Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom …
Summary: Paul’s letter points us to a test for determining if a religious rule or regulation truly honors God.
If we are going to be able to recognize the kind of “rules” that Paul is talking about, we need to pay close attention to the clues Paul gives us. His first clue is that “Such regulations [aka ‘rules’] … have an appearance of wisdom …”
What does that mean?
Interestingly, the Bible has a lot to say about “wisdom.” The first thing to know about wisdom is this:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7)
The second thing to know is that wisdom comes from the Lord (Proverbs 2:6). Actually, it is a package deal. When the Lord gives us wisdom, we also gain knowledge and understanding.
The third thing we need to know is that wisdom enters the heart, and the knowledge that comes with it is “pleasant to your soul” (Proverbs 2:10).
The Bible provides more details about wisdom, but these three points are enough for our purposes. To review, real wisdom involves three things:
1. Wisdom begins when we fear the Lord.
The Hebrew word for “fear” (Strong’s H3374 yirʼâh) is not some namby-pamby version of “fear” that means we kinda respect God. The “fear of the Lord” actually means understanding that God is God.
Imagine that you are clinging to a rope suspended over a one-thousand-foot drop. At the bottom of the drop is a raging river of molten lava flowing at the base of the cliff. The hand that holds the rope is God’s. You understand that if God lets go, you are toast.
Wisdom understands that our lives depend on God.
2. The fear of the Lord opens the door to wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Wisdom doesn’t stand alone.
3. Wisdom fills the heart, and knowledge is “pleasant to your soul.” You can feel the difference wisdom and knowledge make in your life.
A religious regulation involves these three things. Jesus summarized the “law and the prophets” by saying we should love God above all else and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40).
Using that standard, the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 1-17) make perfect sense. They are clearly about putting God first and loving our neighbors as ourselves. It is easy to see that these laws pass all three of our tests for true wisdom. They reflect a fear of the Lord, they make sense logically and are easy to understand, and a person who loves God will find them pleasant to the soul.
But what about the Jewish law limiting how far you could travel on the Sabbath? In Jesus’ day, the Jews were required to limit how far they traveled on the Sabbath. (My understanding is that they were limited to a maximum of two thousand cubits or about 3,000 ft.) It is not at all clear that this rule reflects a fear of God. This “wisdom” does not make sense logically, which means it has to be accepted without understanding it. Finally, this is a rule that is not “pleasant to your soul.” Instead, it is coercive.
Application: Everything worth anything depends on God.
Food for Thought: How would you apply the wisdom test today?
Please click ‘’Continue Reading” for comments.
Thanks for the devotion brother.
My test is fairly simple: if it clearly aligns with Scripture then it is good. If it can be consistently backed by scripture in its context it is good. If it does not contradict Scripture and the first two sentences apply, it is good wisdom. Wisdom comes from God, so it should be consistently backed by His word. If it is not, tread lightly.
Thank you, Rich!
Yes, I agree. If God can create the universe and all that is in it, he can get a book published, too. And it will be just the way he wants it to be. We should pay attention! 🙂
How would you apply the wisdom test today?
We must understand wisdom before we can apply wisdom. There are many who claim to be the source of wisdom, but only one is true. Wisdom is not of this world as claimed by many sources, it is only from God, and is seen in humility rather than pride. Serving others rather than ruling over them. Wisdom is given away rather than held tightly to self. Wisdom brings peace over chaos and instability.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. James 3:17
So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:5
Be a witness for God on earth for the short time He has given us to remain on earth. We will find this time is too short and passes very, veery quickly.
Kind of a rush this AM, forgot to sign in on post.
Good devotion today and good comment from R.
Something that goes along with the wisdom test you have presented is that wisdom is not circumstantial. Wisdom is applicable to every circumstance and can be generously applied. I think that is part of wisdom being “pleasant to the soul.” I think sometimes people confuse wisdom with strategy. Strategy speaks to an agenda. Wisdom sets us on a path to love God and love our neighbor.