We live in a time of real disturbing lawlessness, which according to God’s word will continue to increase as we continue down to the end of this age.
God said this about wisdom:
ISAIAH 33:6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times.
While we cannot change that which is set, that which is prophesied about the days which we live in, we can live our lives instability above the confusion and instability of the world we live in.
Solomon became known as the wisest man that ever lived; let’s look at what he said about wisdom by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:
PROVERBS 3:13 Happy is the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding.
PROVERBS 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
PROVERBS 8:11 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
ECCLESIASTES 7:12 For wisdom is a defence, [and] money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
Solomon said Wisdom is the principal thing. When Solomon came to the throne, he was very young and had no experience in running a vast kingdom. After bringing an offering to the Lord, he was given a dream in which he was asked by God what he wanted.
Solomon realized that the greatest thing he needed was WISDOM; he made a great choice asking for wisdom. The wisdom that God gave Solomon enabled him to take the nation of Israel to the greatest heights in its history.
The word wisdom in Hebrew is chokmah which means skillful, wisdom, wisely.
The word wisdom in Greek is sophia which means insight into the true nature of things.
MATTHEW 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
The Greek word for wisdom in this verse is the word sophia: insight into the true nature of things. If we have insight into the true nature of things, we are wise.
We need to make a distinction here: knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not acquired at university. It has nothing to do with how educated you are. Wisdom gives you the ability to apply knowledge.
A doctor may be able to diagnose a particular disease because of his training but might not have the wisdom to know what caused it. This takes insight into the true nature of things. True wisdom gives us the ability to apply knowledge correctly.
I CORINTHIANS 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
WISDOM IS A PERSON: JESUS
Only one person in this universe has insight into the true Nature of Things: GOD. And the Father God has committed all things to His Son, Jesus.
PROVERBS 8:12 I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
1 CORINTHIANS 1:30a But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom… Again, wisdom is a person – Jesus; it is very important to recognize this.
Insight into the true nature of things is simply seeing things as Jesus sees them. Seeing things through the eyes of the Lord is the foundation stone of wisdom.
Solomon was known as the wisest man that ever lived; how did he achieve this?
I KINGS 3:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
I KINGS 3:12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
Solomon asked for an understanding heart which in the Hebrew means a hearing ear. In verse 12 we see that God gave Solomon an understanding heart or a hearing ear. Wisdom
Remember, knowledge and understanding are not the same things. You can be highly educated but have very little wisdom. You can have much knowledge but very little understanding. We need a hearing ear, we need to see things through the eyes of the Lord.
PROVERBS 8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. 35. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
COLOSSIANS 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. True wisdom comes from being able to hear the Lord with a pure heart.
Many problems in our lives occur because we don’t see situations through the eyes of the Lord, and because of this, we judge things wrongly.
When we don’t have insight into the true nature of things, our assessment and judgment will be wrong.
Without the ability to see the true nature of a situation or problem we can only assess things on a natural level.
Jesus always looked at the heart of a matter. We look at what a person does, but God looks beyond that: He looks at why we do things.
We look at the act, God looks at the motive (the true nature of things). To be wise, we need a hearing ear – the ability to hear God speak to us in the way that He chooses.
The Seven Pillars of Wisdom
We have seen how Wisdom is a person – Jesus; and true wisdom is seeing things through the eyes of Jesus.
Solomon asked for wisdom or a hearing ear. The New Testament Greek word for wisdom is sophia which means insight into the true nature of things.
True wisdom requires an intimate relationship with the Lord. To qualify or receive real wisdom, we must have certain aspects of the nature of the Lord in place in our lives.
To establish an intimate relationship with the Lord and be able to see through His eyes, we have to be established in certain qualities of the nature of Jesus.
King Solomon understood this and listed seven qualities needed which are seven pillars of wisdom:
PROVERBS 9:1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: The book of proverbs was written by the wisest man that ever lived.
Solomon clearly states that there are seven pillars of wisdom. Wisdom is established on these seven pillars or foundations. We need to learn what these seven pillars are.
