Job's Hymn to Wisdom

The book of Job is often read as theodicy: Why does God let bad things happen to good people? I have once seen it viewed as a treatment of different views of fate, predestination, and freedom as voiced by the different "friends" of Job. 

I found to my surprise tonight that the Book of Job has one of the more developed hymns to wisdom in the Bible, and would like to relate it here: 

But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? 

Man knows not its price; neither is it found in the land of the living. 

The depth says, It is not in me: and the sea says, It is not with me. 

It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for its price. 

It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. 

The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and there is no exchanging it for jewels of fine gold. 

Not to mention coral, or pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. 

The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. 

From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? 

It is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. 

Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. 

God understands the way of it, and he knows the place of it. 

For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven; 

To make the weight for the winds; and he weighs the waters by measure. 

When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: 

Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yes, and searched it out. 

And unto man he said, 

Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. 

(Job 28:12-28)

And so I begin to see why Job is counted among the "wisdom" books. It's easy for us to complicate wisdom, and in doing that we can lose sight of wisdom. Is it really more complicated than loving God, and leaving behind evil? 

Wisdom and Righteousness

One focus of the book of Proverbs is on righteousness. Righteousness is a word that is not currently in common use outside the church. It involves walking with God in the justice, mercy, and humility that are attributes of God himself. 

Here are twelve proverbs that speak of wisdom and righteousness: 

• (Pro 2:9)  Then you shall understand righteousness, and judgment, and fairness; even every good path.
• (Pro 8:18)  Riches and honor are with me; even durable riches and righteousness.
• (Pro 11:4)  Riches profit nothing in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivers from death.
• (Pro 11:10)  When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
• (Pro 11:23)  The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
• (Pro 14:34)  Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
• (Pro 15:9)  The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loves the one who follows after righteousness.
• (Pro 16:12)  It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.
• (Pro 18:10)  The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it, and is safe.
• (Pro 23:24)  The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begets a wise child shall have joy of him.
• (Pro 29:2)  When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked rule, the people mourn.
• (Pro 29:7)  The righteous considers the case of the poor: but the wicked does not to know it.

Ten Proverbs on Heart's Wisdom

So much Western discussion of knowledge and wisdom is guided (misguided?) by an assumption of hostility between heart and mind. As with the Shema, so with the Proverbs: the heart and mind are best when they work together with integrity. One without the other is easily led astray. 

Here are my ten favorite proverbs that speak of the role of heart in wisdom: 

• (Pro 2:10)  When wisdom enters into your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul;
• (Pro 3:1)  My son, forget not my law; but let your heart keep my commandments
• (Pro 3:3)  Let not mercy and truth forsake you: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
• (Pro 4:21)  Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart.
• (Pro 14:30)  A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
• (Pro 14:33)  Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding ... 
• (Pro 15:28)  The heart of the righteous studies to answer: but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
• (Pro 16:23)  The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.
• (Pro 22:11)  He who loves pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
• (Pro 27:9)  Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so does the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.

In the book of Proverbs, wisdom is seen as beautiful, desirable -- and drawing on more than mind alone. Truth and mercy -- the first casualties of so many disputes -- are singled out to be valued and remembered. Wisdom's domain includes pureness of heart, rejoicing, friendship, and graceful speech. I could benefit from more wisdom!

Ten Proverbs on Wisdom as a beautiful treasure

The book of Proverbs seeks to frame our view of wisdom not as a joyless duty, instead showing wisdom as something desirable. Time and again it speaks of wisdom as a treasure: a lost treasure, or gold, or silver, or jewels. They are prizes worth seeking, worth the effort, worth the search. These things are not merely valuable but beautiful in a way that lends beauty to their whole environment. 

Here are my ten favorite that portray wisdom as desirable, beautiful, and enriching in a way that matters: 

• (Pro 2:4)  If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures ...
• (Pro 3:14)  For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
• (Pro 8:10)  Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
• (Pro 8:19)  My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
• (Pro 10:20)  The tongue of the just is as choice silver ...
• (Pro 16:16)  How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to gain understanding is preferable to silver!
• (Pro 20:15)  There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
• (Pro 22:1)  A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.
• (Pro 25:11)  A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
• (Pro 25:12)  As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.

