Balancing Human Counsel with Divine Guidance in Decision Making
The Bible presents a nuanced perspective on the role of human counsel in conjunction with divine guidance, emphasizing the ultimate sovereignty of God's wisdom while acknowledging the value of wise human input. Divine wisdom is personified in Proverbs as having "counsel and wisdom" [1], and some interpreters identify this wisdom with Christ himself, in whom "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" [8]. John Gill, a Baptist commentator, similarly connects this divine counsel to Christ, the "wonderful Counsellor" [6].
Scripture consistently portrays God as the ultimate source of counsel and understanding. Isaiah 8:10 states that any human counsel will be frustrated if God is not with it [2]. Similarly, Isaiah 40:14 rhetorically asks who could have counseled or instructed God, underscoring His unparalleled wisdom [9]. The Dead Sea Scrolls also reflect this sentiment, noting that "righteousness does not belong to a man... To God Most High belong all works of righteousness" [5].
Despite God's ultimate authority, the Bible also illustrates instances where human counsel is sought and given. In Exodus 18:19, Jethro offers counsel to Moses, advising him on how to manage the people's disputes, with the understanding that God would be with him in this process [3]. This suggests that human advice, when aligned with divine will, can be a channel for effective decision-making. John Gill notes that "wise counsel" is necessary even for warfare, including spiritual warfare against sin and Satan, and that seeking counsel from God is paramount [7].
The concept of "divination," which involves seeking to foretell the future or discover secrets through means other than human or divine revelation, is condemned in Scripture as a "false system of ascertaining the divine will" [4]. This highlights the distinction between seeking wise human counsel or divine guidance and attempting to manipulate or force knowledge of God's will through illicit means.
Sources
- Proverbs “Proverbs 8:14 (Geneva1599) — I haue counsell and wisedome: I am vnderstanding, and I haue strength.”
- Isaiah “Isaiah 8:10 (LITV) — Counsel a counsel, and it is frustrated; speak a word, and it shall not rise; for God is with us.”
- Exodus “Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God. -- Exodus 18:19”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Divination — is a "foretelling future events, or discovering things secret by the aid of superior beings, or other than human means." It is used in Scripture of false systems of ascertaining the divine will. It has been universal in all ages, and all nations alike civilized and savage. Numerous forms of divination are mentioned, such as divination by rods, (Hosea 4:12) divination by arrows, (Ezekiel 21:21) divination by cups, (Genesis 44:5) consultation of teraphim, (1 Samuel 15:23; Ezekiel 21:21; Zechariah 10:2) [[442]Teraphim]; divination by the liver, (Ezekiel 21:2”
- Dead Sea Scrolls “Thanksgiving Hymns (Hodayot) (1st century BCE), section 2: before You? He is kneaded from dust, and his dwelling is the food of worms. He is but pinched-off clay, and his desire is for dust. What shall clay reply, that which is formed by hand? And what counsel can it understand?" "I know that righteousness does not belong to a man, nor perfection of way to a son of man. To God Most High belong all works of righteousness, and the way of man is not established except by the spirit which God has fashioned for him." "As for me, I know that no riches compare with Your truth, and I have no desire ap”
- Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 19:20: Hear counsel, and receive instruction,.... Of parents, masters, and ministers; especially the counsel and instruction of Wisdom, of Jesus Christ, the Wisdom of God, the wonderful Counsellor; and of his Gospel and of the Scriptures, which are able to make a man wise unto salvation; that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end; in the latter end of life, at death; that then it may appear a man has been so wise as to be concerned for a future state, for the good of his soul in another world; by listening to the counsel and instruction of Christ, in his word; by lookin”
- Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 24:5: For by wise counsel thou shall make thy war,.... Counsel, as well as strength, is necessary for war: kings and states, before they enter on a war, should not only well consider the justness of their cause, but should consult whether they have a sufficiency of men and money to carry it on; and should concert the wisest methods to attack the enemy, or defend themselves; and, above all, should ask counsel of God; see Kg2 18:20. And this is true of our spiritual warfare with sin, Satan, the world, and false teachers; which requires not only strength to wage war with the”
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 8:12: Wisdom here is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; it is Christ in the word and Christ in the heart, not only Christ revealed to us, but Christ revealed in us. It is the word of God, the whole compass of divine revelation; it is God the Word, in whom all divine revelation centres; it is the soul formed by the word; it is Christ formed in the soul; it is religion in the purity and power of it. Glorious things are here spoken of this excellent person, this excellent thing. I. Divine wisdom gives men good heads (Pro 8:12): I Wisdom”
- Isaiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Isaiah 40:14: With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him,.... This is the same as before, only repeated in other words, the more strongly to deny that any mere creature counselled, taught, and instructed the Spirit of Christ, in the ordering and managing the works of creation: and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding? or gave him that judgment, knowledge, and understanding in framing the world, and all things in it, in that beautiful and regular manner that it is; which shows it to be a work of wisdom, mo”