Solomon does not spell out what they are, but the New Testament does. True wisdom is supported by these seven pillars.
Where do we find these seven pillars? In the book of James, chapter 3. James lists two kinds of wisdom
1. That which comes from below and
2. That which comes from above
JAMES 3:13 Who [is] a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but [is] earthly, sensual, devilish. 17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
The Bible describes here two kinds of wisdom: earthly (Greek: of this earth) and heavenly. The wisdom that comes from below is sensual (Greek: soulish or tainted with the lower nature), devilish (Greek: of demonic origin).
But there is another kind of wisdom that comes from above – heavenly wisdom. The wisdom that is from above has seven underlying foundations supporting it.
IF THESE SEVEN PILLARS ARE NOT IN PLACE, YOU CANNOT RECEIVE TRUE WISDOM:
1. PURE
2. PEACEABLE
3. GENTLE
4. EASY TO BE ENTREATED
5. FULL OF MERCY
6. WITHOUT PARTIALITY
7. WITHOUT HYPOCRISY
The vessel that God imparts true wisdom to must have a pure heart which enables them to receive without any BIAS.
Bias will cause us to take what God says to us and apply it wrongly. God has to be very careful to prevent this from happening. God, in His infinite wisdom, will withhold many things from us if certain conditions or qualities are not in place in our lives.
Pillar Number One
JAMES 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure
The wisdom that comes from above, that is, from God, is first pure – pure as in uncontaminated. It comes as a pure stream from above and we have to have a pure heart to receive it.
God’s wisdom is not contaminated by the lower nature. It is a pure stream. If our heart is not pure, we will put our slant on it, and our own interpretation. It will be colored by our problems, hang- ups, and attitudes, and will become earthly and soulish. The stream will be muddied and spoiled.
This is the first pillar that has to be in place: purity of heart.
I am not talking about sinless perfection but a right heart attitude.
Heart purity has to do with motives, why we do what we do, and why we say what we say.
MATTHEW 5:8 Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Solomon said this: Proverbs 22:11 He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
King David ate the shewbread which was against the law – it was a real no-no – but God condoned it. God saw the intent of David’s heart (1 Sam 21:3-6).
We look at what a person does. God is not that shallow; He looks at why they did it.
WISDOM IS INSIGHT INTO THE TRUE NATURE OF THINGS
Little men serve the letter of the law. Great men serve true justice – the spirit of the law.
MATTHEW 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart.
Pure Greek katharos: to be free from that which would change the nature of the subject, not mixed.
Adding mixture to a statement from God changes the truth into a lie. Ministers always face the problem that no matter how clearly and simply they preach, someone will always get it wrong.
If truth is not received with a pure heart, it is received with a different slant on it. People will put a slant on it according to their own heart and motives; they will make it what they want it to be and it will change the truth into a lie.
Often, we call this a misunderstanding, but mostly it is a heart problem:
JAMES 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
Solomon has this to say in the book of wisdom: PROVERBS 22:11 He that loveth pureness of heart, [for] the grace of his lips the king [shall be] his friend.
If you have a pure heart, King Jesus will become your friend. What does God say about His friends?
EXODUS 33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
2 CHRONICLES 20:7 [Art] not thou our God, [who] didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
Remember, God said He would not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah until he talked it over with His friend Abraham:
GENESIS 18:17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?
What did Jesus say about those who were his friends?
JOHN 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
The first pillar has to be put in place: purity of heart. This can be put very succinctly (brief and to the point).
God is love; love is the prime motivating force of a pure heart. When your actions and motives are based on real love, your heart is pure.
That’s why Jesus said that if you fulfill the first and second commandments, you fulfill all of God’s requirements for you.
Love the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. Perfect, bring to completeness the love that is in you, and you will purify your heart. Become love and you become like God.
This requires the laying down of your own life and living for God and others. God can only entrust real wisdom to those who are becoming pure in heart.
Second Pillar of Wisdom: PEACEABLE
PROVERBS 9:1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars.
JAMES 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
The second Pillar of Wisdom is to be Peaceable. What does that mean? The first pillar, as we saw, is purity; this is the most basic characteristic.
