Ignoring Divine Revelation in Favor of Human Wisdom
Ignoring divine revelation in favor of human wisdom is depicted in scripture as a fundamental error, leading to a failure to truly know God and a departure from His intended path [1, 2]. The prophet Job questions, "Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?" highlighting the obscurity that human reasoning can cast upon divine truth [3].
The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians, directly addresses this issue, stating, "For seeing the worlde by wisedome knewe not God in the wisedome of GOD, it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue" [1]. This passage suggests that human wisdom, left to its own devices, is insufficient to comprehend God's wisdom. John Chrysostom elaborates on this, noting that before the Gospel, human wisdom might have inferred God's power from creation, but with divine wisdom revealed, human reasoning is no longer the primary means of apprehension [11]. Tyndale House's commentary on 1 Corinthians 1:20 reinforces this, stating that "In God’s eyes, the human wisdom of this world is foolish. Divine wisdom lies in the message of the cross and in Jesus Christ" [12].
Jesus himself condemned the practice of prioritizing human traditions over divine commands, saying, "And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men" [2]. This indicates that worship becomes futile when it is based on human precepts rather than God's revealed will.
A key aspect of heeding divine revelation is the "fear of the Lord," which is presented as the beginning of wisdom [9]. This fear is not one of terror but of reverence and awe, leading to trust and obedience [5, 8]. Isaiah 8:13 exhorts believers to "Sanctify" God, honoring His name as the sole source of safety and fearing Him rather than succumbing to the fear of man [10]. This fear of the Lord counteracts inner turmoil and brings peace [8]. Conversely, fearing people can lead to God becoming a "trap" and destruction, while fearing the Lord assures salvation [6, 7]. Matthew Henry, a Nonconformist commentator, notes that God calls to humanity through "wisdoms," implying that divine counsel is present in every aspect of God's will and word [13]. To ignore these calls is to "rue the neglect" [13]. Therefore, seeking God early and making Him the "first and chief anxiety" is crucial [4].
Sources
- I Corinthians “I Corinthians 1:21 (Geneva1599) — For seeing the worlde by wisedome knewe not God in the wisedome of GOD, it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue:”
- Matthew “And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.’” -- Matthew 15:9”
- Job “Job 38:2 (BBE) — Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?”
- Job (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Job 8:5: seek unto God betimes--early. Make it the first and chief anxiety (Psa 78:34; Hos 5:15; Isa 26:9; Pro 8:17; Pro 13:24).”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 65:8: 65:8 All over the world (Job 38:13; see Ps 50:1-3), people should stand in awe of the Lord.”
- Isaiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Isaiah 8:11: 8:11-15 This text reveals the heart of Isaiah’s message. The issue was fear of the Lord versus fear of people (see 7:9; 8:6). When an individual fears people, the Lord becomes a trap and destruction is certain (cp. Prov 29:25; see “Fearing People” Theme Note). For those who fear the Lord, he becomes a sanctuary; their salvation is assured.”
- 1 Peter (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Peter 3:14: 3:14-15 or be afraid of their threats: See Isa 8:13, where God exhorts the prophet to fear nothing except the Lord. • worship Christ as Lord: By fearing Christ, they will be free from fear of their human persecutors.”
- Proverbs (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Proverbs 15:16: 15:16 A healthy fear for the Lord counteracts inner turmoil and brings inner peace. • Better to have little: See also 16:8.”
- Proverbs (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Proverbs 9:10: 9:10-12 Fear of the Lord: See study note on 1:7.”
- Isaiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Isaiah 8:13: Sanctify--Honor His holy name by regarding Him as your only hope of safety (Isa 29:23; Num 20:12). him . . . fear--"fear" lest you provoke His wrath by your fear of man and distrust of Him.”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on 1 & 2 Corinthians: ( Is. xl. 23 . LXX.) “Who hath made the earth as it were nothing.” Since then by this wisdom the world was unwilling to discover God, He employed what seemed to be foolishness, i.e. the Gospel, to persuade men; not by reasoning, but by faith. It remains that where God’s wisdom is, there is no longer need of man’s. For before, to infer that He who made the world such and so great, must in all reason be a God possessed of a certain uncontrollable, unspeakable power; and by these means to apprehend Him;—this was the part of human wisdom. But now we ”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 1:20: 1:20 In God’s eyes, the human wisdom of this world is foolish. Divine wisdom lies in the message of the cross and in Jesus Christ (see 1:24, 30).”
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 1:20: Solomon, having shown how dangerous it is to hearken to the temptations of Satan, here shows how dangerous it is not to hearken to the calls of God, which we shall for ever rue the neglect of. Observe, I. By whom God calls to us - by wisdom. It is wisdom that crieth without. The word is plural - wisdoms, for, as there is infinite wisdom in God, so there is the manifold wisdom of God, Eph 3:10. God speaks to the children of men by all the kinds of wisdom, and, as in every will, so in every word, of God there is a counsel. 1. Human understanding is wisdom, the lig”