Why Wisdom Matters
Proverbs 2:12-15
Years ago, Patti and I were in a small jungle village in Guyana. We spent the night in a grass hut and were supposed to fly out the next day. Early the next morning our host suggested I take our two bags up to the airport ahead of time to check them in. He offered to let me use his bicycle which seemed a better option than walking.
The airport was basically a dirt strip cut out of the jungle and a run-down shack as the terminal. Our host instructed me to head for the tower to find the airport. So I piled two large bags on the handle bars and headed up to the airport. Finding the airport was easy. However, when I turned to return to the hut that was another story. There was no tower to mark the hut we had stayed in. All the huts and streets looked the same. There were no street signs or markers of any kind. My only choice was to ride down every road I could find until I found the right hut. Oh, and by the way, did I mention it was raining. I did eventually find my way back after almost an hour of searching in the rain.
The Bible talks a lot about traveling the right path or way. For example, this metaphoric language is used over a hundred times in Proverbs. Perhaps what comes to your mind when this language is used are two paths that are clearly marked. One is the wrong path and the other is the right path. I wish it was that easy. No one reading this blog wants to travel the wrong path. If you did, you certainly wouldn’t be reading these entries each week. But it’s not as easy as one clear path or the other.
It’s much more like my experience in the jungle. The paths go every direction and they’re not clearly marked. They split off here, wind down over there. It can get confusing quickly. One day we’re on the right path and the next we’ve veered off without even realizing it. Sometimes all the huts look the same and we’re not quite sure what path we’re on.
It might be tempting to think this is no big deal. As a matter of fact, consider what you have done to put into practice things we’ve discussed in the previous weeks. If you’ve rolled up your sleeves and pursued wisdom like hidden treasures, then you get it. But if you’ve done nothing more than simply read through the blogs then you’re still unconvinced. Our reading in Proverbs this week reminds us why we need to take this seriously. The risks are real.
We treasure God’s commandments to be delivered from the way of evil. The word translated way means path, the path of evil. Evil here doesn’t simply mean bad things like murder and robbery or sexual sin. It means misery, pain or despair. There is a path that leads to heartache. Obviously, we want to be delivered from that path.
Not only to be delivered from the way of evil but also from the man who speaks perverse things. Perverse here literally means things that are not normal. Normal has been perverted. We might say these are things that are contrary to God’s order. In previous weeks we’ve described the fool as someone who operates contrary to God’s design. You can’t violate God’s order and flourish. God’s commandments are for our flourishing. God wants more for us, not less.
Those who speak perverse things leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness. They delight in doing evil and rejoice in the perversity of evil. Their paths are crooked, and they are devious in all their ways. It’s one thing to be so naïve you stumble onto the crooked path because you’re lost. It’s yet another to delight in doing evil. To rejoice in the perversity of evil is the mark of a fool.
What is a crooked path? In the ancient world they did not have paved roads like we do today. There were a limited number of roads which defined the main routes from here to there. But mostly people traveled on a foot path to get to where they needed to go. Today we might call these paths a trail. The flatter and straighter the trail the better. A crooked path added a long list of additional dangers to the journey such as injury, robbery, animal attacks and getting lost.
Add to this traveling in the darkness and you have a recipe for heartache. Darkness in the ancient world was a dramatic contrast to light. Today we take for granted all the ways we can light up the darkness to make it seem like day. In the ancient world they didn’t have such options. Darkness was really dark so you’d better get your traveling done in the light. As a matter of fact, it would be perverse (odd, not normal) to travel a crooked path in the darkness. Why would anyone do this? Fools despise wisdom and understanding (1:7).
Jesus talked about two paths. One is wide and leads to destruction. The other is narrow and leads to life (Matt. 7:13, 14). Jesus said many will travel the wide path but only a few will travel the narrow path that leads to life. In other words, most people will leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness. The right path is certainly the road less traveled.
Why? It all comes down to our belief we can be our own god. We think we can beat the system. Remember the tour guide down the crooked path is the man who speaks perverse things. He is promoting ideas or behaviors that are contrary to God’s path. The fool believes he or she can live contrary to God’s way and flourish. It’s the belief that we can violate God’s order and make up our own way without consequence. That’s a lie.
The paths are not always as obvious as some might think. Things can get very confusing at times. That’s why lady wisdom cries out and compels us to make our ears attentive to wisdom and incline our hearts to understanding. To seek for wisdom as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures because then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God. In the words of the Psalmist, Your Word have I treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against you (Ps. 119:11). People who are serious about skillful living are hungry to learn and obey God’s Word.