The proverbs aim both to challenge our priorities and to inspire a better quest. The book of Proverbs portrays wisdom as one of the chief treasures of life. 

The light of the righteous

The book of Proverbs has much to say about wisdom. It also has much to say that is not self-reflective about wisdom, that continues on to observations and understanding that we gain from wisdom. Here is a keen insight on the human condition: 

The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.
(Proverbs 13:9)

Being "snuffed out" is a conventional metaphor for death, and of course the righteous die too. Yet their light continues. Heroes from previous ages are remembered for their light -- their actions or, often enough, simply their words. Things that continue across the years -- across the centuries -- are acts of wisdom in establishing things that last, acts of courage, words of courage and hope and faithfulness. Those kinds of things bring an honor that outlasts us, where the "light of the righteous" continues after the people are gone. 

Solomon built a Temple, and wrote many proverbs. He built a temple that was demolished, rebuilt by others, and is gone again. He wrote proverbs, and many have written proverbs after him: the proverbs remain.

The Temple of Solomon

The Temple which Solomon built was a fulfillment of his father David's wish that God might have a worthy place for his presence among his people. In our day, it is hard to imagine a ruler's focus on a project like that. This was a kingdom where God was welcome, wanted, and treasured. The beauty of the Temple was similar to the Tabernacle before it. The architecture contained works of breathtaking art to convey reverence for God and the holiness of his presence. Solomon had the Temple constructed before his own palace, where in his wisdom he placed priority on giving glory and honor to God. So long as a king would place the holiness of God above his own desires, the kingdom had hope and the king's heart would stay away from corruption. So the king's honor of God was the cornerstone of that kingdom. 

Solomon's Proverbs had a mission

I'm continuing with the questions, "What does wisdom look like? What does wisdom do?" I'm focusing still on Solomon, whose prayer for wisdom struck me as one of the most moving prayers of the Bible. When I continue reading of Solomon's life, there are passages about the king's advisors and his cabinet -- about how he organized and administered the land. The account continues about both Solomon's wealth and about the nation's prosperity. 

Judah and Israel were as many as the sands by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and being merry. (I Kings 4:20)

The nation's prosperity is mentioned nearby to more of Solomon's accomplishments:  

He spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were a thousand and five. (1 Kings 4:32)

I'd rather not be distracted by the questions of whether the numbers were literal or symbolic, or whether it refers to the Book of Proverbs where most of the book is attributed to Solomon. Regardless of those questions, Solomon was famous for proverbs. He spent much time and effort considering what was a wise course of action in all the day-to-day decisions that people face. He distilled that into short sayings that could be remembered fairly easily. It takes focus and clarity to get to the heart of the matter quickly and clearly; the more complicated the situation, the more insight is required to cut through the fog and see the best way through. It is easy to mistake many words for deep understanding; sometimes the best insights are brief. 

All his pondering was not for himself alone. His proverbs apparently brought fame in his lifetime, and visits from the rulers of neighboring lands. (What would it be like to live in an age where rulers of the nations sought wisdom among each others' prized imports and exports? Where a man of deep insight was a pilgrimage destination for a nation's leaders?) The proverbs were also for his own people. I have the passing thought that I'm sure a nation is easier to govern if each person acts wisely, and each has understanding so as not to cause hardship to themselves or their community. The account is clear that both Solomon himself and the nation under him flourished -- that managing things wisely was a blessing to them all, and that the more wisdom, the more blessing. 

Solomon worked on multiple levels: he arranged good, orderly administration for the government and the land, and yet he did not suppose that the quality of life in the land was given top-down from the throne. Each proverb was a seed of wisdom that could be planted throughout the nation so that every home would have its own supply. As in the ruler, so in the home: the more wisdom, the more blessing. 

Solomon's wisdom and his predecessors

If Solomon prayed for wisdom, if God heard that prayer and blessed Solomon with wisdom, then how did that wisdom come? I'm not here interested in the failures of Solomon's later years, in playing "gotcha" with fallen heroes. We all stumble at times, and Solomon's stumbles are too often used to distract from how he served when at his best. I'm interested in understanding more about the gift of wisdom. 

