Wisdom Is the Principle Thing
Proverbs 4:7

INTRO: Good morning church.
A familiar story from the Old Testament is the story of Solomon asking God for great wisdom. In 1st Kings 4:29, we read “And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.” Then in verse 32, it says of Solomon, “He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five.” Solomon used the form of maxims or proverbs as a special form of instruction to impart that wisdom.

Solomon tells us the purpose of this in Proverbs 1:1-7 “1. The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: 2. To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, 3. to receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity; 4. to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion 5. A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, 6. to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. 7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Solomon says this is written to impart wisdom to those who are willing to receive it.

As you examine the Book of Proverbs, you can't help but notice that it has much to say about wisdom, so much so that it has often been referred to as the Book of Wisdom. It's interesting to take a concordance, look up the word “wisdom” and see the various passages where it is used. What then is “wisdom”? One commentator said, “Wisdom is the ability to use knowledge aright.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines wisdom as “the ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments”.

I like the book of Proverbs with its nuggets of wisdom and practical advice. It provides insight and in it, God reveals truths about our conduct in life. For this lesson I am going to ask you to read with me Proverbs 4:7 – “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”

There are two statements here in the first part of the verse that I want to consider. The first is “wisdom is the principal thing”, and the second is “get wisdom”.

I. Wisdom is the principal thing - What does it mean when Solomon said that wisdom is the principal thing?

A. It is another way of saying that wisdom is a matter of great importance. It deserves our careful attention.
B. In addition to stating that wisdom is the principal thing, Solomon also explained in a number of passages why wisdom is so important.

1. For one thing, wisdom is of great value.

a. In Proverbs 8:11 - “for wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it” When describing the value of something, scripture sometimes compares it to rubies. Do you remember the description of a virtuous wife? “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.” Solomon says “Wisdom is better than rubies”. Then he goes on to say, “… and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it”
b. In Proverbs 16:16 is another verse that touches on the value of wisdom. “How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.” This passage teaches us that wisdom is better than gold and silver. We consider rubies, gold, and silver to be very valuable, and they are… yet wisdom is much more valuable than any of these.

2. As Solomon explained further why wisdom is the principal thing, he showed that there are blessings associated with wisdom.

a. In Proverbs 3:13-14 he touches on the state of those who find wisdom. “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold.” A man is happy when he finds wisdom. He has reason to be happy because he's found something of great value.
b. Look at Proverbs 2:10-11 – “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you,” We find that those who attain wisdom will be preserved and they will be kept. There are blessings associated with wisdom.
c. Proverbs 19:8 says, “ He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will find good.” The Bible shows that there are blessings associated with wisdom and the last verse shows that those who get wisdom love their own souls. That thought should help us to further appreciate what Solomon said concerning the value of wisdom. I think we can understand why Solomon said wisdom is the principal thing.

II. Get Wisdom - Once we have that understanding, I believe we can better appreciate why Proverbs 4:7 also says “get wisdom”. We've established wisdom is the principal thing, and talked about its value and the blessings associated with it. That being the case, we need to do what Solomon says, and get wisdom.

A. What does “get wisdom” mean? It is another way of saying that God's people are to do what is necessary to attain wisdom. You can't just sit idly by and expect to receive wisdom. Unlike the gift that God gave Solomon, it requires effort on our part.
B. How do we do that? How do we attain wisdom? Over and over again, Solomon showed in the Book of Proverbs how we are to put forth the effort to attain wisdom.

1. Look at Proverbs 4:5. “Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.” Notice from this verse that wisdom is to be gotten and not forgotten. That's what the passage is teaching us. Wisdom is to be gotten and it is not to be forgotten.
2. Let's also look at Proverbs 23:23. “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.” We see in this verse that in addition to wisdom… truth, instruction, and understanding are also mentioned. Wisdom is one of those things that is to be bought and it's not to be sold.

a. That implies there is a price to pay, doesn’t it? The Bible says we're to pay that price, but then we're not to let go of what we have attained.
b. I must admit that over the years I have bought things on impulse. Perhaps some of you have as well. Then, years later we have taken that same item and sold it at a yard sale for almost nothing. As I got older, when it comes to material matters, I tried to think ahead and say to myself; in a few years, am I going to sell this at a yard sale or maybe just give it away?
c. When it comes to wisdom, we're to pay the price for it, but then we're not to sell it. We have to attain it and we have to retain it. That's very important when it comes to wisdom.

