Grounded Wisdom
Introduction
One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"
"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone."
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
"Making music, were you?" they cried. "Very well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
Many of Aesop’s fables may as well have been written in Proverbs 30. In fact, the ants and their diligence to work now for their needs later seems to likely have been influenced by Augur’s proverbs.
Last week’s section of four proverbs showed us the wisdom of wonder. This section of four proverbs will shed some more light on wisdom for us by giving us practical examples like that of the ant.
The first thing we can notice is that Augur contrasts the small size of these four things with their great wisdom. I think we understand size, but let’s make sure we are all on the same page when we use the word wisdom.
Wisdom skillfully lives out God's truth.
Wisdom is the primary theme in the book of Proverbs. In every chapter, wisdom is the goal. If you want to understand how to be wise in the course of your daily life, then I would tell you read quite a bit of Proverbs. The book addresses money, work, marriage, parenting, friends, government, leadership, speech, and so much more. I cannot think of an ethical topic that Proverbs does not address.
Wisdom is not easily summarized in a definition, and it would be better just to read this book a chapter at a time to understand what wisdom is. In fact, you may or may not realize that our culture uses the biblical proverbs without even recognizing it.
Even more than that, we can rightly say that all wisdom comes from God.
“Nay, but let every good and true Christian understand that wherever truth may be found, it belongs to his Master.” Augustine
“All truth is from God; and consequently, if wicked men have said anything that is true and just, we ought not to reject it; for it has come from God.” Calvin
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7
God is the source of wisdom, and so to know wisdom, we must know God’s truth.
What is the ant doing? He is learning a lesson from the story of Joseph in Genesis 41, who told Pharoah to store food away during a time of prosperity for the upcoming time of famine. Augur’s rock badger could have learned from David when he fled from King Saul in the caves in the rocky area around En Gedi. You see my point.
These lessons may have come by experience, but that experience only helps if God somehow reveals his light to us. Even if we have no contact with the scriptures, and manage to piece a puzzle of wisdom together, it is because God has revealed himself to us in creation.
So wisdom is based on understanding God’s truth that is also skillfully applied to our lives.
So let’s say, you are relatively young, and have limited resources financially. You need to buy a car.
So buy cheap and save money? We have already seen the value of saving from the ant. There are other texts we could use. So we could buy the cheapest thing that will get decent gas mileage and doesn’t have any obvious issues because we want to save money for the future.
But the Bible also says:
Proverbs 14:4: "Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests."
So which one? Do we save now or spend now to save later?
Well, I’m sure there are other factors we could consider. Maybe other principles in the Bible would help us. Regardless, wisdom takes skill.
And we see this in each of Augur’s examples of wisdom. It isn’t always obvious when to store up or set yourself up for the future, or when to cooperate with others like the locust or to opportunistic like the spider.
It takes knowing God’s Word, and practice at skillfully applying it.
So what are the ways in which these little things are using God’s truth in their situations. I think there is a commonality to their wisdom.
Wisdom overcomes disadvantages.
Each one of these little things is (metaphorically) understanding their limitations and the ones of their environments and skillfully overcomes these limitations.
According to Augur, this is a core part of what it means to truly be wise. Do we have limitations? Yes! How can we overcome the disadvantages in our lives?
Well, the first thing I want to note is that Augur is true to his personal theme which we have noticed in multiple sections of Proverbs 30. He is humble. Who is he really talking about when he says “little?” Himself. Us! In order to overcome disadvantages, we need the humility to recognize, I have disadvantages, maybe even ones to do with who and what I am! And also, I need help with them! I need someone else (God) to tell me how to overcome them!
Humility is essential for wisdom. As we read earlier, “Fools (the opposite of a wise person) despise wisdom and instruction.” If these little things saw themselves as big dogs, they could not be exceedingly wise. We can be exceedingly wise if we recognize how small we are.
So what do little things do to overcome disadvantages?
By working ahead
This is a theme throughout Proverbs. The most obvious cross-reference would be:
Proverbs 6:6–8 “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest.”
And we have already noted the narrative example of Joseph.
Wisdom recognizes that we do not know the future, only God does. So, often, it is a good thing to work while we have time to do so. We should not presume upon tomorrow. To do so would be to assume that we are more durable and less expendable than we really are. Wisdom acknowledges the limitation that I won’t always be as able to work as I am today so I should prepare for that time now.
By compensating for weaknesses
The rock badger, or coney, is a small mammal that looks like a mousier ground hog. Augur’s rock badger hides in crevices between rocks for self-defense. On its own, it stands no chance against predators, but by contrast, the predators have no chance of breaking these rocks to get to the rock badger prey.
What are your weaknesses? We can only compensate for weaknesses if we are aware of them.