When reading and considering the wisdom of Solomon, I was surprised to see this phrase: 

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. (I Kings 4:29)

"As the sand that is on the sea shore". That phrase is similar to God's promise to Abraham that his offspring would be "as the sand that is on the sea shore" (Genesis 22:17), so similar that it seems an intentional reminder of that earlier blessing. A search shows that those words are also used to describe Joseph's administration of Egypt preparing for the famine: "And Joseph gathered grain as the sand of the sea, exceeding much, until he ceased numbering for it was beyond counting" (Genesis 32:12). Here the wisdom and blessing grow to match the people and their need; and the hallmark of God's blessing is the generous outpouring to meet their need. Abraham, Joseph, Solomon were key leaders in establishing and preserving the nation -- and in inspiring the nation; they receive blessings that echo each other. 

By the days of Solomon, Abraham's offspring have grown -- and they need a guiding wisdom that has grown to match. Solomon's wisdom was given as understanding and largeness of heart. The one who can lead wisely takes time for understanding, devotes and pursues understanding. The one who can lead wisely also has a large heart, with depth of empathy and feeling. Without that largeness of heart it is not wisdom, and falls short of the blessing that God intends. 

Solomon's wisdom does not stand as a solitary moment in the history of his people. It is a continuation of the blessing given to Abraham, and the wise rule entrusted to Joseph: the overflowing generosity of God's promise to provide for his people. 

Inspired by Solomon's Dream

I have mentioned before that on my very first read through the Bible, I was deeply moved when I read of Solomon's dream. Here is a recap, as a refresher on the details: 

5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” 10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. (I Kings 3:5-12)

Remembering my first read, I was struck by the beauty of Solomon's wish, the purity of his heartfelt desire. I was heartened by the faithfulness of God in recognizing that prayer's purity and rightness. With more years of experience now, I'm familiar with more stories of people attaining power and how they use it. So many people, suddenly in power, would have seen to their wealth, their egos, their personal scores to settle, silencing their enemies, neutralizing rivals as perceived threats. Even the more civic-minded can easily have their thoughts firmly fixed on their own vanity projects, convinced in their own mind that they already know what is best. Solomon's humility leads to an honest self-appraisal, his heart is for his people, and his eye is on whether he can discern what is good and what is evil. Any one of those seems a rare trait in a leader; the combination of all three is a delight. In Solomon's early rule he is passionate to do what is right. And the Lord faithfully promises wisdom and discernment. 

Our current secular culture is a mocking, irreverent culture, hostile toward the idea of wisdom. "Wisdom" here does have specifically religious implications -- the necessity of humility, the rightness of acknowledging God's ways, the desirability of that understanding. 

From what I have studied before, I think of wisdom as knowledge guided by love. I desire for our world to be guided with more wisdom. That means for God's people to become more deeply immersed in it, directed by it. I think it starts here: that we desire it, and seek it.  

COVID as a window to a pre-modern world, and what they valued

In some ways, the COVID world makes the pre-industrial world more relatable. There is more insecurity now than before. Scarcity is something that is far more relatable after seeing months of shortages and empty shelves at poorly-stocked grocers. It is now more heartfelt to be grateful for simply having food, as the steady supply that I took for granted last year now seems a luxury. Even now, with supplies much improved over a few months ago, the stores still lack things that I used to take for granted.

And yet most of human history has been lived with uncertainty about these things. Every vaccine on our vaccination list was probably once an epidemic or an otherwise feared disease. And life went on. Instead of life being defined by possessions or security, it was defined by heart and soul, family, beauty, and a host of spiritual things that were held to be of greater value than food. Having had more experience of scarcity now, I begin to appreciate their point more deeply. I found this to be moving:

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
who gains understanding

For wisdom is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold

She [wisdom] is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare to her.

Long life is in her right hand;
in her left are riches and honor. 

Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peaceful. 

She is a tree of life to those who embrace her,
those who lay hold of her will be blessed.  ... 

