On Sunday, November 4, 2018, a hit-and-run suspect turned himself in to police after allegedly hitting a small group of girl scouts who were collecting trash on the side of a road in Wisconsin. As a result of the accident, one adult and three children died, while one child remains in critical condition in the hospital.
When senseless things like this happen our minds quickly ask the question “why?” or “where was God when this happened?” Did God make a mistake? Are human tragedies divine mistakes?
Why?
Obviously, the question why is unanswerable, but not the where question. Where was God? He was there before the accident happened, he was there when the chaperone and three girls were hit, and he is still with the families who have lost their loved ones. God is there before, during, and after a tragedy. God in his wisdom allowed this travesty to occur, but it would be a second travesty to think God made a mistake, was absent, didn’t care, or was incapable of intervening.
We often can’t answer the why questions surrounding human tragedies, but we do know that God doesn’t make mistakes. He knows what he is doing because he has infinite wisdom. To think humans, with our limited mental abilities, are capable of judging God’s actions when we face pain, whether minimal, constant or in this case severe, would be a mistake on our parts.
Great comfort is found in the Bible.
The Bible offers great comfort in the face of unanswered questions. It provides substance that we can rest our conclusions on. The God who created the universe, this planet, and the adult and children who died in this accident isn’t weak, disinterested, or a failure. When it comes to our wellbeing there is no one who cares more about us than the LORD. My friend, the late Pastor Jack Miller, once said to me, “The Lord loves you more than you love yourself.” God is fully trustworthy even when we face tragedies.
A brief look at the nature of wisdom, that God is all wise, and that adversity isn’t a divine mistake will help us deal with the why question. Tragedies are often opportunities to grow in faith and dependence upon the LORD. He will help us get through tragedies because he is always there and has a deep concern for our eternal wellbeing.
What is worldly wisdom?
What is wisdom? The answer to this question reveals two types of wisdom. The Scriptures speak of worldly wisdom and godly wisdom. It’s not uncommon to think worldly wisdom is bad and godly wisdom is good, but we actually use both. Worldly and godly wisdom are useful when learning how to deal with the emotional effects of heartbreaking experiences.
Worldly wisdom is the proper use of an ability or skill. It’s the art of being successful in life. It’s the skill of creating a plan and implementing that plan to achieve the desired result. Simply put, worldly wisdom comes from a collection of experiences and observations that are applied to situations in hopes of producing the desired result or in understanding how something happens.
In the Bible, we see a request for this type of wisdom when the LORD told Moses to find craftsmen to construct the tabernacle. God wanted men filled with his Spirit, and with ability, intelligence, knowledge, and skills (Ex 31:3). When Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, besieged Jerusalem he deported youth from the royal and noble families (Dan 1:3-4). Daniel was one of those young men. The king was collecting Israel’s hope for their future and planned to use those young people for his own advancements. Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, was told to gather youth who were skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge and understanding, and who were competent to stand before the king. In both incidences, the references to wisdom refer to abilities and learned skills.
Four examples of worldly wisdom
A perfect example of this type of wisdom is found in Proverbs 30:24-28 where four creatures are used to illustrate worldly wisdom. The first creature is the ant. Though it is small and not very strong it’s exceedingly wise. The ant has learned how to provide food for itself and its whole colony.
The rock badger is also described as not being very powerful. And yet, it has learned to survive in the harshest of conditions. It has learned to thrive and make its home in rocky cliffs where few other animals can endure such a tough environment. The third creature mentioned is locusts. They swarm and travel without a leader while flying synchronously and orderly. Locusts efficiently consume crops and then move on to their next meal without fighting or colliding with each other. They live orderly lives without the help of a leader.
The lizard is the fourth creature that demonstrates worldly wisdom. This creature is virtually defenseless. Even a child can catch it and hold it in his hand. And yet, this small animal is found in the king’s palace. It has learned to exists among poverty and riches. It feels at home wherever it’s placed.
Worldly wisdom isn’t a bad thing.
Worldly wisdom is the application of knowledge to real-life situations in such a manner as to meet the needs of others, survive amidst difficulties, keep life orderly, and be content regardless of external circumstances. Four small and weak creatures are able to teach humans what it means to live wisely.
