Pastor’s Desk February 24th

Posted on 24Feb CATEGORIES: Pastor's Desk

Scripture Passage: “Wisdom hath built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars.” Proverbs 9:1

Dear Friends,

In the proverbs of Solomon there are many times that he reverts back to the topic of wisdom. Each time he states there is nothing equal to, nothing as important as, and nothing responsible for success as much as wisdom. In chapter nine, wisdom is identified in the feminine sense and compared to a woman who has prepared a great banquet and invited all to come and enjoy. From those who live in high places to the simple who live on the streets, they are compelled to forsake their ways and come together as one in the way of understanding and wisdom. He also compared wisdom to seven pillars that have been hewn out and put into place to support the weight of the building. This made me curious as to what those seven pillars are what we can compare them to. Some scholars refuse to speculate, so they do not even address them. Others, without trying to make Scripture say something it does not, does compare it to two Scripture passages. One is found in the Old Testament book of Isaiah. The other is found in the New Testament book of James. I found this interesting so I decided to share it with you.

The eleventh chapter of the book of Isaiah gives a description of the coming Messiah and characteristics that would define who He was. “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:2 If you count the first as the Spirit of the Lord resting upon him, you will find seven pillars that characterize the life and ministry of Jesus the Messiah. The Spirit of the Lord resting upon Him would identify Him with the Heavenly Father and His sovereign authority. The Spirit of Wisdom is the ability to discern the nature of things. The Spirit of Understanding is the ability to discern differences. The Spirit of Counsel is the ability to adopt right conclusions. The Spirit of Might is the power to carry those right conclusions out. The Spirit of Knowledge is the ability to know Jehovah in an intimate way that produces a relationship. The Spirit of Fear is the ability to live in respect and awe and through that respect, to live in obedience to the will of God. While this may not be the seven pillars Solomon was talking about, you cannot go wrong if you build your life upon those standards.

The third chapter of the book of James, the thirteenth verse specifically, calls out seven characteristics that he labels as wisdom that is from above. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” James 3:17 James was the half-brother of Jesus and would have known from personal experience what true wisdom looked like. Pure wisdom refers to spiritual integrity and a heart motivated by sincerity. Peaceable wisdom means peace loving and peace promoting. Gentle wisdom is a character trait of sweet reasonableness. This kind of wisdom never seeks out revenge. Wisdom that is easy to be entreated is a wisdom that is willing to yield. Willing to yield in matters that hold no eternal consequences, but more than that, the willingness to yield to the will of God. Wisdom that is full of mercy is the ability to feel for those suffering pain and hardship, and the ability to forgive quickly. Wisdom that is without partiality is wisdom that is undivided in commitment and conviction and does not make unfair distinction. Finally, wisdom that is without hypocrisy is wisdom that is real and genuine. There is nothing fake or false and never contains a cover up. These seven things are also great pillars of wisdom to build our lives upon. I do not think either view is a stretch or distortion of Scripture but that both are standards of truth and integrity the entire Bible is built upon.

In Christ,

Pastor Johnny