In this article we are continuing in our study of the book of Proverbs. We will be moving away from the ten introductory sermons that were designed to prepare and equip the listener for the material that really begins in earnest in chapter ten. As we launch into chapter ten and following, the only way we can cover this properly is to not look at it sequentially—in sections—because the material is very dispersive. Our best approach for the rest of the book, beginning with chapter ten where the proverbs really begin, is to look at the material topic by topic.
So in this article, we will focus on two of those topics. The first will be on the character of the wise; that is the most fundamental of them all. What does the character of the wise person look like? After all, this is a book that focuses on character. Following that topic we will delve into the wise person’s speech. Speech, of course, is something we do an awful lot of—but often we discover that we have very little training in the prudence of speech as well as in listening.
Character is really a key component of wisdom. As we think about the wise person’s character, I want us to keep in mind that this material is convicting and we really do not know anybody that fulfills all of these images of what a wise person is like. The material points beyond ourselves to the needs that we have to be transformed on an ongoing basis by Christ Himself through the power of the Spirit that is within us. We cannot live this kind of life on our own. In fact, this kind of material goes beyond the Law itself; it actually transcends the Law and goes into the subtle details of life itself.
As we consider the issue of character, education without the development of character is pretty worthless. The fascinating thing is that we can often get education without a clue as to what character is like. This reminds me of the true account of a Columbia University student that sued the university because part of the purpose statement for a four-year undergraduate degree was that it would cultivate wisdom and character. After he graduated, the fellow said he didn’t get any wisdom or character out of this—so he sued. He didn’t do very well, but it illustrates the point that it is very easy to be educated, but without a clue as to what our character ought to be like. You must have a heart for the subject. Tuition would be a waste of money if the student has no heart to learn. This is a theme we discover in Proverbs 17:16. There we see, “Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, when he has no heart?” Although my translation has “sense,” the word can be taken to mean “heart.” He doesn’t have a “heart” for the subject. He has no capacity for appreciation, so he has a “price in his hand,” but he wouldn’t be able to appreciate it even if he heard it. Let’s now take a look at several aspects of wise character.
The first issue of character has to do with humility. A wise person is humble, not proud. This component alone seems to underscore all the others. What do we see in the first Beatitude? “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” What does it mean to have poverty of spirit? Among other things, poverty of spirit relates to an issue of humility, of grasping your spiritual poverty and your utter dependence upon God. In other words, you must recognize your spiritual bankruptcy before God before you are really ready to receive His grace. If you think you have something to offer to God, apart from His grace, you are making a serious mistake. Even our best works are displeasing to Him if they are not done in His power. Even our good deeds can be tainted by the problem of our selfishness and our desire for recognition. So, this idea of humility is very essential. We see here, then, a person who trusts and fears God. When we think about a person like that, we think of a person who submits his life to God’s revealed standards, who stands in awe of God. He does not trust his own intellect; rather he submits his life to the Lord of Holy Scripture. This is a person who has a stance of faith, a real commitment before God. He comes to God with a sense of desperate need and true dependence. All of these characterizations, then, represent the heart of the first nine chapters of Proverbs which were designed to cultivate this mindset of wisdom.