When you lie down you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 

Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked.

(Proverbs 3:13-18; 24-25)

In comparison, I think our pop culture is not even a parody of what it should be. 

Wisdom and kindness can give our lives a kind of value that a well-stocked pantry cannot: one with honor. The return-on-investment of wisdom is quality of life, depth of life, beauty of life, even (often enough) length of life. It sweetens sleep as it does waking life, deepens friendships, makes the rough places smooth. It is life-giving. Wisdom is the world's foundation; anything built without it will not last, and anything without it will not continue -- and will not be a blessing, and will not give life, and cannot attain to peace. When the rubble of our current mess is cleared away -- however deep the rubble may be -- it will take wisdom to lay the foundation again, and a respect for what is solid and upright and true.

 

"Three things are above me, four I cannot fathom ..." - the counting proverbs

Proverbs chapter 30 is full of "counting" proverbs. The verse is introduced with one number, and then continues with a higher number. Consider:

• The leech has two daughters ... three things are insatiable ... four never say "Enough!" (Proverbs 30:15)
• Three things are beyond me ... four I cannot fathom. (30:18)
• The earth shudders at three things, at four which it cannot bear (30:21)
• Three that are stately of stride, four that carry themselves well (30:29)

I think their author made a point, not just with his words but with his format as well:

If we ponder a matter, we add to our wisdom. If we ponder how many things we do not understand, we add to our humility. And while we cannot add to the word of God, we can always add to our understanding.

Define "wisdom"

I've been trying to figure out a few things, what they are in their essence. Here's a try at wisdom, and what it really means.

Wisdom: Knowledge directed by love

While knowledge can be directed by any motive towards any end, wisdom is directed by love. Knowledge can be idle; wisdom is active. If it chooses stillness, it is because that stillness is constructive. 

Why wisdom is so different from knowedge

If knowledge is an understanding of the facts, wisdom is an understanding of how to turn those to a good end. Knowledge is not particular about what happens with facts, with how information is used; wisdom interests itself about the benefits and good that can follow.

In theory, knowledge pursues facts per se, for their own sake. Though knowledge is not quite that simple in the real world. When we gain new knowledge, it is because we are looking, and there is always a reason why we are looking. It may be that we truly wish to understand something for its own sake, or for the sake of understanding. But it's more likely that the knowledge is a means to another end. Someone may study baseball for the love of baseball -- or to become a better pitcher, or to coach a more winning team, or to place better bets. Usually learning comes with an agenda: what we hope to gain, and a reason why we are studying (or being directed to study) one thing rather another. At the university level, a syllabus has an agenda, a curriculum has an agenda, at times the university itself exists to promote certain goals. Leaving aside the questions that can raise, the good and the bad, it's enough to say: knowledge is rarely gained for its own sake. It is often a tool. So: Whose tool, and for what use?

Wisdom has a view to what is good. It is not necessarily grand or self important. Wisdom can be as simple as making friends. Or it can be as far-reaching as building a beautiful culture, in which each person feels their lives enriched by participating and belonging, and in turn enriches the culture by their lives. (The best cultures are naturally formed from peoples' shared lives and self-expressions, where the peoples' lives have meaning and purpose, beauty and dignity, that intrinsically belong to a healthy and thriving culture.) Because wisdom looks for what is possible, wisdom cultivates the imagination, which is sometimes dismissed with impatience when we focus on facts alone. And wisdom has an aspect of morality or virtue.  When we seek the good, we need an idea what is good. In order to turn knowledge into good, we have to know what it is.

Treasures of the heart and soul

Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. (Jesus, in Matthew 12:34-35)

As my teen Bible class works through Proverbs, we've considered a lot of instruction about what we say, how we say it, and when we say it. We've looked at how the proverbs cover different steps along the way, from recognizing evil to avoiding evil to recognizing good to pursuing good. 

