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Attribute of God: Wisdom as Choosing Best Goals and Means

God's wisdom is an attribute that encompasses both the selection of the best goals and the most effective means to achieve them [9]. This divine wisdom is described as perfect, mighty, universal, infinite, and unsearchable [4]. It is a quality beyond human comprehension and incomparable to any human understanding [4].

The Bible frequently highlights wisdom as a crucial characteristic, both of God and as a desirable trait for humanity. In Proverbs, wisdom is presented as essential for understanding and instruction [3]. It is not merely an intellectual capacity but a moral quality, where foolishness is often equated with godlessness [2]. True wisdom is considered a gift from God, granted to those who seek it [2]. The book of Proverbs personifies wisdom, suggesting it can be understood as a divine person, identified by some as Christ, "the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24) [2].

The wisdom of God is evident in His designs and the methods He employs. Adam Clarke, in his commentary on Romans 11:33, suggests that God's wisdom refers to His designs, while His knowledge pertains to the means He uses to accomplish those designs. Since these designs originate from infinite wisdom, they are inherently right, and the means chosen are the most appropriate due to His unerring knowledge [9]. This perspective emphasizes that God's wisdom ensures the goodness of His intentions and the certainty of their fulfillment [9].

God's wisdom is also closely linked to other divine attributes. His goodness, for instance, is a perfection of His character exercised towards His creatures, manifesting as benevolence, mercy, compassion, and long-suffering patience [5]. This goodness, combined with His infinite wisdom, ensures that His actions are always just and beneficial [5]. Similarly, God's foreknowledge, an attribute whose full import humans cannot comprehend, demonstrates His infinite knowledge [7]. This foreknowledge allows Him to perfectly plan and execute His will through His wisdom.

In human experience, wisdom is intimately connected with prudence [8]. Prudence involves dealing with knowledge, understanding one's own ways and God's ways, and foreseeing and avoiding evil [8]. The wise are celebrated for their prudence, which preserves them [8]. While human wisdom is derived from God [4], divine wisdom is underived [4].

The importance of wisdom is underscored in various biblical texts. Ecclesiastes 7:11 states that "Wisdom is good with an inheritance, And an advantage it is to those beholding the sun" [1]. John Gill interprets this to mean that wisdom, particularly spiritual and divine wisdom, is a valuable possession, even more so when combined with an inheritance [11]. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown also note that wisdom brings the best blessings [10].

The Bible also contrasts divine wisdom with human folly and sin. Sin is often described as a deliberate preference for wrong over right, a resistance to moral good [6]. The first sin of humanity, as seen in Genesis 3:13, was an act of disobedience rooted in self-love and ingratitude, a preference for the creature over the Creator [13]. Such acts are seen as "vanity" or sinful acts [12]. Those who commit deliberate sins do so with an insolent or arrogant attitude, which is considered rebellion [14]. In contrast, true wisdom guides individuals away from such sin, as it is a gift from God that enables discernment and righteous living [2].