From this inner quality flow, the rest of the requirements. First Pure: Not sinless purity but pure motives.
Any negative attitude will distort the flow of God’s Spirit through us, causing our reception to be colored by these negative attitudes.
When the Holy Spirit imparts wisdom to us, a wrong attitude will distort it. Bitterness causes severe distortion of revelation.
Negative experiences either strengthen you or weaken you. They can either make you bitter or better. Bitterness produces pollution in one’s life. It is well known that bitterness causes a chemical imbalance in our body, resulting in the pituitary gland, adrenal gland, and thyroid to pump out hormones and chemicals into one’s system that are destructive to all major organs and systems in your body.
God’s Word indicates the effect that negative emotions have on our physical body:
PSALMS 32:3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
PROVERBS 15:30 The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: [and] a good report maketh the bones fat.
PROVERBS 17:22 A merry heart doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
However, the spiritual effect is even greater, because these negative emotions and attitudes distort the pure flow of revelation and warp the flow of God’s wisdom as it passes through an impure soul.
To receive God’s wisdom, we must be in a good inner-soul condition.
Peaceable
This word peaceable does not occur anywhere else in the Bible. The Greek word is eirenikos G1516 which means a state rather than an attitude.
It means to be completely at rest in heart and mind, living a life with complete trust in the Lord. It is something we are, rather than something we have.
MATTHEW 11:28 Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Rest for your souls: Mind, Emotions, and Will
Jesus said that to have rest we must do some things:
1. Come unto Him. Jesus is the answer, the source of peace and rest.
2. Take His yoke upon you.
Not anyone else’s, not even your own yoke. A yoke was used for coupling two oxen together. It was always the practice to couple a young, inexperienced ox with an older stronger, and more experienced one. The young ox would learn from the older.
Jesus is using this as an example. When you are coupled to Jesus, His yoke is easy and He will carry you.
What is His yoke? It is his requirements for you. What does He the Lord require of you?
Frustration, tension, and stress can occur for several reasons, but a primary reason is striving for something that is not yours in God, something that He does not require of you.
This can be many things – it can be your purpose in life, or what you think your calling is.
Some people are in the position of a pastor or other ministry because it is what other people want for them or what they wanted for themselves, not because it was their calling.
When you are doing something that is not what the Lord wants for you, you will have to strive to fulfill it, and striving leads to jealousy, envy, and often a controlling spirit.
Don’t take on someone else’s yoke; what does the Lord require of you? Keep it simple Once again, what does the Lord require of you?
MICAH 6:8 He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
When you finally get to heaven, you won’t be asked, “What did you accomplish?” You will be asked, “WHO ARE YOU?”
MATTHEW 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
When you finally make it to heaven, what God will look for is how much of His Son Jesus can He find in you, how much have you learned to love.
The prime purpose in coming to this earth is to be conformed to the image of Jesus and the conditions here on Planet Earth are hard enough, difficult enough, for this work to be wrought in you.
There are many things you can’t change in life, there are circumstances beyond your control, there are mistakes you have made which often you have to live with.
Take responsibility for your life – no one owes you anything; stop blaming other people for your circumstances.
There are many things you can’t change; you have to live with them.
Read Psalm 37: There are many things in life you cannot control. So commit your way to the Lord. v5. Commit your way to the Lord – Trust the Lord with your life. v7. Rest in the Lord – Take responsibility for your circumstances. v8. Don’t get Angry. Don’t fret – It’s your attitude the counts. v11. Meek will inherit the Earth –
Jesus said: come unto Me and learn of Me. I am meek and lowly, and you will find rest for your souls.
JAMES 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
The meekness of wisdom
This is one of the pillars, the underlying support of wisdom. Stop fighting, be at rest, be peaceable, let go and walk humbly with the Lord.
If you are to have real wisdom, a hearing ear, you must be at rest and peace and manifest peace to all. To have a Hearing Ear, you must be at peace.
Wise conduct produces peace and harmonious relationships. Let’s look at the book of wisdom again. By the way, Jesus quoted more from the book of Proverbs than any other book. Either directly or by paraphrasing. This is very significant.