This might sound surprising but the Bible doesn’t claim worldly wisdom is a bad thing. Being anxious about worldly things, having only a worldly grief, stoking worldly passions, or being worldly people (people who don’t possess God’s Spirit) are bad things (1 Cor 7:33-34; 2 Cor 7: 10; Titus 2:12), but worldly wisdom isn’t one of those bad things. Jesus told his followers to be as innocent as doves but as wise as serpents (Mt 10:16). He meant as Paul reiterated that we are not to allow ourselves to be manipulated by human cunningness or by crafty schemes meant to deceive. Christians are to be truthful and Christ-honoring in all they say and do (Eph 4:14).
Godly wisdom has a third element.
God’s wisdom includes all that we have said previously about worldly wisdom but adds an additional third element to wisdom. Godly wisdom includes intuition and experiences and then adds the ingredient of divine revelation (the Bible). Godly wisdom overlays God’s opinion over our own and other’s. To think we possess wisdom apart from knowing God and his ways is folly and leads to futility (1 Cor 3:19-20). But in Christ, we find all we need to live good and peaceful lives (vs 21-23).
Biblical wisdom has as its goal to understand the world as a creation of a wise God and to live successfully in that world according to the moral standards upon which it operates. God must first reveal who he is and what he expects of his people for them to live using godly wisdom. Without God’s revealed will, no one could ever expect to have an understanding of and wisely operate within the parameters of God’s orderly universe. We are dependent on God revealing himself if we want to grow in true wisdom.
God’s wisdom was the power used to create the universe.
According to the Bible God created the world using his wisdom (Jer 51:15). That’s why he knows how life works and why we need to use his wisdom, which is found in his revelation of himself in the Bible. Within Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah, we learn that one of the names or titles for the Messiah is Counselor. Another is that he is the mighty God (Isa 9:6). To be the Counselor and mighty God means he is full of wisdom and understanding as well as he possesses the power to do and create as he pleases (Isa 11:2).
There is a spiritual element to Godly wisdom. Paul prayed that the Colossian Church members would be filled with the knowledge of God’s ways. This means they would understand the spiritual aspect of creation. They would see the world from the LORD’s perspective (Col 1:9). And, they would apply that knowledge morally. They would conduct themselves wisely in the use of their time, in being gracious in their speech, and in believing in the truth (Col 4:5).
Jesus is the great counselor and mighty God.
Just as the Messiah God would be revealed as the Counselor full of strength, we too will become wise counselors as we apply God’s Word to all aspects of life. As we learn who Jesus is and apply what he taught to our own lives, we grow in biblical wisdom. The Hebrew word for a counselor is “Yaw-ats’.” It refers to a person skilled in advising others and who possesses wisdom for resolving difficult conflicts. Isn’t that exactly what Jesus did? He, being God, enjoys wisdom from an eternal perspective. He came teaching us how to live on earth as it is in heaven. And as a result of becoming like him, we will become counselors in the ways of the LORD. We will become instructors in who God is and how his world operates.
Jesus also has the ability to resolve the greatest conflict of all—the enmity between us and the LORD. His death on the cross was the smartest decision and wisest act in human history. Through his life, teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection we are freed from spiritual ignorance. We are given revelatory wisdom to know who God is and what he requires of us. This allows us to live successfully in his world. Godly wisdom is the use of intuition, experiences, and God’s Word to love, honor, and worship our Creator God and Redeemer Jesus Christ. Therefore, we filter our intuitions, our common sense, our studies, our reasoning ability, and our experiences of life through the grid of God’s eternal wisdom found only in his Word.
Godly wisdom is valuable.
What value is there in godly wisdom as opposed to simply using worldly wisdom? The greatest value godly wisdom has to offer is peace. We may not know why something happens but we do know who is in control. Adversity may not be halted but God has a purpose in all things because he rules the world wisely. We are assured that any horrendous event we experience isn’t random or meaningless because the counselor of peace and reconciliation is our mighty God. Jesus Christ is so wise and powerful that he can even use evil and bad things for our ultimate benefit.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28 ESV).
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom 11:33-36 ESV).
This study on the wisdom of God has been partly inspired by chapter eight in Jerry Bridges book Trusting God. Click on the book cover to order it. click on the book title to read a review of it.
Pictures attributed to Pixabay.com, freerangestock.com, and pexel.com