We've looked at Solomon's devotion to wisdom, and his challenge to all people to add wisdom to our lives in any measure we can receive it, to pursue it openly and passionately:

If you call out for knowledge, and cry aloud for understanding;
If you seek it as silver, and search for it as for hidden treasures,
Then you shall understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
(Proverbs 2:3-5)

The treasure of our heart is clearly tied to wisdom and understanding ... to the Spirit of God and true knowledge of God. In this way, again the scriptures suggest an intimate connection between wisdom and love. There is an ancient Christian saying, "Knowledge becomes love." I'm becoming more intrigued with the relation among them. 

Making the simple wise

When I was typing up the previous post with the Psalm about God making the simple wise, I wondered: How many ways can you take that? When God's word makes the simple wise -- specifically focusing on how it does that for the simple -- does that mean it does nothing for those who are already wise in their own eyes? Is it saying that the ones who can be made wise are the simple ones, the ones who come as little children, teachable and open? That the things of God are hidden from the "wise and learned" and revealed to little children? The Bible keeps saying not to be wise in our own eyes. When we are wise in our own eyes we are not teachable; it's a matter of pride. It's spiritually dangerous to be impressed with our own wisdom. Learning follows from humility.

Discernment and divisions in the church

In analogy to Abba Moses’ instruction, one might propose that the origins of any one of these divisions arises from the work or activities of the Spirit, Satan, or Man. One would expect that the latter two are the ones which, if one supports ecumenical movement, should be the ones we actively oppose. How should we discern the difference between these, if indeed that is even a thing we should attempt? Is the motive behind the division a thing which we should discern as we try to heal that same division? Is such a discernment (or claims to the same) today even useful?

---

Mark chose an excellent topic for this current Christian Reconciliation Carnival: discernment. I think I'd want to start here:

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven, but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. (James, end of ch. 3)

So wisdom brings humility, and humility brings mercy, and among us sinners mercy is shown most naturally by those who understand that we ourselves sometimes need correction.

Discerning the spirit
Discernment: sifting the wheat from the chaff. The mote in our brothers' eye is a tempting target for our discernment; the log in our own eye, less so. So what, then, is the spirit behind that kind of discernment? As for the wheat and the tares, we're warned that our discernment is simply not up to the job: when we lack discernment, we are guaranteed to pull up the good with the bad together, destroying them both.

No doubt I will surprise somebody speaking this way. There is a time and a place for discernment turned outward. But not, I think, before discernment turned inward. If we want to "discern" the reason why we're right and the other person is wrong, that is not the best of discernment. If discernment is self-serving, there is no love; if it is self-justifying, there is no mercy. James gives us some good guidelines for checking ourselves: if we have the appearance of wisdom but not the fruits of wisdom, it is time to re-examine our "wisdom".

Restoring gently

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you slil fulfil the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. (Paul, start of Galatians 6)

If we are comparing ourselves to someone else, that is not discernment. And I have to say that every church body I have ever seen, or ever visited, or ever belonged to, and every internet apologist I have ever read for their own favorite group, discerned themselves in comparison to another church body that was lesser in their eyes. Each group rushes to put down the other, and the mote in the next group's eye figures prominently in the sermon and catechesis of their neighbor. In this way we think highly of ourselves. I have to wonder: What in the world would we think of ourselves if we had to compare ourselves to God's standards rather than to our fallen neighbors? And would we still treat our fallen neighbors quite the same way?

Knowledge puffs up

Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. (Paul, start of I Cor 8)

How many church programs are built around opportunities to increase our knowledge? How many around opportunities to increase our love? I've seen both, to be sure. But I think that knowledge is often emphasized over love. The programs that promote knowledge, in my own church, are explicit and designed. The things that promote love are more happenstance, the pains of everyday life that we share with each other. Is there a more excellent way? Can we harness that hard-won knowledge to find it? If not, all that knowledge is worth nothing.

---

And so I would want to end where I began:

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven, but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. (James, end of ch. 3)

If Wisdom is a Tree of Life ...

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her. (Proverbs 3:18)

In reading older interpretations of Scripture, I have seen some different methods of interpretation than are currently in use. One method is to take something revealed in one setting and apply it back to another setting to see if it is fitting. The "Tree of Life" makes several appearances in the book of Proverbs, the only place besides Genesis where it appears in the Old Testament. In its first appearance in Proverbs, the Tree of Life is wisdom.