Sources

  1. Ecclesiastes “Ecclesiastes 7:11 (YLT) — Wisdom <FI>is<Fi> good with an inheritance, And an advantage <FI>it is<Fi> to those beholding the sun.”
  2. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Wise, wisdom — A moral rather than an intellectual quality. To be "foolish" is to be godless (Ps. 14:1; comp. Judg. 19:23; 2 Sam. 13:13). True wisdom is a gift from God to those who ask it (Job 28:12-28; Prov. 3:13-18; Rom. 1:22; 16:27; 1 Cor. 1:17-21; 2:6-8; James 1:5). "Wisdom" in Prov. 1:20; 8:1; 9:1-5 may be regarded not as a mere personification of the attribute of wisdom, but as a divine person, "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:24). In Matt. 11:19 it is the personified principle of wisdom that is meant.”
  3. Proverbs “to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding; -- Proverbs 1:2”
  4. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Wisdom of God, The — Is one of his attributes -- 1Sa 2:3; Job 9:4. Described as Perfect. -- Job 36:4; 37:16. Mighty. -- Job 36:5. Universal. -- Job 28:24; Da 2:22; Ac 15:18. Infinite. -- Ps 147:5; Ro 11:33. Unsearchable. -- Isa 40:28; Ro 11:33. Wonderful. -- Ps 139:6. Beyond human comprehension. -- Ps 139:6. Incomparable. -- Isa 44:7; Jer 10:7. Underived. -- Job 21:22; Isa 40:14. The gospel contains treasures of -- 1Co 2:7. Wisdom of saints is derived from -- Ezr 7:25. All human wisdom derived from -- Da 2:1. Saints ascribe to him -- Da 2:20. Exhibited in His works. ”
  5. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Goodness of God — A perfection of his character which he exercises towards his creatures according to their various circumstances and relations (Ps. 145:8, 9; 103:8; 1 John 4:8). Viewed generally, it is benevolence; as exercised with respect to the miseries of his creatures it is mercy, pity, compassion, and in the case of impenitent sinners, long-suffering patience; as exercised in communicating favour on the unworthy it is grace. "Goodness and justice are the several aspects of one unchangeable, infinitely wise, and sovereign moral perfection. God is not sometimes ”
  6. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Goodness — In man is not a mere passive quality, but the deliberate preference of right to wrong, the firm and persistent resistance of all moral evil, and the choosing and following of all moral good.”
  7. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Foreknowledge of God — Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:29; 11:2; 1 Pet. 1:2), one of those high attributes essentially appertaining to him the full import of which we cannot comprehend. In the most absolute sense his knowledge is infinite (1 Sam. 23:9-13; Jer. 38:17-23; 42:9-22, Matt. 11:21, 23; Acts 15:18).”
  8. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prudence — Exhibited in the manifestation of God's grace -- Eph 1:8. Exemplified by Christ -- Isa 52:13; Mt 21:24-27; 22:15-21. Intimately connected with wisdom -- Pr 8:12. The wise celebrated for -- Pr 16:21. They who have Get knowledge. -- Pr 18:15. Deal with knowledge. -- Pr 13:16. Look well to their goings. -- Pr 14:15. Understand the ways of God. -- Ho 14:9. Understand their own ways. -- Pr 14:8. Crowned with knowledge. -- Pr 14:18. Not ostentatious of knowledge. -- Pr 12:23. Foresee and avoid evil. -- Pr 22:3. Are preserved by it. -- Pr 2:11. Suppress angry fee”
  9. Romans (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Romans 11:33: O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! - This is a very proper conclusion of the whole preceding discourse. Wisdom may here refer to the designs of God; knowledge, to the means which he employs to accomplish these designs. The designs are the offspring of infinite wisdom, and therefore they are all right; the means are the most proper, as being the choice of an infinite knowledge that cannot err; we may safely credit the goodness of the design, founded in infinite wisdom; we may rely on the due accomplishment of the end, because the mean”
  10. Proverbs (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Proverbs 3:16: Wisdom personified as bringing the best blessings (compare Mat 6:33; Ti1 4:8).”
  11. Ecclesiastes (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ecclesiastes 7:11: Wisdom is good with an inheritance,.... It is good of itself. Or, "is as good as an inheritance" (n), as it may be rendered; it is a portion of itself, especially spiritual and divine wisdom. The Targum interprets it, the wisdom of the law, or the knowledge of that; but much more excellent is the wisdom of the Gospel, the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom; the knowledge of which, in an experimental way, is preferable to all earthly inheritances: but this with an inheritance is good, yea, better than without one; for wisdom, without riches, is general”
  12. Proverbs (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Proverbs 30:8: vanity--all sorts of sinful acts (Job 11:11; Isa 5:18).”
  13. Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 3:13: beguiled--cajoled by flattering lies. This sin of the first pair was heinous and aggravated--it was not simply eating an apple, but a love of self, dishonor to God, ingratitude to a benefactor, disobedience to the best of Masters--a preference of the creature to the Creator.”
  14. Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 19:13: 19:13 An individual who commits deliberate sins does so with an insolent (86:14) or arrogant (119:21, 69) attitude. • The great sin is rebellion (see 32:1).”
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