Proverbs 17:6 Real seekers of wisdom pay the price!
Proverbs 17:16
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?
Do not play games with wisdom! God has no use for fools, no matter how well they pretend. Wisdom is most precious, and God is offended by those who talk about it but will not pay for it. He will expose and punish pretenders that play games about wisdom.
Real seekers of wisdom pay the price. They end childish and foolish activities to learn truth and knowledge (Pr 18:1). They will do what it takes to get wisdom (Pr 23:23). They will invest energy and time for it, like a mining company seeking treasure (Pr 2:1-5).
What is wisdom? It is godly judgment. It is knowing the right response to any situation. It is knowing the solutions to dilemmas or where to find them. It is the knowledge and understanding of the living and true God and a complete worldview based on the Bible.
Truth and wisdom are not rights. God owes them to no man, and He only gives them to some men. He will not give them to fools. In fact, He will take from fools the little truth they think they have (Luke 8:18; 19:24). Jesus called them dogs and pigs and warned his followers not to waste any effort or time on them (Matt 7:6). Hard to believe? Believe it!
The visible universe proves God’s existence. When men reject it, He turns them over to insane ideas and actions (Rom 1:18-32). He loves to blind and confuse men (Job 5:12-14). Read His mocking of Egypt’s wise men and idolaters (Is 19:11-16; 44:9-20). He may even send lying spirits to deceive men for their arrogant ignorance (I Kgs 22:15-23).
Fools want to tell their own opinions (Pr 18:2). They have no pleasure in learning; they want to teach. They want to prove that reasoning in a circle from nothing leads to something – their own preconceived ideas! The greatest collection ever of such fools occurred in Athens with the development of Greek philosophy, where Paul tried to warn them against their superstitious babblings (Acts 17:16-31; I Cor 1:19-24; I Tim 6:20).
Wisdom is only for those who go all-out for it, buy it at any price, and will not sell it (Pr 2:1-5; 4:7; 9:6-8; 18:1; 23:23; Matt 13:44-46). Fools and scorners are to be cut off from knowledge and truth (Pr 14:6-7; 23:9; 26:4,12; Matt 7:6; 21:27). Ministers are to avoid and reject them and their questions (I Tim 1:4; 4:7; 6:4-5; II Tim 2:14,16,23; Titus 3:9).
Paul prayed to be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men without faith (II Thess 3:1-2), and he praised the noble Bereans for their zeal for the truth (Acts 17:11). He warned men not to despise prophesyings, for they should love preaching (I Thess 5:20). The Jews under Ezra are the best example of coming with a sincere heart (Neh 8:1-18).
You live in the perilous times of the last days (II Tim 3:1 – 4:5). Most Christians have a form of godliness, but there is no power in it. They attend services and listen to teachers, but they resent doctrinal sermons (II Tim 4:3-4). They are ever learning, but they never find truth (II Tim 3:6-7). They may pay a small price, but they have no heart for wisdom.
If you have a Bible in your house, but are too busy to read it (Acts 17:11), you are the fool of this proverb. If you wear a WWJD bracelet, but only attend church once a month (Heb 10:25), you are the fool of this proverb. If you take the family to church on Sunday, but do not teach them on a daily basis, you are the fool of this proverb (Deut 6:6-9).
Jesus Christ is Lord of all! He knows you better than you know you (Heb 4:12-14). He knows if you truly love wisdom or not. He met many on earth that thought they believed on Him or said they believed on Him, but He would not waste His time with them. He knew how to drive them away with a little hard doctrine (Jn 2:23-25; 6:60-71; 8:30-47).
Do you crave the sound doctrine of truth and wisdom? Do you desire the fear of the LORD and the knowledge of God? Many more claim to seek the truth than actually seek it! There are many pretenders, many fools. There are only a few true seekers (Matt 7:13-14). Which are you? What will you do today to prove to God you want His wisdom?