A few weeks ago we looked at Augur’s admission of personal weakness to temptation. The Bible’s advice for those facing temptation is to avoid temptation.
This verse also has implications for personal self-defense. It is wise to plan for that.
By cooperating with others
Cooperating with others requires that we recognize that we need others.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 “Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
There are about 50 “one another” commands. And the vast majority are supposed to be done in the church.
By this shall all know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35
We can do more together, and we must do more together. It is wise to partner with other people.
By acting in self-interest
The spider is perhaps the most peculiar of the little things on this list. What does a spider up high near the ceiling line of the palace have to do with wisdom?
Should we all become Spiderman and crawl up the wall to hide in fancy places?
No, this spider uses his natural abilities skillfully to get into prestigious places. Spiders do not belong in palaces because they are prestigious places. They are small and they are pests.
Some of you might see lizards in your translation. Hebrew can be tricky like that. The meaning is the same regardless. Wisdom means sometimes using what God has given you in audacious ways to be in positions that you do not normally belong in.
Jesus put it this way: And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. Luke 16:9
Now, you might say, Pastor Will, you have beaten the humility horse to death in Proverbs 30. How can you say that now, we are supposed to be self-interest. That doesn’t sound very Christian or Christ-like!
Do you think that Joseph became 2nd in command of the global power of his time without doing something that could be described as “self-interested?” How about Daniel who advised some of the most powerful men in history?
Sometimes the most God-glorifying thing you can do is to be shrewd for the kingdom of God! And that means doing something that might advance yourself! You might end up in a palace.
It almost should go without saying, but of course, we are not talking about selfish promotion for its own sake. That truly is sinful. But don’t be afraid to be audacious for God’s purposes.
Put in for the promotion at work. Start that business. Work hard, take some careful risks, and thank God. As a church, it’s not wrong to use money to make money if it does not hinder, but helps us in helping people take their next steps in following Christ.
That is our ultimate goal because…
Wisdom depends upon Christ above all.
Augur asks us to see ourselves as small, and that becomes a lot easier when we understand what God says about what we truly are. Our greatest disadvantage is a self-inflicted one.
Our sin. And there is no way that we can overcome this disadvantage.
The humility that Augur demonstrates, to admit our own smallness, is necessary to be wise in the responsibilities God has given to us, but most of all we must be humble to admit our spiritual poverty.
As Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:3
So my friend, how do you see yourself? Are you “little?” Do you need help? Even more, do you see yourself as spiritually poor? Unable to please God with your own performance?
So the wise person depends upon Jesus. They understand they need to be saved from their own sinfulness and perversion. God made us to be wise in his own image, but each of us has rejected him and rebelled against him.
We were made to be big like him, but decided instead to be small. And now, in order for us to be the way we were meant to be, we must admit how small we truly are, and we can be made wise in Christ. The ultimate wisdom says, Jesus I need you.
How wise would you think your colleague to be if they refused to ask for help on a task they haven’t been trained for? How wise is the CEO who asks for help on the manufacturing floor because he hasn’t done it before?
Friend, God sent his Son to do what we could not. The only way to overcome our own spiritual weakness is by trusting in what he did for us, not by trying to figure it out in our smallness.
Conclusion
In closing, I want to read another of Aesop’s fables for you.
A Farmer was driving his wagon along a miry country road after a heavy rain. The horses could hardly drag the load through the deep mud, and at last came to a standstill when one of the wheels sank to the hub in a rut.
The farmer climbed down from his seat and stood beside the wagon looking at it but without making the least effort to get it out of the rut. All he did was to curse his bad luck and call loudly on Hercules to come to his aid. Then, it is said, Hercules really did appear, saying:
"Put your shoulder to the wheel, man, and urge on your horses. Do you think you can move the wagon by simply looking at it and whining about it? Hercules will not help unless you make some effort to help yourself."
And when the farmer put his shoulder to the wheel and urged on the horses, the wagon moved very readily, and soon the Farmer was riding along in great content and with a good lesson learned.
There is wisdom in this story. But even more so, it shows a stark contrast. Hercules comes down to say, help yourself. God the Son comes down to say, “Let me help you.” Those of you who have not believed on Christ, will you turn from sin and trust him today?
My brothers and sisters who have, dedicate yourselves to living out God’s truth. Learn the Bible, and start practicing it in your life.
Discussion Questions
One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"
"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone."
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
"Making music, were you?" they cried. "Very well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
Many of Aesop’s fables may as well have been written in Proverbs 30. In fact, the ants and their diligence to work now for their needs later seems to likely have been influenced by Augur’s proverbs.
