What is Wisdom????

Welcome to Wondercafe2!

A community where we discuss, share, and have some fun together. Join today and become a part of it!

Register Log in
GordW

GordW

Church-Geek-Oramus
Pronouns
He/Him/His
This week I am working with the passage in 1 Kings 3 where Solomon asks God for wisdom and then, as a supposed show of his wisdom, Solomon chooses to resolve a parental dispute by cutting the baby in half....


SO what is wisdom? How do you recognize someone as wise? And do we value wisdom in the world today?
 
It seems that wisdom is (to me) to know what do and when the right time is to do it.
I am not so sure that Solomon was a wise man. He asked God for the gift of Wisdom
but it was the first woman who showed the empathy. Why would any one think that cutting a baby in half
would show wisdom. What would have happened if he had to. follow through and kill the baby.
How wise would that be?
 
Hi crazyheart--The king was not going to kill the child .Both women had claim the child was there"s. He was using wisdom , and the Love of a mother" to find which one was the real mother. We see this again later in God"s word to show the Love of a Father for His child. John 3:16. In this case though God will really kill us. Unless we accept His offer . His life for ours. He made the laws , He is the judge, He has accepted the punishment because of His Love for us.This is Wisdom at work .
 
As I have heard many times "We are too soon old and too late wise". Older people do seem wiser in general than younger ones - lots of life experience probably helps. Wisdom seems to include 'knowing what to say and the experience to not say it unless it is likely to be helpful'.
 
I read once that knowledge becomes wisdom when it has been experienced. But neither knowledge or wisdom can help us as it's awareness alone that guides the true Self.
 
Maybe I'm using the words in different context from you Neo (noone will be surprised ;)) . We think of wisdom and awareness in reverse priority maybe...but I tend to think of wisdom and awareness as complementary, at least. They are not always the same, certainly. You can be aware of something and not have the slightest clue what to do about it or where it comes from. To really have wisdom of a situation you have to have knowledge, and awareness. I don't think wisdom comes without awareness...whether it's awareness through knowledge or experience, or both...I think both but probably experience is more important to wisdom (that's what "they" say. I think "they" are probably right)...but those things contribute to the insight that leads to wisdom. I would say wisdom is deep insight and discernment, and is greater than just awareness.
 
And I agree with AC's interpretation of the story of Solomon and the baby in part. I think the story was about finding out who really cared for the child, wasn't it? Although I don't think he literally did that - there is wisdom in the meaning of the story.
 
Wisdom ---to me this word has 2 avenues ---earthly wisdom and spiritual wisdom -----both have the same meaning but not the same getting ----to me wisdom is the ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of action Based on knowledge which gives understanding ----

Proverbs 9:10GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

10 The fear of theLordis the beginning of wisdom.
The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Earthly Wisdom comes from man's earthly knowledge which give the person the understanding needed to solve the issue in a right manner ----it is self focused

Spiritual Wisdom can only come through asking God in prayer for the wisdom to have the knowledge needed to understand the right course of action in our earthly lives which Solomon did and the right decision was made .---it is God focused

These verses say it all -----


1 Kings 3:9GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

9 Give me a heart that listens so that I can judge your people and tell the difference between good and evil. After all, who can judge this great people of yours?”


11 God replied, “You’ve asked for this and not for a long life, or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies. Instead, you’ve asked for understanding so that you can do what is right.12 I will do what you have asked.(A)I will give you a wise(B)and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.

So here we see Solomon asking for wisdom to be able to judge God's people rightly ---he is not asking for wisdom for himself to gain worldly riches etc ---this is also unique and important --all this happened in a dream not in a human physical state --the flesh is very powerful and can draw us away from Spiritual wisdom so we need to be on guard for that when seeking God's wisdom .

These are my thoughts on this ----
 
I think wisdom is what Neo describes as "experiential knowledge": the experience of how things really are: the experience of the real nature of things: the experience of ultimate Truth.

If, as I speculate, reality is in an ultimate state of oneness, inseparableness, unity or synthesis, then this state can only be experienced. It can't really be analyzed, because analysis is antithetical to synthesis. Analysis constitutes a fragmentation of the inseparable whole, and the whole is no longer whole. Reality, as it really is, as a holistic whole, can only be experienced in the pure, undifferentiated experience of reality. Acting directly from this experience is wise action, and thinking directly from this experience is wise thinking.

Our thinking is fragmentary, and our prophecies are fragmentation.
But when that which is perfect has come, then the fragmentation will end.

