And
the wisdom of their wise men shall perish and the discernment of their
discerning men shall be concealed. […] You turn things around! Shall the potter
be considered as equal with the clay; what is made should say to its maker, “He
did not make me”; what is formed say to him who formed it, “He has no
understanding”? Isaiah
29:14, 16
Today, as in the
beginning, man has grandiloquently elevated himself onto the throne of
pride. He has blinded his mind and
believes his knowledge is the accretion by his power and is vastly superior to
the wisdom of the Almighty God. There is
the story of three persons who went to a Sunday church service looking for
spiritual food, a young man in dire financial needs contemplating stealing from
his employer, a young woman being tempted to the life of drugs and sexual
promiscuity, and a prominent entrepreneur on the verge of bankruptcy. After the rendition of some classical hymns,
the pastor stepped to the pulpit and delivered a most eloquent sermon on “The
Need for Tolerance of the Diversity of Life Styles”. The three were nourished with stones instead
of bread. The young woman yielded to a
life of drugs and shame, the entrepreneur committed suicide, and the young man
went to prison after stealing from his employer.[i]
The wisdom of the world is but foolishness to
God. Man sees himself as wise but the
capacity of his wisdom is that like the ant overlooking the vastness of the Pacific Ocean and thinking that he can imbibe it all.[ii] The wisdom of God on the other hand, is a
mystery hidden during the timelessness of eternity.[iii]
Had this wisdom been understood the “Lord of Glory” would not have been
crucified.[iv] "Let
no one deceive himself. If anyone among
you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may
become wise. For the wisdom of this
world is foolishness with God. […] The word of the cross is foolishness to
those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
[…] Where is the wise man? […] Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the
world? […] For since
in the wisdom
of God the
world through its wisdom did
not come to know
God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness
of the message
preached
to save those who believe”.
[v] What does the cosmos, the world, consider as the
wisdom of God?
Does it regard it as the sum of all His knowledge; His broad and full intelligence; His erudition and distinguishing nature? Does man reflect on God’s creation; His
forming and executing counsels; His formation and government of the world and
the scriptures? No! The sophists regard God’s
wisdom as utter stupidity. They perceive wisdom in self-centered
reasoning, what Dr. John Connell calls the “me in me.”[vi] They cannot fathom the wisdom of the One who
“made the earth and created man upon it;"
[vii]
the one who stretched out the
heavens with His “hand and ordained all
of its hosts”.[viii] All should stand in fear, in wonder and
in admiration of Him who “spoke and it was done”.[ix] Because of their nature, they cannot
and will not allow the most diminutive thought that there is one greater. That there is one to whom all glory is to be
given. The created thing will not take
hold of the truth that He who Is will not let His name be “profaned” and will not share nor give His glory to another.[x] God takes this cleverness of man and makes
it foolishness so that He will be delighted with those who believe the foolishness
of the message preached[xi] and be liberated from the clutches of the
eternal death they deserve and have indescribable eternal life and joy with
Him.
[i] Author
unknown
[ii] Larry
Galati, friend and brother in Christ.
[iii] I
Corinthians 2:6,7
[iv] 1
Corinthians 2:8
[v] 1
Corinthians 3:18-19; 1:18 ,
19, 20, 21
[vi]
Connell, John S. Th.D. Chair Christian Studies, Shorter University, Rome, GA.
[vii] Isaiah
45:11-13a
[viii] Ibid
[ix] Psalm
33:6, 8-9
[x]
Isaiah 48:11
[xi] I
Corinthians 1:20, 21
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