PROVERBS 3:13, 15-17 13. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 15. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 16. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. 17. Her ways (the ways of wisdom) are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. Wisdom does not rub people the wrong way. It produces pleasantness and peace.
PROVERBS 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. 2. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
People make more enemies with the truth than anything else. If you constantly turn people against you, you are not walking in wisdom.
If you constantly get bad reactions, you are not walking in wisdom. The mass of Jesus’ time accepted Him willingly.
COLOSSIANS 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
ECCLESIASTES 10:12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
LUKE 4:22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?
PROVERBS 16:20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.
The second pillar of wisdom, the supporting under-girding foundation of wisdom, is a peaceable way of life.
Third Pillar of Wisdom: GENTLE
We have been working from the books of James and Proverbs. Proverbs chapter 9 speaks of the seven pillars of wisdom and the Book of James chapter 3 lists those seven pillars.
We have established the need for pure heart motives in order not to interpret everything God says in the light of our own impure hearts. These seven pillars are inward heart conditions that need to be in place for us to hear and interpret rightly what God is saying to us. Insight into the true nature of things
JAMES 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
The word gentle here is very interesting in the Greek language: epieikes. It means fitting, or to fit properly – as when you say “it’s not fitting to do that.”
The translators used this old English word to render the meaning of the Greek word. It comes from the idea of not trying to put a round peg into a square hole – that just would not be fitting.
It has the meaning of – don’t force a situation, be gentle with it, it won’t fit. Both W.E. Vine and E. W. Bullinger who were Greek scholars state that this word also has the meaning of not insisting on the letter of the law. Not insisting on your rights, being willing to yield your rights in a spirit of gentleness. I am not talking about compromising truth; rather, I am talking of being wise and seeing the spirit of a matter instead of just the letter.
Some will never see your point of view; don’t try to force your round peg into their square hole – it’s not wise. After all, you could be wrong.
Not insisting on the letter of the law. The spirit of the law always includes motive. When the harlot hid the Hebrew spies and then lied to the enemy about it, she was greatly rewarded.
JOSHUA 2:1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
JOSHUA 2:3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. 4. And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were (she lied). Is lying wrong? Yes, but if you lie to save a life, the motive overrules the letter of the law and the spirit of the law prevails. The opposite of the word gentle is to be contentious.
Let’s look at this in the life of Isaac GENESIS 26:18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. 19. And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 20. And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.
These wells rightfully belonged to Isaac but when he re-dug them, the herdsmen of Gerar strove with him over the well. Isaac called the well Esec, Hebrew for contention.
Isaac is a perfect example of the word Gentle, which we are studying:
GENESIS 26:21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah (Hatred). 22. And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land (Rehoboth means spacious). Was Isaac wise when he refused to contend for his rights? YES, because God was then able to work for him and give him much more than he lost.
The example of Jesus
ISAIAH 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. The meek always inherit.
Forcing a round peg into a square hole is always UNWISE – it doesn’t fit. Parents often do this with their children and it is very unwise. Sometimes parents have one very academic child and the other child who is very artistic or creative. Don’t force an artistic creative child into a hole where they don’t fit. The career path of a child should follow along with the giftings and abilities God gave the child. Sometimes, a parent wants to live their life again through their child. Often this is because they missed out on something they had wanted to do; however, forcing your child into a career path God had never intended for them to fulfill your selfish unfulfilled ambitions is NOT FITTING.
The wisdom that comes from above comes through a vessel that has died to self, one that is not going to insist on what they want. THE YIELDING OF OUR RIGHTS is fundamental to true Christianity.
PROVERBS 13:10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised [is] wisdom. Only by pride, the inability to give in and let go, does contention continue, but to the well advised it is true wisdom to let it go. Well-advised –
Hebrew ya’ats H3289: to take God’s counsel is wisdom.
Important point: When we talk about giving in, we are not talking about giving in to the devil; we are in a spiritual battle that we must fight, but our battle is never with people.
