The wisdom that cries out in the street

"Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you." Prov 1:20–23

The Bible shows a wisdom that is not tucked away, reserved only for "super Christians" or for highly educated people. It is "crying out" right in the middle of real life: in the streets, on the corners, at work, at college, at home. And the ones God calls to listen, to repent, and to learn from Him are simple people, scoffers, and fools.

What is wisdom in the light of the Word?

In the light of the Word of God, wisdom and human intelligence are not the same thing. Someone can be very intelligent, hold plenty of titles, argue well, and still be a fool before God.

Scripture itself says:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." Prov 9:10

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Prov 1:7

"And he said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'" Job 28:28

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!" Ps 111:10

At bottom, biblical wisdom starts by recognizing who God is: revering Him, trusting in Him, and ordering our life under His will.

And it is worth remembering: this wisdom does not spring from our effort or from our "good head." By nature, we are all spiritually foolish, blind to the things of God. We need the Lord, by His grace, to open our eyes.

"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Cor 2:14

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins… But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ." Eph 2:1–5

It is the Holy Spirit who teaches us to fear the Lord and to love His ways.

"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth." John 16:13

"for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." Phil 2:13

In the New Testament, we watch true wisdom become fully revealed in Christ, who is called the power of God and the wisdom of God.

"but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." 1 Cor 1:24

"And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption." 1 Cor 1:30

Biblical wisdom, then, goes beyond following principles: it means following a Person, and that Person is Jesus.

To sum it up: biblical wisdom is fearing God, trusting in Christ, and living by the principles He reveals in the Word.

Books of wisdom in the Bible

Some books of the Old Testament are called books of wisdom, or wisdom literature, because they teach us in a very practical way how to live wisely before God.

In the Protestant canon, they are: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs.

Let us talk a little about each one.

Job – Wisdom in suffering

In the book of Job we learn that true wisdom does not depend on explaining all suffering. It appears when we trust the sovereignty of God even when nothing seems to make sense.

"There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil." Job 1:1

"Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.' In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong." Job 1:20–22

"I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted… therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:2,6

Job is an upright man who loses almost everything without knowing why. He argues with friends full of easy answers, and, in the end, it is God who shows Himself perfectly wise and just. Wisdom, here, is taking the right place: a creature trusting the Creator, even without holding all the answers.

Psalms – Wisdom in the emotions

In the Psalms we learn that wisdom is bringing the whole heart to God: the joy, the fear, the guilt, the indignation, and the hope.

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." Ps 1:1–2

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." Ps 23:1

"Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness." Ps 37:3

"until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end." Ps 73:17

Psalm 1 shows the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked, and it teaches that the wise person is the one who meditates on the law of the LORD day and night. Other psalms teach us to pray in the middle of pain, anxiety, and joy. A wise life is far from a "cold" life. It feels deeply and, even so, chooses to trust in God and in His covenant.

Proverbs – Wisdom in everyday life

Proverbs shows that wisdom is carrying the fear of the LORD into every area of daily life: our words, our work, our money, our friendships, our sexuality, our family, and our decisions.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Prov 1:7

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil." Prov 3:5–7

In the biblical context, "fearing the LORD" is living in covenant with Him.

"that you may fear the LORD your God, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments… and that your days may be long." Deut 6:2

"And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always." Deut 6:24

Wisdom is precisely this: living out that covenant in daily life. We start to speak differently, to work differently, and to relate to people differently, because we now belong to the Lord.

Ecclesiastes – Wisdom in the meaning of life

Ecclesiastes reminds us that everything "under the sun" ends up turning into vanity when it is lived without God.

"Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity." Eccl 1:2

"Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun." Eccl 2:11

In the end, the author reaches the conclusion:

"The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." Eccl 12:13–14

Wisdom, here, is realizing that life passes quickly and only makes sense when it is placed before God, with our eyes on eternity and on the reality of judgment.

Song of Songs – Wisdom in relationships

In the Song of Songs we behold the beauty of marital love, holy and pleasurable, as a gift from God, far removed from the lust that sin distorts.

"Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death." Song 8:6

In the New Testament, we understand that marriage points to the love of Christ for the Church.

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her… Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." Eph 5:25,31–32

Living out sexuality and relationships under the principles of God is an essential part of true wisdom.

Applying it: wisdom is not just "knowing what to say"

We often use "being wise" as a synonym for knowing what to say at the right moment. That is part of wisdom, yet it shrinks the biblical concept far too much.

Wisdom is understanding that the Bible does not boil down to a list of "yes" and "no" rules. It does bring commandments, of course, though within a covenant relationship. And, alongside those commandments, the Word reveals principles to us that reach any decision in our life.

When we ask for wisdom, our request is not about a batch of "good ideas." What we are after is a heart shaped by God.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." James 1:5

Seeking wisdom is asking the Lord to help us see everything through love for Him and for our neighbor.

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Matt 22:37–40

When the wisdom of God governs the heart, these two loves begin to orient our family, our work, our studies, our finances, our relationships, and our life in the church.

As we carry this into every area of our life, we will be walking in true wisdom. It has nothing to do with being "smart"; it happens because we start living according to the principles of God, united to Christ, guided by the Spirit, and grounded in the Word.

Ariel Zimbrão