The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
Last Sunday we were confronted from Ecclesiastes about the disastrous results that are brought about through foolishness. These worded, pithy principles, when extrapolated, made clear the point - we need to be wise!
But as we often do, we tend to get knowledge and wisdom completely mixed up. We treat the two as synonymous. But that is not the case. Knowledge is intended by God to lead to wisdom. Knowledge is the intake of information, true or false. Where as wisdom is all about living out what is right and true according to God’s Word. Wisdom is an actual living response to the knowledge we take in.
Aristotle once said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” But this is completely wrong because God has said, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” This means that in order to be wise in life we must begin with learning about God as recorded in Scripture. This true, inspired information is designed to produce wisdom as the Holy Spirit convicts, challenges and impresses upon the seeker of wisdom, truth about God.
In other words information, or knowledge about God is not wisdom.
C.H. Spurgeon once said, Wisdom is the right of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.
Are you growing in the knowledge and wisdom of God through the Scriptures?
If not you are merely storing up knowledge. This is despising wisdom and instruction, which is being a fool in God’s reckoning!