A commentary by Randy Stiver

Every culture on the face of the earth has its own wise sayings or proverbs. Some sayings appear in multiple cultures, although the wording may be varied. Here are several timeless wise sayings:

• “A stitch in time saves nine.”
• “A fool and his money are soon parted.”
• “Too soon old, too late smart.”  
• “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.”

The strength of God’s wisdom

Wise sayings are also called “proverbs.” They are typically gems of insight that wise men and women coined through alert observation. Sometimes a saying rhymed in the language of origin, but not always. Over time the actual wisdom of a people (tribal or national) accumulated into their particular storehouse of proverbial wisdom.

However, not all of what ancient Israel (or any other nation) called wisdom was true wisdom. Only the sayings that were directly based in word or principle on the true wisdom of the Bible carried the strength of divine truth.  

That last statement is important. Always analyze any culture’s “wisdom” in the light of God’s Word.

Recording true wisdom

Some cultures and nations grew to be wiser than others. For instance, ancient Greece and Israel were famous for their recorded wisdom.

In ancient Israel, wisdom flourished during the reigns of Kings David and Solomon (approximately 1000 to 900 BC). God, specifically Jesus Christ before His human birth, directly inspired that wisdom to be recorded in Scripture as proverbs or sometimes in the longer form of psalms, such as the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

Later Christ inspired the New Testament where more wisdom statements were sprinkled throughout the gospel accounts and the Epistles (of Paul and others).

The earlier divine collections of God-inspired wisdom remain a dynamic part of God’s holy Word for us today and for those to be called in the Millennium and Great White Throne Judgment. Collected together, the psalms and proverbs can have a tremendous impact on our minds and in our lives!

Applying true wisdom

Having free access to such literally-divine wisdom is wonderful! However, actively using that wisdom for guidance in your personal life, or in Israel’s case – their national life, can be another matter altogether! It’s too easy to exchange the true wisdom of God for the false wisdom of “this, present, evil world” or “age” (Galatians 1:4).

If only they had used that God-given wisdom more often during ancient Israel’s history! Would that the modern, western world (where the Bible was preserved and published) had wisely followed its guidance through the centuries and especially now, during this modern time of chaos and confusion!

Making the Plan

There is a fitting proverb that came to us from the Scottish poet Robert Burns: “Among the best laid plans of mice and men, things often go awry!” The plans of humanity have failed continuously since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  

But, critically important, God’s plans do not go awry (i.e. “fail to work or function).”

We can count on God’s plan, and especially His Kingdom to come to pass. Jesus Christ will return and there will be a future of peace for all nations. No more chaos, no more confusion in even the most basic facets of life, and no more aimless violence and tragedy. Mankind was designed to thrive within God-inspired structure and guidelines that lead to a thriving, vital life of purposefulness and peace.

Keep your eyes on God’s best laid plans….His soon-coming Kingdom!

*This originally appeared as a weekly note sent to my local congregation. If you wish to reprint this commentary or learn more about how to do so, please contact me in the comments below. I reserve my rights to this content, it is not in the public domain for use or reprint without my permission.