If we understand the Tree of Life as wisdom, it sheds a whole new light on the account of the Fall in Genesis. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, of course, brings death; but what about the Tree of Life? What if the choice was not between Knowledge and Ignorance, but between Knowledge and Wisdom? What if our problem was not that we valued Knowledge while God sought to keep us in the dark, but that we valued Knowledge more than Wisdom? We reached for Knowledge when God wanted to give us Wisdom. The history of humanity has been filled with times when our knowledge has been to our downfall because we valued knowledge over wisdom. Many technological and medical breakthroughs have been followed quickly by a wish that we had learned to understand better before we plunged forward. World literature from Oedipus Rex to Frankenstein has been filled with people who, lacking wisdom, were betrayed by their own knowledge.

It has always seemed odd to me that the pair of trees were "Knowledge of Good and Evil" and "Life"; those are hardly a natural pair. And we knew it worked out to "Death" and "Life", which are a more natural pair. It also seemed odd that God would create man and woman in his image but ask them not to go after Knowledge (even if it was Knowledge of Good and Evil), and all the while the culture that passed down this story is renowned for scholarship. And many have questioned why God would create this Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil at all.

I've heard the suggestion that, if Adam and Eve had not eaten from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, that the day would have come when God had given them of that tree as a gift. They may have a point.

Scholarship: Objectivity or Passion?

Rejoicing before Him at all times, Rejoicing in His inhabited world, Finding delight with mankind. (the voice of Wisdom from Proverbs 8:30-31 NJPS)

Sometimes I wonder whether, in our drive to be taken seriously in an academic world that is frequently hostile towards Christianity, we have sold out: whether we have made compromises we cannot afford to make. I don't mean backpedaling over specific issues such as the Virgin Birth or the reality of miracles, though these certainly play a part, or again over such particulars as the authorship of the gospels. I think we have made a mistake on a far more basic level: the choice of playing fields. If we are to take our own studies seriously, then we need to re-examine the nature of scholarship itself.

The Wisdom literature of the Scriptures does not consider wisdom to be emotionless or detached. If we are to do justice to God of whom we think, we must reconsider whether detachment is appropriate. In much of contemporary scholarship, objectivity’s detachment is considered to be not only the accepted method and approach, but also the only acceptable tone for any conclusion. This required detachment does not govern whether someone holds a particular view, but limits the allowable attitudes towards the views we hold and towards the material we are discussing. Anything too far from analytical detachment is considered bad practice, evidence of clouded judgment.

Two things are often confused when talking about objectivity. On the one hand, objectivity has meant a clear-headed, sober, unprejudiced view of the facts; on the other hand, objectivity has meant personal detachment at any and all stages of consideration. But what if there are facts that, when viewed with a clear-headed, sober, unprejudiced view, lead to the conclusion that detachment is inadequate and indifference is unacceptable? What if the facts involve us so that detachment becomes a denial of either our humanity or of the meaning of what we are considering? What if there are times when a clear-headed, sober, unprejudiced view of the facts might lead us to celebrate? If no clear-headed view could ever lead to that type of joy, then all our joy in life is without a clear-headed basis. When we apply detachment to the starting point and the method, we avoid prejudice. But when we pre-determine that we will also apply detachment to the conclusion, that is begging the question whether detachment is an acceptable stance in light of the material being considered.

A prior intellectual commitment to detachment precludes the finding that there is something worth celebrating, someone worth praising, that there is such a thing as good news in the sense meant by our faith. This prior commitment to a certain outcome is a form of prejudice – in this case, a prejudice against meaning, passion, and attachment (not to say devotion). The scholarly process as currently conceived establishes in advance only one thing: that we must not claim that our findings matter beyond a certain threshold. The remnants are reduced to intellectual curiosities and denied life-changing force regardless of their content. If we decide in advance that anything even remotely visceral is out of bounds for scholars, then what remains is by definition eviscerated.

