Thursday 10 April 2008

Background

What is real wisdom? Where does it come from? Along with bookslike Job and Ecclesiastes, the book of Proverbs comes from richseam of insight into the human condition found in the HebrewScriptures.

Although some of the Proverbs are quite mundane, taken togetherthey give a picture of what those who have wisdom believe to be agood and happy lifestyle. This involves:

• taking care in relationships - particularly in the choice of awife (18:22),
• avoiding the abuse of alcohol (23:29-35),
• warnings against laziness (24:30-34),
• the need to be careful in the use of words (11:12-13).

This wisdom, which humans would do well to seek, has itssource in God, according to chapter 8. In this chapter, wisdomtakes on human characteristics (and a female gender). She was thefirst of God's created works and she stood by as God created theworld. There is a playfulness in the description of Wisdom'spresence and God seems to delight in her company as the world iscreated. Later Wisdom herself takes delight in humancompanions.

So we read of the seven-pillared house that Wisdom builds inwhich she sets out a feast of delights to which people are invited.The simplest of people can benefit from the food and wine that shewill serve to them. People may quest after wisdom and that quest isalways worthwhile, but Wisdom also wants to make herself known. Godwants to communicate words of life to all people.

To Ponder

Who are the "wise people" whose insights yourespect? Where does their wisdom come from?

In what ways could your lifestyle more closelyreflect God's wisdom?