. While Jesus studied scripture emmensely and communed with God by means of the Holy Spirit at all times he also did not neglect the FURTHER "practice" of "wisdom" or of fearing God and shunning evil - in fact had he neglected this the cross would have held no power at all.
So I think it is good to imagine what it would be like if we did not have scripture and we did not have the Holy Spirit to give us insight and understanding - we would be left with obedience of God's laws as our key recource to interaction with God. Maybe then we would love it the way David does in Psalm 119 and not begrudge it as the less-enjoyable part of our faith which we are required to do.
posted by Pamela Joy at 11:39 AM
5 Comments:
If we could truley grasp how we should fear God, that I believe would change our lives more then we can dream. I still view fear and arespect in the same sense and truthfully I lack both of these.
p.s. what you dad posted on janice's blog was really great. I think it was far more encouraging then the rest of us.
Pamela, I love what you had to say about wisdom. I am going to mail a copy of it to a friend in our Church who struggles with the feeling that too often we "worship the word" instead of worshipping Jesus the living word. He speaks of how acts of service (ie obedience) have played a huge part in bringing him closer to God.
"Read your bible and pray" is still excellent advice. However, Jesus also said that we would show our love for him if we obeyed his commandments.
Thank you Pamela, for a very thougth provoking "mini" sermon.
I miss pammy
PAMELA. i love you. also...i love that everyone says i blog really well on their links section. makes me think i've accomplished something, when really all i guess it means is i post a lot. AND...i have been excited about walk the line for about a year. perk of being a film student you find out about stuff early on. when they were casting joaquin phoenix and reese witherspoon like a year ago i was SO EXCITED. i'm going to see it when it comes out and i shall think of you and then i shall call and we will talk about it. yay!
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