EPHESIANS 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Let’s look at what the book of wisdom says: PROVERBS 15:1 1. A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
PROVERBS 18:6 A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. Enter into contention – and you are a fool; God says so.
PROVERBS 25:15 By long forbearing is a prince persuaded.
PROVERBS 26:17 He that passeth by, [and] meddleth with strife [belonging] not to him, [is like] one that taketh a dog by the ears. Don’t meddle with strife. Keep out of it. Mind your own business.
JAMES 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but [is] earthly, sensual, devilish. 16. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
GENTLE: Doing things in a fitting way does not force or manipulate them to gain a certain outcome. What made King David Great?
2 SAMUEL 22:36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great. Look at this contrast in King David’s life. David was a warrior; he knew how to fight the enemy. But it was God’s gentleness that made him great.
God had anointed him, King, through Samuel; Saul had been rejected by God. Now David would face a period where God tested his inner qualities. Saul sought to kill him. Now David had been anointed king, but Saul was continuously seeking his life. God put David in a situation that was arranged to test David’s inner qualities. God arranged a situation where David could have killed Saul.
1 SAMUEL 24:4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily. 5. And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. 6. And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD. It was not fitting for David to kill Saul; this inner quality of David made him great in the eyes of God and men. So later he could write: Your gentleness has made me great.
This contrast is shown in Psalm 34
PSALMS 18:34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. God taught David how to war, but it was his gentleness that made him great:
PSALMS 18:35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
I learned a long time ago: If you fight to justify yourself, God stops working for you. If you try to prove you are right, God will not justify you; He will leave you to your own devices.
CONTENTION: This you need to avoid!
JAMES 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. (If you have strife in your heart the wisdom you receive will come from below: HELL) 15. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but [is] earthly, sensual, devilish. 16. For where envying and strife [is], there [is] confusion and every evil work.
The contention, envy, strife pollutes the wisdom of God as it comes to you. You interpret it in light of your heart condition.
JAMES 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. This underlying pillar of wisdom must be laid in your life.
Fourth Pillar of Wisdom: Easy to be Entreated
JAMES 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
EASY TO BE ENTREATED
The Greek word translated as the phrase easy to be entreated is eupeithes G2138: well-persuaded, already inclined, i.e. already willing (pre-disposed, favorable to), easy to come to terms with because already willing.
Simply put this phrase means: Easy to be approached, or easy to talk to because the person is gentle and open. The person is open and teachable. Firstly, it is an attitude towards God. God wants people who are easy to work with, people who are not going to argue with Him. Obedience is one of God’s greatest requirements of us.
In 1 Samuel 15 God told King Saul to wipe out the Amalekites with all their cattle. Saul defeated the Amalekites. Then, had a good idea: keep some of the cattle to sacrifice to God. I am sure that to Saul this seemed like a good idea – something very logical. Why let all the spoil go to waste, right?
I SAMUEL 15:9-11, 13-14, 22-23 9. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all [that was] good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. 10. Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, 11. It repenteth me that I have set up Saul [to be] king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night. 13. And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed [be] thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. 14. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 22. And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams 23. For rebellion [is as] the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness [is as] iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from [being] king.
GOD WANTED IMPLICIT OBEDIENCE
God wants people who are easy to give a command to, easy to work with, easy to be entreated. Saul was constantly motivated by fear which made it difficult for him to obey God. Abraham, on the other hand, was easy to work with, so he became God’s friend and God shared His wisdom with him.
It is interesting to note that when God spoke to Abraham about circumcision in Genesis 17, He was making a covenant with Abraham. He gave the rite of circumcision to seal it. God was very specific in His instructions:
GENESIS 17:10, 12 10. This [is] my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 12. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which [is] not of thy seed.
Specifically, on the 8th day.
Abraham could have had an attitude that would cause him to do less than God required. He could have said that the 6th day is more convenient or perhaps the 7th – it won’t make any difference. God said the 8th day and didn’t explain why. What Abraham did not know was that the blood-clotting agent does not form in a baby’s blood until the 8th day; many of the babies could have bled to death if they were circumcised before the 8th day. I have heard Christians say, “I need to understand before I can obey God.” If that was true, faith would not be needed. God wants people who are easy to be intreated, who will obey Him without argument or resistance or excuses.
