Wisdom: Female Food for the Soul
By Clara Molina
The word wisdom is treated as female in the Bible. The word for wisdom in Greek is sophia (hokmâ in Hebrew) and, according to Vine’s, it means “the insight into the true nature of things.” Solomon always refers to the descriptions of wisdom as female. Even our Lord Jesus refers to wisdom as female (Matthew 11:19) when He said, “ . . . wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” Solomon is well known for being the son of David and having riches and many women (1,000 of them, 1 Kings 11:3–5), but his biggest desire was wisdom. His desire for wisdom was beyond our comprehension and was the heartfelt longing in his life. The desire of Solomon’s soul, for wisdom, was stronger that the desire of his flesh. Though his desire for women was obviously very strong, especially foreign women, we can never compare his desire for women with his desire for wisdom. He used women for business alliances with other governments and he was able to get a woman any time he wanted. Ah! But wisdom; wisdom is a gift from God.
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language describes wisdom as, “Understanding of what is true, right, or lasting, common sense, sagacity; good judgment”. When Solomon refers to wisdom he describes her as a unique and precious possession that would enrich his mind and guard his heart when he said, “She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her” (Proverbs 3:15). Solomon knew that wisdom came from God “for the Lord gives wisdom” (Proverbs 2:6a). He knew, “the Lord by wisdom founded the earth” (Proverbs 3:19). He knew that wisdom could live in the heart: “ . . . wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul” (Proverbs 2:10) and he loved the results wisdom gave him. Solomon felt blessed by having wisdom, saying “blessed is the man who finds wisdom” (Proverbs 3:13). He described her in the most loving way he could by saying, “She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast” (Proverbs 3:18).
He knew it was an honor to possess wisdom because he said, “Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty” (Proverbs 4:8,9).
This great king experienced the fact that wisdom gives understanding, understanding gives discernment, discernment gives knowledge, knowledge gives discretion, discretion produces diligence, diligence produces endurance, and endurance results in righteousness (Proverbs 8:1–12). When I realize the importance of wisdom, I feel like begging the Lord for wisdom instead of just praying for it! Any person who has Jesus as Savior can ask for wisdom. The word of God encourages us to seek wisdom because if we ask for it, God will give it: “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). When God told Solomon to ask Him for whatever he wanted, Solomon asked for wisdom and God gave it to him (1 Kings 3:3–15). “Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt” (1 Kings 4:29,30). He found out that wisdom went beyond the desire to have it. Instead it is a rewarding, a careful kind of gift, to be treated with respect and graciousness. He found out that wisdom will help you “set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2). He found out that wisdom can also hurt a person and he warned us by saying, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:7), because he knew that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy one is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10.) He who has wisdom has the discretion not to boast about it!
Wisdom is displayed in our lives by the way we walk with God. Wisdom says, “For he who finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 8:35). By experiencing the gift of wisdom, the wise king also discovered “ . . . in much wisdom there is much grief and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain” (Ecclesiastes 1:18). Being wise doesn’t erase the problems of everyday life. Even though God granted Solomon wisdom, Solomon sinned against God because his love for women led him to commit idolatry (1 Kings 11:1–13). Nobody is perfect . . . even if they are wise! Solomon also knew that “wisdom is protection just as money is protection. But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors” (Ecclesiastes 7:12). Solomon tried to convince his own son to acquire wisdom (Proverbs 4:7–9) because he was fully aware of its benefits.
Wisdom will not save us from the wrath of God because only Jesus can do that. Many people and cultures have searched for the wrong wisdom, like the Greeks (1 Corinthians 1:22). It is time for us to pray for the right wisdom that only comes from God. Even Job recognized the importance of wisdom when he said, “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom: and to depart from evil is understanding’ ” (Job 28:28). It is interesting to note that wisdom was something our Lord Jesus acquired as He humanly grew up (Luke 2:52). Later He is described by Paul as the Wisdom of God and the Wisdom from God (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30). Solomon acquired wisdom because he asked God for it (1 Kings 10: 1–13). You and I can have it as well, if we humble ourselves and ask the Father for it.
“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Fear is the beginning of wisdom. Solomon feared God and he desired wisdom more than women, wealth, fame, material possessions, and power. What is wisdom to you? Have you made a New Year’s resolution for 2006? Well! Join me and get on your knees and make the request for wisdom a daily event in your life for 2006. Do your personal walk with Christ, your family, and the body of Christ a favor and ask for wisdom through the right channel: God!
(Some portions of this article were taken from A Healing Legacy of Biblical Women, by Clara Molina, not yet published. Scripture quotations in this article are from the New American Standard Bible.)