Last week’s section of four proverbs showed us the wisdom of wonder. This section of four proverbs will shed some more light on wisdom for us by giving us practical examples like that of the ant.
The first thing we can notice is that Augur contrasts the small size of these four things with their great wisdom. I think we understand size, but let’s make sure we are all on the same page when we use the word wisdom.
Wisdom skillfully lives out God's truth.
Wisdom is the primary theme in the book of Proverbs. In every chapter, wisdom is the goal. If you want to understand how to be wise in the course of your daily life, then I would tell you read quite a bit of Proverbs. The book addresses money, work, marriage, parenting, friends, government, leadership, speech, and so much more. I cannot think of an ethical topic that Proverbs does not address.
Wisdom is not easily summarized in a definition, and it would be better just to read this book a chapter at a time to understand what wisdom is. In fact, you may or may not realize that our culture uses the biblical proverbs without even recognizing it.
- Spare the rod and spoil the child Proverbs 13:24
- Pride goes before a fall Proverbs 16:18
- Like a dog to vomit Proverbs 26:11
- As iron sharpens iron Proverbs 27:17
Even more than that, we can rightly say that all wisdom comes from God.
“Nay, but let every good and true Christian understand that wherever truth may be found, it belongs to his Master.” Augustine
“All truth is from God; and consequently, if wicked men have said anything that is true and just, we ought not to reject it; for it has come from God.” Calvin
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7
God is the source of wisdom, and so to know wisdom, we must know God’s truth.
What is the ant doing? He is learning a lesson from the story of Joseph in Genesis 41, who told Pharoah to store food away during a time of prosperity for the upcoming time of famine. Augur’s rock badger could have learned from David when he fled from King Saul in the caves in the rocky area around En Gedi. You see my point.
These lessons may have come by experience, but that experience only helps if God somehow reveals his light to us. Even if we have no contact with the scriptures, and manage to piece a puzzle of wisdom together, it is because God has revealed himself to us in creation.
So wisdom is based on understanding God’s truth that is also skillfully applied to our lives.
So let’s say, you are relatively young, and have limited resources financially. You need to buy a car.
So buy cheap and save money? We have already seen the value of saving from the ant. There are other texts we could use. So we could buy the cheapest thing that will get decent gas mileage and doesn’t have any obvious issues because we want to save money for the future.
But the Bible also says:
Proverbs 14:4: "Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests."
So which one? Do we save now or spend now to save later?
Well, I’m sure there are other factors we could consider. Maybe other principles in the Bible would help us. Regardless, wisdom takes skill.
And we see this in each of Augur’s examples of wisdom. It isn’t always obvious when to store up or set yourself up for the future, or when to cooperate with others like the locust or to opportunistic like the spider.
It takes knowing God’s Word, and practice at skillfully applying it.
So what are the ways in which these little things are using God’s truth in their situations. I think there is a commonality to their wisdom.
Wisdom overcomes disadvantages.
Each one of these little things is (metaphorically) understanding their limitations and the ones of their environments and skillfully overcomes these limitations.
According to Augur, this is a core part of what it means to truly be wise. Do we have limitations? Yes! How can we overcome the disadvantages in our lives?
Well, the first thing I want to note is that Augur is true to his personal theme which we have noticed in multiple sections of Proverbs 30. He is humble. Who is he really talking about when he says “little?” Himself. Us! In order to overcome disadvantages, we need the humility to recognize, I have disadvantages, maybe even ones to do with who and what I am! And also, I need help with them! I need someone else (God) to tell me how to overcome them!
Humility is essential for wisdom. As we read earlier, “Fools (the opposite of a wise person) despise wisdom and instruction.” If these little things saw themselves as big dogs, they could not be exceedingly wise. We can be exceedingly wise if we recognize how small we are.
So what do little things do to overcome disadvantages?
By working ahead
This is a theme throughout Proverbs. The most obvious cross-reference would be:
Proverbs 6:6–8 “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest.”
And we have already noted the narrative example of Joseph.
Wisdom recognizes that we do not know the future, only God does. So, often, it is a good thing to work while we have time to do so. We should not presume upon tomorrow. To do so would be to assume that we are more durable and less expendable than we really are. Wisdom acknowledges the limitation that I won’t always be as able to work as I am today so I should prepare for that time now.
By compensating for weaknesses
The rock badger, or coney, is a small mammal that looks like a mousier ground hog. Augur’s rock badger hides in crevices between rocks for self-defense. On its own, it stands no chance against predators, but by contrast, the predators have no chance of breaking these rocks to get to the rock badger prey.
What are your weaknesses? We can only compensate for weaknesses if we are aware of them.
A few weeks ago we looked at Augur’s admission of personal weakness to temptation. The Bible’s advice for those facing temptation is to avoid temptation.