It is always wise to obey, and to obey without question, this quality, this pillar or foundation has to be established in our hearts. It is always wise to obey God even though you don’t understand why; it could save your life in the end times.
The second aspect of this is expressed in human relationships. Some people are very difficult to work with, they contest everything, they object to everything, they are not easy to be entreated. If you cannot take orders and obey in your secular world, you will have great trouble in obeying God.
PROVERBS 18:6 A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.
PROVERBS 13:1 A wise son [heareth] his father’s instruction. A father can be anyone who is over you. The problem with democracy is that so often everyone wants to be Chiefs and not Indians. God’s people have to learn to work together. The Kingdom of God is not a democracy. We all have to work under the authority of some kind. Rebellion closes you off to the Wisdom of God and is a form of witchcraft because it leads to a person controlling to get their way. The spirit of control is a form of witchcraft. Easy to be entreated, do what you are asked to do, it so refreshing when a person is easy to be entreated.
EASY TO WORK WITH. NOT ARGUMENTIVE.
Easy to work with, people who are not know-it-all, not an authority on everything. Some people are so opinionated on everything they are a pain to work with. We all need genuine humility with a gentle and teachable spirit.
JOHN 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
God taught Abraham implicit obedience. Then, He could become his friend and share His wisdom with him
JOHN 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
The heart condition of implicit obedience puts you in a position to receive God’s wisdom without corrupting the purity of that wisdom.
This is a Pillar that has to be in place. You say, “But what if I am working under authority that is inept and foolish?” Then leave the team with the right spirit, but make sure you are not the problem; seek the Lord and obey Him.
Fifth Pillar of Wisdom: FULL OF MERCY & GOOD FRUITS
JAMES 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. Wisdom – true wisdom – produces good fruit; not strife, but pleasantness, joy, and peace.
Full of Mercy – eleos G1656: compassion (human or divine, especially active), (tender) mercy, literally – active compassion, with the emphasis on active.
It is not just a feeling of compassion – it is feeling with action. When someone is in trouble, mercy does something to help relieve the situation, whether the person is to blame or not. If a person is in trouble because of failure, sin, neglect, or whatever, you get in and help; you don’t condemn, you don’t judge – you get in and help.
Now if you are like this, you open God’s heart to yourself. You attract God’s favor – this is a spiritual law.
THIS IS HOW IT WORKS
In the Tabernacle Moses, in the Holiest of All, we find the Ark of Covenant, and inside this ark was the following.
Manna: speaks of fellowship, communion.
The tablets of the law – the 10 commandments: speaks of our conscience,
Aaron’s rod that budded: speaks of intuition: revelation and wisdom.
There was also a lid on top of the Ark and cherubim guarded it. The Ark is a picture of Jesus.
COLOSSIANS 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In Jesus, the Ark is the treasure of wisdom.
The Ark had a lid on it and the trick is how to get the lid off and gain access to the treasures inside: Wisdom, Revelation, Fellowship, and Life.
The lid on the Ark was called THE MERCY SEAT:
EXODUS 25:16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. 17. And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 20. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
So how do you get the lid off the Ark and gain access to the treasure?
2 CORINTHIANS 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not. God has called us all to be ministers of the new covenant, but we are not able to do this in our ability; we need mercy – the active help of God. In Jesus (the true Ark) we are complete; He has all we need.
IN HIS MERCY He will help you, He can release to you what you need to fulfill your destiny and calling.
The Key:
First you have to show mercy
MATTHEW 5:7 Blessed [are] the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. We need wisdom and insight into the true nature of things, but to get this, you have to show mercy.
Some people really are a mess and seem hopeless
When we look at this person and fell such compassion and mercy for them, our whole attitude towards the person is changed – we feel overwhelming mercy towards this person.
When this happened, the lid, as it were, came off the Ark and I knew everything about them; we can see within the person’s life and with this knowledge and wisdom, I was able to dismantle the stronghold and set the person free.
Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy (active help from God).
GOD GIVES YOU WISDOM, GIFTS, AND ABILITY WHEN YOU SHOW MERCY
ISAIAH 58:6 [Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
This is an example of showing mercy. In the very next verse, we read:
ISAIAH 58:7 [Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Again, this speaks of showing mercy.
THEN GOD WILL SHOW MERCY TO YOU AND OPEN HIS TREASURES:
ISAIAH 58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward. 9. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
Putting forth finger – that is, judging instead of showing mercy.
ISAIAH 58:10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness [be] as the noon day: 11. And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. 12. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
Wisdom comes from God to the person who is full of mercy and good fruits.
MATTHEW 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
In another situation, that same feeling of compassion triggered an incredible miracle:
MATTHEW 20:34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
Spiritual power has to flow through a channel; if the channel is not open, the power cannot flow. Showing mercy – active compassion – and real love opens a channel for the flow of God’s ability.
Strong desire and compassion often trigger the gift of faith and open up to us the wisdom needed for the task and automatically good fruit will follow.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
Sixth Pillar of Wisdom: Without Partiality
JAMES 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
The Greek word for partiality is adiakritos G87: impartial or not making a distinction. It comes from a root word which means to be Double Minded.
This quality is a part of the nature of God. God is not double-minded; He is no respecter of persons. The fruit of partiality is biased favor.
ACTS 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.
God has no favorites; however, He does have those who find favor with Him.
This statement is not contradictory, as there are rewards for obedience, perseverance, and whole-hearted devotion to God.
God’s love towards us is constant; the level of our walk and intimacy with him is conditional.
Partiality arises out of two basic human conditions:
1. Self Will: A disposition towards what we want.
2. Uncertainty: Confusion and inability to make a decision.
These two conditions or attitudes will cause you to muddy the flow or stream of God’s wisdom to you and subsequently through you.
The partiality of the disciples.
MARK 10:46And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. 47. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. 48. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. 49. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
The partiality the disciples showed would have prevented this man from receiving his healing. If you are undecided about anything, you will tend to become partial to what pleases you. We must have a passion for purity of soul that does not hinder the flow of wisdom through us.
Double mindedness
JAMES 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
To be “double-minded” means to be of two minds. The result of this is instability in all our ways.
Hearing and doing is the passport to spiritual growth. The Scriptures, God’s Word, is impartial. It never changes and is our standard of truth and behavior.
Our obedience to the Scriptures and the word of the Lord to us is the only means of stability we have; there can be no double-mindedness is this.
Wisdom comes from God, from His Word and His nature.
PROVERBS 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
God’s Word is the final authority in our lives and we cannot waver or become double-minded about God’s requirements for us as written in His Word.
PROVERBS 4:25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 26. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
God’s Word is truth. Don’t depart from it.
PROVERBS 1:1The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; 2. To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 3. To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 7. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This fear comes with an understanding that He – God – is no respecter of persons: truth is truth, right is right and wrong is wrong, and the consequences of disobedience apply to all. You cannot be double-minded concerning God’s Word.
Double-Mindedness and Faith
JAMES 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
Faith intrinsically implies Risk. This is a dichotomy; often, when you obey God and move in faith, you are taking a risk.
Not is the sense that God is ever wrong or will let you down when you obey him; the risk is in your mind. A battle rages in the natural mind when one begins to follow the Lord in faith.
There will always be some element of risk in our walk with the Lord – the risk of getting it right. Faith requires obedience to the word of the Lord, but a battle will rage in our minds and our will.
However, once you have decided to obey, double-mindedness is not an option. The process of hearing and obeying is a learning curve; if we get it wrong, it won’t mean the end of the world – the sun will still rise tomorrow.
Hearing and obeying is a tricky business, but the Lord knows beforehand which way it will go. If you get it wrong, the Lord has already compensated for it; it won’t change your destiny. Being steadfast in God is an important quality.
MARK 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
To doubt in your heart is to doubt with your imagination. This is where the battle is. However, you have to stick with what you believe God gave you and embark on a learning curve of getting it right. It is better to believe and not receive than to doubt and not receive. Trial and error is the process of learning and you learn more from your mistakes than you do from getting them right.