C. In attaining wisdom, we must go to the right source for it. The Bible teaches us that the Lord is the right source of wisdom. Proverbs 2:6 – “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding;” Who is the proper source for the wisdom that we are to attain and retain? Solomon tells us the Lord is the proper source. Solomon was not the only Bible writer to mention that.

III. More About Wisdom – In the New Testament, James, the Lord's brother, also mentioned the same thing. We have started our study on James in Bible class.

A. Let's look at James 1:5-6. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” James is referring to spiritual wisdom, the kind of wisdom that we need when we face trials - when our faith is put to the test.

1. There's a general principle to learn from that particular passage, and that is that God is the source of wisdom. When we ask Him for wisdom in faith, which is part of attaining wisdom, we have the assurance that God will listen and not reproach us for asking.
2. When we ask God for wisdom, if we ask Him in faith, and we're fulfilling our responsibilities to attain wisdom, God will certainly give it to us, and He will do so liberally.
3. When the Bible says that we're to get wisdom, we need to understand that the Lord is the right source for it.

B. Since we're in the Book of James, let's consider what the Lord's brother had to say about wisdom in chapter three of his book. James 3:13-18 – “13. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there. 17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” [NKJV] I would like to spend the remainder of our lesson considering what James wrote on the subject of wisdom in these verses. I believe these verses in the Book of James will help us to do what Solomon teaches us about wisdom.
C. Solomon teaches us that wisdom is the principal thing. It's a matter of great importance. He admonishes us to get wisdom. Therefore we need to strive to learn what the Bible has to say about wisdom. We can learn some valuable information from these verses that were written by James.
D. According to James 3:13-14 our actions demonstrate the kind of wisdom that we possess.

1. To illustrate this matter further consider what Jesus said in Matthew 7:20 – “Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

a. Our Lord was talking about false teachers and He indicated that false teachers can be detected by the fruit that they bear.
b. In a similar way, we show by our actions the kind of wisdom that we possess. We need to understand that there are various kinds of wisdom. We need to be concerned about getting the right kind of wisdom.
c. And since our actions demonstrate the kind of wisdom that we possess, we should consider very carefully what James wrote on the subject in these verses.

2. Verse 13 describes a child of God who is wise, and they are endued with knowledge. What do we know about their conduct or their manner of life? It will be in harmony with God's will, and their works will demonstrate the kind of wisdom that they possess.
3. James went on in verse 14 to show that a person might have a heart that's filled with envy and self-seeking.

a. If a person has that type of heart, they should not boast, because they are jealous and filled with strife. And that is no reason to be arrogant.
b. Furthermore, in their boasting, and their arrogance, they lie against the truth by pretending to be a follower of Christ.

4. To help us better understand what James is teaching; let us consider the example set by the Lord's disciples. Certainly, if you have any question about the Lord's patience, study His ministry and especially His dealings with His disciples. Jesus saw great potential in the men that He selected, but they had much to learn and Jesus devoted a lot of time to teaching them. He was quite patient with them.

a. The Bible teaches us in several passages that they were constantly concerned about who was the greatest. Look at Luke 9:46 – “Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.” Jesus dealt with that situation by placing a child in the midst of the disciples. He showed that we have to be converted and become as little children in order to enter the kingdom.
b. According to Matthew's account, they were concerned about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. Jesus responded by teaching them what they had to do to enter the kingdom. They had to be converted and become innocent like little children.
c. You would think that grown, mature men would have gotten the lesson that Jesus was teaching. No, it came up on at least two other occasions.

i. Let's look at the last occasion which we find in Luke 22:24. Jesus ate the Passover meal with His disciples. He was about to be arrested shortly after this. It was on this occasion He gave instructions for eating His supper so that His followers would always remember His sacrifice.
ii. What were the disciples concerned about though? Luke 22:24 – “But there was also rivalry among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.”
iii. How does Jesus respond this time? Luke doesn't tell us, but John does. In John 13, we learn that the Lord arose from supper, removed His outer garment, put a towel around Himself, took a basin and some water, and washed the disciples’ feet. That was one powerful object lesson that the Lord taught on that occasion. I think the disciples finally got it because we don't read about them arguing over that matter anymore.
iv. Jesus humbled himself to the point that He performed the role of a servant by washing the apostles’ feet. I paraphrase here, He said, I'm your master and I've stooped to the level of washing your feet. I've served you. You ought to serve one another rather than be concerned about who's the greatest in the kingdom.

d. What was the real problem that was experienced by the apostles? We know what the symptom was. They were concerned about who is the greatest. What was the real problem behind that symptom? They possessed the wrong kind of wisdom. You see, the right kind of wisdom doesn't behave like that, but the wrong kind does.