1Cor13: 9-10, Martin Luther Version
 
airclean33 said:
Hi crazyheart--The king was not going to kill the child .Both women had claim the child was there"s. He was using wisdom , and the Love of a mother" to find which one was the real mother. We see this again later in God"s word to show the Love of a Father for His child. John 3:16. In this case though God will really kill us. Unless we accept His offer . His life for ours. He made the laws , He is the judge, He has accepted the punishment because of His Love for us.This is Wisdom at work .
Click to expand...
That is what happens in the story. We have no way of knowing if Solomon was serious in his order. And John 3:16 says nothing about anyone (Jesus or his compatriots or us) having to die.
 
That story always makes me wonder what woman would agree to having the baby cut in half even if it wasn't tbeir child. It's not tbe norm to find tbis trait in women altbough it does happen. Today it would suggest post partum depression. Was Soloman so wise he knew that fraudelent motber must be depressed and would answer this way? It's a brilliant solution if you're dealing with inanimate subjects....with human beings...not so much. I'll bet all the women on this site could have come up with a better solution......therefore wisdom is a woman. ;)
 
Kimmio said:
Maybe I'm using the words in different context from you Neo (noone will be surprised ) . We think of wisdom and awareness in reverse priority maybe...but I tend to think of wisdom and awareness as complementary, at least. They are not always the same, certainly. You can be aware of something and not have the slightest clue what to do about it or where it comes from. To really have wisdom of a situation you have to have knowledge, and awareness. I don't think wisdom comes without awareness...whether it's awareness through knowledge or experience, or both...I think both but probably experience is more important to wisdom (that's what "they" say. I think "they" are probably right)...but those things contribute to the insight that leads to wisdom. I would say wisdom is deep insight and discernment, and is greater than just awareness.
Click to expand...
Wisdom "is" deep insight, but like knowledge these aspects of our nature are just the 'vehicles' of the Soul. Whereas awareness acts more like a 'window' to the Soul.

Think about how aware you were as a young child, and then think about how aware you are now. Your knowledge of the world and your experiencing of that knowledge, through time, as correct and wise discernment, can and does "lead" to Soul. But it can never "be" Soul. And this is because Soul exists outside of matter, outside of form, outside of evolution, outside of time. Knowledge, and it's jewell Wisdom, exist inside all those things.

***

It's our inner experience that counts, and not our outer experiences. Our 'second nature' currently controls our outer experience in the form of body and mind. As our awareness of God grows the power of our second nature diminishes.
 
Wisdom is knowing that the immediate item in front of you is only a symptom. Wisdom knows whether to address the symptom and/or root cause, as well as knowing the process that led us here. Wisdom an utilize previous experience or just watch the interplay of humans.

Wisdom can be found in those who hae little experience, it is not an age thing though, a wise person with lots of experience is more iikely to have elegant solution.
 
Yes, Wisdom is Sophia/Sapienta. We, Homo sapiens sapiens, have named ourselves (doubly?!) after her. So, if we are to be doubly sapient, we better seek wisdom -- on the double!;)

"Oh men, seek ye wisdom, for wisdom is more precious than gold."

-Proverbs of Solomon
 
GordW said:
That is what happens in the story. We have no way of knowing if Solomon was serious in his order
Click to expand...
Hi GordW--If King Solomon would have killed the child, and this takes Wisdom. What would have been served?

. And John 3:16 says nothing about anyone (Jesus or his compatriots or us) having to die.
Click to expand...

So GordW--Here is John3:16--R.S.V
Jhn 3:16 (For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son), that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
So for what reason do you see GOD giving His only Son?
Dose not( perish) mean DIE?
Then God at the other end gives something we did not have. LIFE ETERNAL.
Why would GOD offer to give you something you , by your post seem to think you already have?
 
GordW said:
This week I am working with the passage in 1 Kings 3 where Solomon asks God for wisdom and then, as a supposed show of his wisdom, Solomon chooses to resolve a parental dispute by cutting the baby in half....
Click to expand...

King Solomon read human character, at least the character of these two women correctly, that is where the wisdom lies. End of story . . . we don't have to worry about the "what ifs".

GordW said:
SO what is wisdom? How do you recognize someone as wise? And do we value wisdom in the world today?
Click to expand...

Some have "book" smarts,
Some have "book" smarts, but no common sense.
Some have "common sense", but no book smarts.
Some have had "life experience" (school of hard knocks, they say).


To me, wisdom is being able to read a situation, and those involved in it, and decipher the best outcome and path to take in the situation.

When I pray for wisdom for someone, my hope is that God will give that person insight and direction for that particular situation.

I have recognized wisdom in many persons who have crossed my path. Sometimes instead of saying "WWJD" in a situation I would be more likely to say "What Would _______ Do".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top