Mining is an ancient art. It requires knowledge, skill, the necessary equipment and the zeal to seek and to find. It is labour-intensive, it is heavy industry, and it is a work for strong hands and good muscles. However, it also requires a keen brain, a sharp eye and a knowledge of geology to be successful. Mining is not for the fainthearted, nor for the work-shy. It is for men who are prepared to risk all in the pursuit of the ultimate goal. Searching for wisdom is like searching for silver. Both objects are difficult to find but worth the effort.
The search for wisdom is a lifelong activity, the component parts of which occupy a large part of the teaching of the book of Proverbs. Some of these are listed in the long conditional sentence which forms the first part of Proverbs 2. The sentence begins with the phrase: “My son, if…” and ends with: “then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” In other words, if you do ‘x and y’ then ‘z’ will follow. We are told elsewhere that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; therefore, if we would seek to find wisdom then we need to follow the instructions given to us. The instructions are as follows:
To receive (the Word of God):
- incline your ear,
- apply your heart,
- cry after it,
- lift up your voice,
- seek for it, and
- search for it (Prov. 2:2-4).
The first four instructions have to do with the response of the senses. They describe the action of the mind and the heart in regard to the things of God:
- to receive the Word of God,
- to hide it within the mind by learning its words, phrases and messages,
- to apply the ear with concentration in order to apply the heart to the things of God, and finally
- to cry and lift up the voice in prayer and praise.
The last two items on the list are of a different order, for they are linked to the work of mining. The search for wisdom is like searching for silver, like going on a “mining expedition”.
While there are very few references in the Scriptures to mining, one significant passage is contained in the Book of Job:
“Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine. Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from the ore. Men put an end to darkness and search out to the farthest bound the ore in gloom and deep darkness. They open shafts in a valley away from where men live… As for the earth, out of it comes bread; but underneath it is turned up as by fire. Its stones are the place of sapphires and it has the dust of gold… Man puts his hand to the flinty rock, and overturns mountains by the roots. He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing. He binds up the streams so that they do not trickle, and the thing that is hid he brings forth to light” (Job 28:1-11, RSV).
We have in this passage a detailed description of mining. However, it is interesting to note that the process of mining is compared, even in Job, to the process of searching for wisdom:
“Where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold” (vv. 12-17).
Wisdom is even more difficult to search out than silver; its value, consequently, is even greater.
The search for wisdom is like a “mining expedition”, but for far greater riches, and with far greater difficulties and far greater cost. It is therefore important that we know what wisdom is. Like the miner, it is imperative that we learn how to recognize the precious metals, or at least, the characteristics of the ore-bearing rock. Or, to change the figure, we need to be able to recognize the characteristics which demonstrate wisdom.
What is wisdom? It cannot be easily defined; it is multi-faceted, discerned in different ways by different people. However, there are certain features which, once described, can be easily identified by all of us.
Wisdom is essentially practical, seen in the workshop rather than the study, seen in others but rarely in oneself. Wisdom is demonstrated by contact with other people rather than in isolation. Wisdom is the product of instruction. It is an awareness of the lessons taught in the school of life and a willingness to learn from them. Wisdom is learned by looking at life and seeking to modify one’s own life accordingly.
Wisdom is insight — the ability to discern between good and evil. It is also an awareness of the consequences of particular actions. It is relatively easy to perceive the difference between good and evil, but it is much more difficult to think ahead regarding the possible outcomes of different courses of action.
Wisdom is wise behaviour — shrewdness and good judgment in the face of foolishness. When all others are committed to a course of action which is foolhardy, the wise person maintains his composure, his judgment, and his principles.
Wisdom is understanding — the ability to decide what is important and what is unimportant. It is distinguishing between what is central and what is peripheral.
Our beliefs are important, and what we say and do is important. But what society — our employers, politicians, and the like — deem to be important is often unimportant. Wisdom perceives the difference between these things and seeks to ensure that a true perspective is maintained.
Wisdom is ‘knowing the ways of God’. By learning about God, His thoughts and actions, we learn to adopt a different response. We learn to be wise by fearing His Name, not in the sense of being frightened, but by learning to respect the guidance in His Word.
How can we find wisdom? How can we search more effectively to find that which is more valuable and elusive than silver?
Look to the Master, to the Lord Jesus Christ, he who was the personification of Wisdom. Listen to his words, think about his responses, watch his actions, and try to follow in his footsteps. It was predicted of him that: “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding… and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears” (Isa. 11:2,3).
These characteristics enable one, on the one hand, to quickly discern the ways of God and, on the other, to respond slowly to what is seen and heard about our fellow men and women. The search for wisdom requires:
- more listening and less talking,
- more thoughtful consideration for others, and less carping criticism,
- more thankful praise of each other, and less self-congratulation.
In other words, wisdom is the motivation of the spiritual life, the driving force for the person who would be like his Master.
Just as the miner requires knowledge and skill, the necessary equipment and — above all — a preparedness to risk all in the search for silver and gold, so does the disciple in the search for wisdom. The total commitment, the absolute resolution, the utter preoccupation with one is a parable of the other.
No wonder that the book of Proverbs places such stress on wisdom:
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom” (Prov. 4:7).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One