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GODLY WISDOM VERSUS HUMAN KNOWLEDGE
“The Fear Of The Lord Is The Beginning Of Wisdom…”
Psalm 111:10
It is interesting to note that the Psalmist said the fear of the Lord was the beginning of wisdom, whereas in Proverbs 1:7 King Solomon said it was the beginning of knowledge. And while at first glance this appears to be a contradiction, a closer look will show that the two statements are actually complementary because the fear of the Lord ties them together.
The dictionary definition of wisdom is: 1. Understanding of what is true, right, or lasting. 2. Good judgment: common sense. 3. Learning: erudition. And I believe the best way of stating it is that wisdom is the correct use of knowledge, because human knowledge per se is a compilation of information held to be factual by majority opinion and it is possible to “know” something and be completely wrong! So by contrast, the wisdom that the Bible repeatedly exhorts believers to seek is the ability to see things from God’s perspective. That wisdom—gained through the “fear of the Lord”—results in genuine knowledge and enlightenment.
Concerning human wisdom, God said in I Kings 3:12 that no one had ever or would ever equal Solomon: (Of course Jesus Christ is the exception, because He was, and still is, God in the flesh)
“Behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise,
discerning mind, so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall any arise
after you equal to you” (Amplified Bible).
And there is a tremendous lesson to be learned from that fact. God supernaturally endowed Solomon with an ability of discernment greater than any other mere mortal has ever possessed. Yet he eventually turned his back on God and willfully violated His commandments. So in spite of all his great learning and ability to make rational deductions concerning the world around him, that knowledge did not keep him from dishonoring God!
The Book of Ecclesiastes reveals Solomon’s quest for
personal satisfaction as he toiled “under the sun” (a phrase that he repeats 27
times). And that particular choice of words is usually seen by Bible
commentators as a metaphor for the natural man and his works, but the occult
connotation of “enlightenment” is also in view. Note what he says in the
following passage:
“I the Preacher was king over
Freemasonry holds Solomon in high esteem because of his wisdom and intellectual attainments, but it is truly a shame that they continue to ignore the conclusions he reached after making a thorough examination of life. According to God no one was his equal, so why should anyone think their personal enlightenment could be any greater or of more benefit to them? For that reason I strongly suggest to all who would be tempted to seek such knowledge (the “gnosis” of Gnosticism) that they listen to Solomon!
“I entered into counsel with my own mind, saying, Behold, I
have acquired great [human] wisdom, yes, more than all who have been over
Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of [moral] wisdom and
[scientific] knowledge. 17 And I gave my mind to know [practical] wisdom and to
discern [the character of] madness and folly [in which men seem to find
satisfaction]; I perceived that this also is a searching after wind and
a feeding on it. 18 For in much
[human] wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases
sorrow” Ecclesiastes 1:16-18 (Amplified Bible).
“All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God
[revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for
this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of his creation, the
object of God’s providence, the root of character, the foundation of all
happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions
under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man. 14 For God shall bring every work into
judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good or evil”
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (Amplified Bible, emphasis mine).
Whereas on the other hand, all of us need to understand that Solomon’s musings in Ecclesiastes were from the point of view of the unregenerate man and in that principle is found the true worth of what he had to say. The English term “Ecclesiastes” is derived from the Greek ekklesiastes and literally means “preacher.” But even though a few of Solomon’s observations reflect scientific facts that only God could have revealed to him, other instances show some of his “preaching” to be contradictory to principles taught elsewhere in the Bible. And is that not exactly what we would expect from the natural, unregenerate man—“the man under the sun?” (Note: It is not my intent to question whether or not Solomon was saved. The point is simply that he proved to himself the utter futility of seeking all the world has to offer!)
No other human has ever, or will ever, be able to experience
the degree of “living life to the fullest” as did Solomon. At that time in
history he was the wealthiest man alive and with unlimited resources with which
to explore whatever struck his fancy he pursued each and every aspect as far as
it would lead. And since he possessed a level of wisdom and intelligence surpassing
all others, I am convinced he was fully cognizant of the occult mysteries
through which men sought to attain eternal life. And the following “grocery
list” of Solomon’s failures as he lapsed into idolatry shows that he was at the
very least exposed to them:
“But King Solomon [defiantly] loved many foreign
women—the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites,
Sidonians, and Hittites. 2 They were of the very nations of whom the Lord said to
the Israelites, You shall not mingle with them, neither shall they mingle with
you, for surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods. Yet Solomon
clung to these in love. 3 He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines, and
his wives turned away his heart from God. 4 For when Solomon was old, his wives
turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect (complete
and whole) with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the
goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abominable idol of the
Ammonites! 6 Solomon did
evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as David his
father did. 7 Then Solomon
built a high place for Chemosh the abominable idol of
Not only did Solomon excel in “wine, women, and song,” but
also attained everything
unregenerate men hold to be important in this life. He amassed great wealth,
wielded the power of an absolute sovereign (tempered only by the restraints
placed upon the Kings of Israel by God—most of which he eventually ignored),
enjoyed unsurpassed intellect and wisdom, and used the whole enchilada to truly
“have it all”! And the tremendously important principle we must not miss was
stated by him in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (cited earlier): FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS!
The wisest man who ever lived gave it his best shot and repeatedly reached the conclusion that “all is vanity and vexation of spirit” (Ecc.1:14; 2:17; 4:4; and 4:16). In other words, 100% of his efforts were not worth the time and trouble! So if he could not find satisfaction and fulfillment in the pursuit of such things, why do silly men keep on trying? The answer is that without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they are dumber than a sack full of hammers and the “spiritual enlightenment” they seek is quite possibly the greatest example of a misnomer ever devised by man! Just like the breakfast cereal “Grape Nuts”—which contains neither grapes nor nuts—there is nothing about it that pertains to the Holy Spirit and is in fact abject spiritual darkness masquerading as light.
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put
darkness for light…” Isaiah 5:20(a) (Amplified Bible, emphasis mine).
“For such men are false apostles [spurious, counterfeits],
deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ (the
Messiah). 14 And it is no
wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light; 15 So it is not surprising if his servants
also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. [But] their end will correspond
with their deeds” 2 Cor.11:13-15 (Amplified Bible).
Do you seek true spiritual enlightenment? Then I strongly suggest that you look for it in the only place it can be found:
“Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the
Father except by (through) Me” John 14:6 (Amplified Bible).
If you have been born again and received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, but have been very lukewarm in your spiritual walk with Him, you need to immediately ask Him for forgiveness and for renewal. He will instantly forgive you, and fill your heart with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Then, you need to begin a daily walk of prayer and personal Bible Study.
If you have never placed your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, but have come to sense His reality and the approaching End of the Age, and want to receive His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you truly believe in Him as Lord and Savior, you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that the Kingdom of Antichrist will not touch you spiritually. If you would like to become Born Again, turn to our Salvation Page now.
We hope you have been blessed by this ministry, which seeks to educate and warn people, so that they can see the coming New World Order Kingdom of Antichrist in their daily news.
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