I love the observations you are making about wisdom coming from the fear of the Lord.
Wisdom here is not related to worldly know-how, it is sourced in God himself; it is almost as if the definition of wisdom for the God-fearer and the non God-fearer is different (which seems to be the answer to the contradiction). A God-fearer is someone who is living his life in light of the relationship he holds with God. wisdom is outside of and distant to the person who doesn't live his life in this fear, but the one who does live his life in the fear of God posseses an implanted wisdom from God.
Summed up, I really think a lot of what Ecclesiastes is talking about is the worldview of a God-fearer. The God-fearer has true wisdom, thus he can enjoy life with its good gifts so long as it is within this frame-work. Whereas to the person who is not a God-fearer, even the pursuit of wisdom (worldly wisdom that is) is emptiness, let alone the emptiness of the pursuit of pleasure or anything else that falls outside of the sphere of God-fearing. This really does carry weight for the postmodern mind.
I think the concept of wisdom parallels the concept of faith in the New Testament, which is a gift implanted by God in those who are regenerated...it is a sureness of the reliability of God that is sourced in God, not us, and changes our worldview when it is present.
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2 comments:
Rob, thanks for that connection to the NT. That might be something to follow through with a bit in relation to "faith."
Regarding "fearing God" and gaining "wisdom", it may be that fearing God does not just lead to wisdom but that fearing God IS wisdom itself. That is a God Fearer = A Wise Person. Thus maybe fearing God is not the means to the end of being wise but the END itself.
What do you think?
That is exactly what I think....that is why on the one hand we can be adomonished to pursue wisdom, but on the other hand, the pursuit of wisdom is vain
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