This verse also has implications for personal self-defense. It is wise to plan for that.
By cooperating with others
Cooperating with others requires that we recognize that we need others.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 “Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
There are about 50 “one another” commands. And the vast majority are supposed to be done in the church.
By this shall all know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35
We can do more together, and we must do more together. It is wise to partner with other people.
By acting in self-interest
The spider is perhaps the most peculiar of the little things on this list. What does a spider up high near the ceiling line of the palace have to do with wisdom?
Should we all become Spiderman and crawl up the wall to hide in fancy places?
No, this spider uses his natural abilities skillfully to get into prestigious places. Spiders do not belong in palaces because they are prestigious places. They are small and they are pests.
Some of you might see lizards in your translation. Hebrew can be tricky like that. The meaning is the same regardless. Wisdom means sometimes using what God has given you in audacious ways to be in positions that you do not normally belong in.
Jesus put it this way: And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. Luke 16:9
Now, you might say, Pastor Will, you have beaten the humility horse to death in Proverbs 30. How can you say that now, we are supposed to be self-interest. That doesn’t sound very Christian or Christ-like!
Do you think that Joseph became 2nd in command of the global power of his time without doing something that could be described as “self-interested?” How about Daniel who advised some of the most powerful men in history?
Sometimes the most God-glorifying thing you can do is to be shrewd for the kingdom of God! And that means doing something that might advance yourself! You might end up in a palace.
It almost should go without saying, but of course, we are not talking about selfish promotion for its own sake. That truly is sinful. But don’t be afraid to be audacious for God’s purposes.
Put in for the promotion at work. Start that business. Work hard, take some careful risks, and thank God. As a church, it’s not wrong to use money to make money if it does not hinder, but helps us in helping people take their next steps in following Christ.
That is our ultimate goal because…
Wisdom depends upon Christ above all.
Augur asks us to see ourselves as small, and that becomes a lot easier when we understand what God says about what we truly are. Our greatest disadvantage is a self-inflicted one.
Our sin. And there is no way that we can overcome this disadvantage.
The humility that Augur demonstrates, to admit our own smallness, is necessary to be wise in the responsibilities God has given to us, but most of all we must be humble to admit our spiritual poverty.
As Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:3
So my friend, how do you see yourself? Are you “little?” Do you need help? Even more, do you see yourself as spiritually poor? Unable to please God with your own performance?
So the wise person depends upon Jesus. They understand they need to be saved from their own sinfulness and perversion. God made us to be wise in his own image, but each of us has rejected him and rebelled against him.
We were made to be big like him, but decided instead to be small. And now, in order for us to be the way we were meant to be, we must admit how small we truly are, and we can be made wise in Christ. The ultimate wisdom says, Jesus I need you.
How wise would you think your colleague to be if they refused to ask for help on a task they haven’t been trained for? How wise is the CEO who asks for help on the manufacturing floor because he hasn’t done it before?
Friend, God sent his Son to do what we could not. The only way to overcome our own spiritual weakness is by trusting in what he did for us, not by trying to figure it out in our smallness.
Conclusion
In closing, I want to read another of Aesop’s fables for you.
A Farmer was driving his wagon along a miry country road after a heavy rain. The horses could hardly drag the load through the deep mud, and at last came to a standstill when one of the wheels sank to the hub in a rut.
The farmer climbed down from his seat and stood beside the wagon looking at it but without making the least effort to get it out of the rut. All he did was to curse his bad luck and call loudly on Hercules to come to his aid. Then, it is said, Hercules really did appear, saying:
"Put your shoulder to the wheel, man, and urge on your horses. Do you think you can move the wagon by simply looking at it and whining about it? Hercules will not help unless you make some effort to help yourself."
And when the farmer put his shoulder to the wheel and urged on the horses, the wagon moved very readily, and soon the Farmer was riding along in great content and with a good lesson learned.
There is wisdom in this story. But even more so, it shows a stark contrast. Hercules comes down to say, help yourself. God the Son comes down to say, “Let me help you.” Those of you who have not believed on Christ, will you turn from sin and trust him today?
My brothers and sisters who have, dedicate yourselves to living out God’s truth. Learn the Bible, and start practicing it in your life.
Discussion Questions
- Rock badgers use the natural protection of crevices in rock to hide from predators. What are some “workarounds” or “life hacks” you use, even in everyday life.
- What are some biblical principles of wisdom that have helped you?
- What is the difference between a situation with a clear-cut choice between right and wrong, and one that requires wisdom?
- What are some ways we can become more skillful at applying biblical principles in complex situations?
- How can Brookdale be more like the locusts in cooperating with one another?
- In what ways might it require humility to cooperate like that?
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