Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
Summary: Learning is a sign of a particular kind of mind. Wisdom and righteousness are the marks of a learner with humility.
Solomon continues comparing the godly with the ungodly, the wise with the foolish. The wise and the righteous are focused on God. The fools despise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7).
Who can instruct the wise? Who is qualified to teach the righteous? The answer is easy — anybody!
Why?
Not because you or I are smarter than they are. No… rather, it is because they know what they don’t know.
The closer we draw near to God, the more we realize how much God knows. The more we know about the universe around us, the more we realize how little we humans know.
Think about the sum of all human knowledge. Now let’s assume that we can measure the amount of human knowledge like you can measure the number of eggs it takes to make an omelet. Let’s imagine that a unit of human knowledge is called a knegg (knowledge + egg) and let’s say that all of human knowledge added up together is one million kneggs.
The wise know that even the smartest person on the planet is limited to a certain number of kneggs that they can acquire in a lifetime. For example, suppose that it takes one thousand math kneggs to know all there is to know about math. A person who specializes in mathematics might spend a lifetime studying mathematics and end up knowing a hundred math kneggs more than anyone else. Do they know all the possible math kneggs? No. Do they know all the possible plumber kneggs or farmer kneggs? No. They probably know less plumber or farmer kneggs than the average person. Will there be some rotten kneggs mixed in with the good ones? Most likely.
The wise also know that when you compare all of humanity’s kneggs to the number of kneggs God knows, you still don’t know anything. God knows so many things that the number of kneggs is beyond human comprehension. We call that number “infinity.” (Of course, all of God’s kneggs are good kneggs!)
Now, before you say something “knegg-ative” about my example, there is one more thing I would like to point out.
Humility and arrogance describe two different ways of looking at ourselves. The humble realize that we are all limited in what we know. They welcome another perspective and whether they agree with it or not; they find something to learn from the encounter.
The arrogant, on the other hand, pride themselves on what they know. Their knowledge is a matter of conviction rather than a matter of fact. If they don’t know it or believe it, then whatever it is does not matter.
A humble mind is open to the truth. The arrogant mind is a closed door. Sharing a knegg with someone is a great way to find out what kind of mind they have.
Application: Embrace the power of humility.
Food for Thought: If I asked you for an Easter Knegg, what would you give me?
If you asked me for an Easter Knegg, what would I give you? I would give you Easter Kneggs from the Book of Romans:
Romans 6:9-10 “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.”
Romans 8:34 “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
Romans 10:9 “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Yesterdays and today’s blog has really got me thinking a lot about what is wisdom. Aside from knowing and understanding things about the universe and knowing and understanding things about God, I think that God also gives us wisdom about ourselves. What I mean by this is that as my walk with the Lord grows stronger and closer, God has been revealing to me the sins of my past life in a way different that just remembering. And not is a way that I fall into a well of self-pity or self-denial, but a real gentle realization of how the things I did affected others. Not just right and wrong, but also the consequences for others. Even though I have been forgiven, I find that I ask for forgiveness for very specific things during those moments. I am becoming wiser to sin and to how sin affects people (me and others). I really praise God for this, as it is truly being set free from the hold past sin can have on you.
Chris,
Thank you for your words today. First, for your Easter Knegg (nicely done!) and also for the words about wisdom.
I am encouraged to know that our discussion here has got you thinking. That is the main point of this blog – to encourage deeper thoughts about God’s Word and his impact on our lives. As to the subject of your thoughts, how God uses his Word and his Holy Spirit to open our eyes to sin and its impact on others, I agree. I have seen that process at work in my own life. God is gracious and gentle even as he reveals my sin to me.
So true!
🙂
Wow, pun city today 😊. It was a challenge to kneggotiate my way through the puns.
I appreciate Chris’s verses. Another great passage full of resurrection kneggettes is 1 Corinthians 15.
Rich,
“Kneggotiate” – nice comeback! Its knuggets like that that keep things interesting. 🙂
You are right about 1 Corinthians 15 – an excellent deep dive into the meaning of Easter.
Pastor Rich reading 1 Corinthians 15 is wonderful and it shows to me personally that you ( along with many brothers and sisters on here and in the church……………..even the punny ones. ) follow verse 58 so well.
Thank you T. You are a great example of verse 58 yourself.
Should I be asking for kneggolage wisdom and understanding.
Jeremiah 17:11 , Luke 11:11-13.
The one little knegg I would try to give you would be
Colossians 2:1-23.
Thank you, Tim.
I strongly knecho verses 2 and 3 from the Colossians passage:
“My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. “
04-05-2022, Proverbs 9:9, If I asked you for an Easter Knegg, what would you give me?
Years ago, during a time of great stress, a wise old Baptist saint approached me in church and asked me how I was doing. After my reply, he put his hand on my shoulder, quoted Matthew 6:33 and walked away. I was glassy eyed, had no idea what this meant and was puzzled for years over the meaning of what today is my “Go To” verse.
Mathew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Located in the midst of His Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5-7) this is to me one of the key verses in all of Jesus’ teaching. Only by sincerely putting God first can we pursue righteousness. A truth understood by great friends of God in the O.T..
Abraham, Genesis 19:27, Jacob, Genesis 28:18, Moses, Exodus 34:4
Joshua, Joshua 6:12, Gideon, Jude 6:38, Job, Job 1:5.
To seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness to me means to seek life in our Omnipresent God, live in ongoing repentance from sin as we seek to lead the sincere, from-the-heart, devoted-to-God life Jesus has been describing in Mathew 5-7. Live life in confidence, knowing God will make provision for whatever it is we truly “need” as we accomplish His will on earth.
This would be my Easter Knegg to all.
Ron,
Thank you for the beautiful Easter Knegg!
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer.
Live life in confidence, knowing God will make provision for whatever it is we truly “need” as we accomplish His will on earth.
Thankful,
I appreciate the encouragement! Nice kneggi