God wants to eradicate double-mindedness from us as it will always drive us to avoid risk at all costs in our lives, it will always play to our fears and insecurities, bringing instability into our lives and families.
The ability to make decisions in all humility is a mark of maturity. Eventually, you will get it right more than wrong, and if you think you are about to make a major mistake, in all sincerity you must trust God to take control of the situation.
I am not talking about being impulsive, but about having faith and the courage to trust God.
The wisdom that comes from above is without partiality; it is based on the unalterable Word of God.
Seventh Pillar of Wisdom: Without Hypocrisy
JAMES 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
This is the seventh and final pillar of wisdom. These pillars are inner qualities that qualify you to receive the wisdom of God, and they are the foundation that true wisdom is built upon.
The inner godly qualities that have been developed within you determine your place and standing in the kingdom of God. God does not so much look at what we do; rather, He looks at who we are
2 PETER 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6. And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7. And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge (wisdom) of our Lord Jesus Christ.
If these qualities are in you, you will come to know the Lord and, more than that, you will become like Him because these are His qualities – they are Who God is.
The Greek word for hypocrisy is anupokritos G505: it means play-acting, pretense, to be two-faced. The Pharisees had this down to a real art
LUKE 12:1 In the meantime, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
MATTHEW 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
We live in a world of plastic fantastic; the use of plastic has become known as a second-grade material, something that imitates the real.
Today, it is hard to distinguish plastic from metal; this is a picture or shadow of the society we live in. Television saturates us with so-called celebrities who are paraded as wonderful people, while for the most part their lives inwardly are a mess, a sham, a picture of hypocrisy, a game of play-acting. When we are acting, we are wearing a mask.
In the 16th to 18th centuries the aristocracy would hold parties or balls and would come with a mask on a stick held over their faces.
Hypocrisy is wearing a mask – pretending to be what you are not. In a church most of the congregation were wearing a similar mask – not literally, but in the spirit realm.
What Christians don’t realize is that when they are pretending to be what they are not, they are wearing a mask that is real in the spirit realm.
Hypocrisy is play-acting and you actually begin to take on that false personality.
Acting is dangerous
Actor’s which keep switching personalities open themselves up to spirits. These personalities were actual demonic entities. The Bible tells us that hypocrisy is a sin (Luke 12:1). Hypocrisy is referred to in that verse as leaven, which is sin. That sin opens up a channel into a person’s life through which demonic entities can enter into that person.
Many so-called famous actors today admit to not knowing who they are. When you put on another personality or act out what you are not, that hypocrisy opens you up to the spirit realm where that which you pretend to take on a life of its own.
MATTHEW 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. We are told to PUT ON the Lord Jesus .
GALATIAN 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
COLOSSIANS 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.
COLOSSIANS 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. We are told to put on the Lord Jesus, to put on His virtues and character because His seed is within us and as we apply or put on by choice these godly traits, we release that seed within us and become like Him. This is a spiritual law that works both with light and darkness. What has this to do with wisdom? When you wear a mask, that mask acts as a filter, which means that anything that comes from God to you goes through the filter and comes out the other end distorted and tainted with that false you. The mask will corrupt the purity of that which God is communicating. We have to be free from hypocrisy, acting, pretending. The Bible calls this process sanctification – separating ourselves from that which corrupts.
JOHN 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. Sometimes, truth can cut deeply into the way we live, but obedience to truth has a sanctifying and purifying effect.
2 TIMOTHY 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
The more the veils or masks are removed from our faces, the more clear and unhindered our access to the realm of God becomes. These veils cloud and hinder our ability to see the Kingdom of God. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God (Matt 5:8).
2 CORINTHIANS 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
The Greek word translated as open face in this verse is the word anakalupto G343, which means unveiled face. The more masks or veils that are removed, the greater the clarity we have in seeing into the kingdom of God. Beholding the face of Jesus becomes more and more clear which, in turn, releases the Holy Spirit to change us into His image in a more real and powerful way.