Wisdom Wednesday Let not the Wise…
Submitted by Debbie’s Dad
Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
– (Jeremiah 9:23-24 NASB)
This passage in Jeremiah chapter 9 warns the people wise in the ways of the world to not boast in their wisdom; it also warns the mighty and the rich not to boast in their might and wealth. To understand these warnings, we must appreciate the terrifying context in which we find these verses.
In chapters 4 through 10 of Jeremiah’s prophecy, the prophet is warning of the coming invasion from Babylon’s armies. These chapters sequentially detail the godlessness of Judah, the remaining southern kingdom of the Jewish people, and their capital, Jerusalem.
These chapters can be summarized as follows:
- Chapter 4—The warning to repent, but if not, the terrible invasion and destruction of Jerusalem. “For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, The cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, Stretching out her hands, saying, ‘Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers’.” (v. 31.)
- Chapter 5—The wickedness of Jerusalem and the Judgment to come. “Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel,” declares the Lord. “It is an enduring nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say.” (v. 15.)
- Chapter 6—Jerusalem will be Destroyed. “Be warned, O Jerusalem, Or I shall be alienated from you, And make you a desolation, A land not inhabited.” (v.8.)
- Chapter 7—Jeremiah’s proclamation to the worshippers heading to the temple in Jerusalem. “The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house and proclaim there this word and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah, who enter by these gates to worship the LORD!’ ” (vv. 1-2.)
- Chapter 8–The Wickedness of Judah. “I have listened and heard, They have spoken what is not right; No man repented of his wickedness, Saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turned to his course, Like a horse charging into the battle.” (v.6.)
- Chapter 9 –The Lamentation over Zion. “I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, A haunt of jackals; And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.” (Jer. 9:11.)
In the conclusion of the lament over Judah’s coming fate in chapter 9, the Lord provides His warning in verses 23 and 24. It is blunt, yet instructive:
First, wisdom (the worldly kind, intellectual knowledge, political influence), might (military power) and riches (wealth the world) are not subjects for boasting. Arrogant pride and boastful proclamation about these areas of life are temporal and fleeting. In the case of the intellectuals, powerful and wealthy in Jerusalem–these items were about to be taken away by the Babylonians!
Second, there is something worth proclaiming—the personal knowledge of God and to live in lovingkindness, justice and righteousness. These are the attributes of the Godly believer and the fruit of His Spirit. In this the Lord delights. Paul cited this verse to reiterate that if we are to proclaim some glory in life, it must be that we are In Christ – “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (I Cor. 1:30-31)
We may not be under the threat of immediate annihilation, yet these passages apply to us, too! Let us not proclaim about our life, our career, our knowledge, nor our power or riches–but let us proclaim that we know Jesus Christ and walk with Him.