There is additional ground I wish to reclaim within the legitimate domain of Christian scholarship. The Christian’s study of God is inseparably bound to meditation, so that a detached analysis of God is not the highest pinnacle of thought about God, but is actually misguided and misleading. Likewise the Christian’s pronouncement of the knowledge of God is inseparably bound to praise, to blessing, and to proclamation of good news. We need to re-envision scholarship to reclaim respectability for this: that good judgment might lead someone to be devoted and passionate without any loss of good judgment.

It becomes the place of the scholar who wants to know God to ponder deeply on the things of God, to see how far clear thought of God leads, and to follow with honesty wherever those thoughts lead. This may lead to breaking scholarly taboos against lament, repentance, praise, or adoration. It should also improve the quality of material generally considered “devotional” as rigorous scholarship enters conversation with popular devotion. I believe it is important that we make this shift to expand the territory allowed to scholars, and that we make it with no apologies. Knowledge of God and proclamation of God are intrinsically blessings; considering them as either academic curiosities or as outside the realm of serious scholarship does them an injustice.

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This is a portion of my entry to the recent 2008 Trinity Blogging Summit, slightly reworked to help it better stand on its own.

Psalm 19 and the Word of God

Many people treasure Psalm 19 as a favorite. The Psalm has plenty of depth and beauty that meets the eye, but more still when we stop and consider the outline of the Psalmist's thoughts. Just for easy reference, here it is with the verse marks before I mention some thoughts on it:

¹The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
²Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
³There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
⁴Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun
⁵which is a like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
⁶It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.

⁷The law (Torah) of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
⁸The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
⁹The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
¹⁰They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
¹¹By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
¹²Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
¹³Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
¹⁴May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

The Psalmist first considers the general glory of the heavens -- the knowledge they proclaim, the light shining forth -- and progresses to the sun, with nothing hidden from it. The second section repeats the same pattern with the Word of God -- the knowledge proclaimed, the light being given -- and the hidden faults that may be uncovered.

Often the Bible compares the Word of God to light. And often the Bible mentions light in some form when speaking of the presence of God, whether the light is seen as fire or lightning or simply an emanation of God's glory. In comparing the Word of God to light, the Word of God is being proclaimed as a special case of God's own presence. The Word of God is God With Us. When we learn the Word of God, as we study and remember and proclaim the Word of God, the presence of God is there with us.

The first time God speaks in the Bible -- the first Word of God -- creates light. The wonders of creation are not seen as an unrelated revelation compared to the Word of God. Instead, the wonders of creation are seen as ways in which the Word of God has been displayed as creative, living and active. The Word of God is seen as the source of the natural wonders that parallel it and shadow it; they participate in proclaiming the same message.

The Psalmist does not leave it there. Praise is given to the beauty and knowledge and message of the heavens; more praise is given to the beauty and knowledge and message of the Word of God. Both declare the glory of God, both pour forth knowledge, both give light. But the Word of God renews life, makes the simple wise, and is more desirable than the wonders of creation. The wonders of nature proclaim God's wisdom to us, but the Word of God creates a measure of God's wisdom in us.

Christianity in Tolkien: What Is Wisdom?

In Tolkien's Middle Earth, Saruman began as wisest of the wise. He spent his time in arcane research in a high tower. He had rare forms of knowledge, uncommon access to information. Isn't that wisdom as the world conceives it?
	Gandalf was not generally reckoned to be as wise as Saruman. He spent his time with his feet on the ground, and found himself drawn to the humble.
And when he chose specialized knowledge, the kind he chose was the knowledge not of domination but of friendship, the kind of knowledge that could lead him to know when a friend needed help, or when to show up for a long-expected birthday party.
In Tolkien's scheme, Gandalf was wiser than Saruman, and Gandalf's view of wisdom was truer than Saruman's. A wisdom that forgets why life is worth living, and why good is worth defending, is not wisdom at all. True wisdom is not proud but humble; true wisdom does not exalt itself but exalts the lowly. It has room for friendship, even room for self-sacrifice if that is the price for maintaining these things. True wisdom places love first, and is recognized by joy and gladness. The other may appear wise, but is not.

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All graphics from New Line Cinema's Lord of the Rings trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, presented under fair usage.