5. James tells us that our actions demonstrate the kind of wisdom that we possess. If a person has a heart filled with strife and envy, you know something about their wisdom. It's not the kind that comes from God. Remember, God is the source of wisdom, the right source for the right kind of wisdom.

a. There is another type of wisdom that we need to avoid. The disciples were caught up in having hearts filled with this wrong kind of wisdom and it showed by their jealousy and their strife.
b. The disciples show us though, that we can change with the Lord's help. They finally listened to the Lord's teaching and they changed their ways.

E. The problem with the disciples was that for a while they possessed an earthly kind of wisdom. James goes on to describe that kind of wisdom in James 3:15-16.

1. Here he is referring to the kind of wisdom that's already been mentioned in verse 14, the kind that was demonstrated by the disciples. Verse 15, “This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.” Does this kind of wisdom come from God? No, James says it does not come from above…rather it's earthly or worldly. It's sensual and it's devilish.
2. What does it produce? It produces confusion and every evil work. We need to understand this because we are constantly exposed to the wrong kind of wisdom. As we listen to reports on TV, we're going to hear confusion, strife, envy, and jealousy. What are those symptoms? They're symptoms of the wrong kind of wisdom.
3. I'm afraid that we're exposed to so much of it that if we're not careful, it can rub off on us, and we can't afford to let that happen. We have to fight against it.
4. We are responsible for getting the right kind of wisdom, paying the price to attain it, and not losing it. By doing that, we'll have a good influence on others. We hear so much hatred and so much vile speech today it’s just amazing. Those are symptoms of wisdom that James says are earthly, sensual, and devilish. We must guard against that kind of influence.

F. James described the wrong kind of wisdom, which we are to avoid, and then he went on to describe the right kind of wisdom.

1. This is the one that he's already mentioned in verse 13. Now he continues in James 3:17-18 – “ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James says this wisdom is from above, in other words, God is its source.
2. James describes this wisdom in beautiful words; the wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, and easily entreated. It's full of mercy and good fruits. It is without partiality and it is without hypocrisy.
3. What do we know about that kind of wisdom? James says it produces the fruit of righteousness.
4. What is produced by the wrong kind of wisdom? Strife, jealousy, and all types of evil.

CONCLUSION:
Solomon said, “Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom”. To do that, we have to go to the right source. We also have to understand that there are different kinds of wisdom. If we go to God according to His will, He will bless us with the right kind of wisdom, and we will demonstrate that through our actions.

The question that we need to ask ourselves is what kind of wisdom am I endeavoring to attain? If we attain the right kind of wisdom, the Lord will bless us. In return, we will please Him.

We have to give this matter much consideration, very careful consideration, because of the influences that we're constantly exposed to.

The Book of James has sometimes been referred to as the Book of Proverbs of the New Testament. It's a wonderful book.

When you read the Book of Proverbs and the writings of James, you find that James just goes right along with some of the things that Solomon dealt with. Why did Solomon and James write on the same things? I would suggest to you it's because the same Spirit who inspired Solomon to write his Proverbs also inspired James to write his letter. The Bible does not contradict itself, the Bible complements itself.

When I study the New Testament, I tend to look at the principles that are revealed and see how they are illustrated in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is a gold mine of illustrations that will help us to understand the New Testament.

When it comes to wisdom, I find I tend to reverse the order, see what Solomon first said about wisdom, and then see how James illustrates what he's taught us.

God, in His infinite wisdom, knew what we needed a long time ago when He gave us His Word, the Scriptures. How thankful we need to be that when we study the Bible, we're learning from the mind of God.

I hope this lesson will encourage us to do what we have to do to attain wisdom, and then to do what we have to do to retain it, to buy it, and never sell it.

If you need the prayers of the church or if you need to come forward this morning to be baptized, we will welcome you, receive you, and help you in whatever your needs may be. We invite you to come and make your needs known while we stand and sing.

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Reference Sermon by - Raymond Sieg