Wisdom

What is wisdom?

Wisdom is sometimes referred to in a feminine gender, and is something to be grasped at, but we can never grasp all of it. Only god can grasp all of it because it comes from Him. We as humans are constantly grasping at it and acquiring it in small amounts all of our lives, but we never grasp it fully.

Biblical wisdom is God speaking to us in the books of:

Proverbs

Psalms

Job

Ecclesiastes

Song of Songs

Wisdom

Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)

And in many of the the other books of the Bible.

What is Biblical Wisdom really About?

The wisdom literature is the fruit of a movement to gather, preserve, and express, the results of human experience as an aid toward understanding and solving the problems of life.

They (The Literature) contain Spiritual truths, Essentials for living, and Guidance.

Who wrote the books?

Those who cultivated wisdom were called sages. Men of letters, scribes, skilled in the affairs of government, and counselors to rulers, they were instructors of the people, especially the youth. In timers of crisis they guided the people by reevaluating tradition, thus to preserve unity, peace and good will.

The most illustrious of the sages, and the originator of wisdom literature in Israel, was Solomon.

So tell me again what Wisdom is all about?

Wisdom cannot be satisfactorily captured in a single brief definition, because it has at least four aspects.

1. It is practical and it involves knowledge about how the world works, so that one can master and enjoy life fully. It tells us how to act and what to do, and how to live our lives.

2. Human wisdom has limits because of the way it is used. It is to be used to benefit us in each situation of our lives, and at the same time, we know that we are not using it foolishly.

3. Wisdom is generally a human task and a divine gift. We take this gift in small pieces and perform our tasks with it.

4. Wisdom in the Bible is itself an object of constant reflection.

I think I get it!

Wisdom contributes to our spiritual life by drawing us to its giver, who is God. We see how good it is and we want more, and in order to receive more, we have to get closer to God. The closer to god we get, the more He can love us and we can love Him too and have a desire to be with Him. Wisdom also gives us the capability to live happy and successful lives and we can cope with the trials of the world.