Text: Ecclesiastes 1:16-18

 16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem:  yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.   17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly:  I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.   18 For in much wisdom is much grief:  and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.  

Sunday, 8^th September 2024

TYPES OF WISDOM: THE WISDOM OF MAN

Text: Ecclesiastes 1:16-18

Memory verse: 1 Corinthians 2: 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Apostle Paul said he did not preach with the enticing words of man’s wisdom because the best of man is still man. Whatever is of man still has margin for failure. Everything in man is prone to fail, only God’s agenda stands for ever through the power of God. Your faith must not depend on the wisdom of men but on the power of God because the wisdom of man fails. Who are you building your life on? The best of man is still vanity. Proverbs 21:31 says “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.” Let not your faith stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Solomon made it clear to us in Ecclesiastes that even the wisest man on earth can miss finding God when he depends on his human wisdom and ingenuity. Jesus said in Matthew 11:25 " I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.". What do babes have that clever and intelligent people do not have? Humility. It is very difficult for a clever, intelligent person to be humble. It is not wrong to be intelligent, but it is certainly ungodly to be proud of one's intelligence. Proud men can never understand God's ways, no matter how intelligent they may be.

Solomon demonstrates how one can have a lot of knowledge and yet not be spiritual at all. The human wisdom that is found in psychology and thinking today has many good things in it. But it is not divine wisdom. And it is more dangerous when divine wisdom is mixed with human wisdom than if you had human wisdom all by itself. If someone wanted to poison you, he would mix a little bit of poison with a lot of milk. Things that are totally bad are easy to detect. But psychology has a lot of good in it, that is why it can be dangerous. It is not divine wisdom. Divine wisdom comes from the Scriptures alone. Many things that psychologists say, who do not submit their minds to God's Word, are wrong. If you follow them, you will go astray.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 we find that Solomon was a keen observer of human nature and the world. After many years of observation, he discovered that there was a time and a season for everything that happened. There are true and false statements here. Psychology is a mixture of truth and error. Solomon says that there is a time to give birth, a time to die and a time to plant. Correct. But then he goes on to say that there is a time to kill and a time to hate. For a spiritual man, there is never a time to kill or to hate nobody is to be hated. A spiritual man dwells in God and loves all people and all the time. Jesus said, “Love your enemies." If we don't live in humility and brokenness before God, it is easy to be led astray by human wisdom, because most times they look good.

CGDS HYMN 40: SS & S 530:

WITH MY SAVIOUR EVER NEAR TO GUIDE ME

1. With my Saviour ever near to guide me,

I am safe, whatever may betide me;

From the storm and tempest He will hide me

In the hollow of His hand !

Refrain:

In the hollow ... of His hand I . . .

In the hollow ... of His hand I . . .

I am safe whatever may betide me,

In the hollow of His hand !

2. In His arms of love He doth enfold me ;

Words of peace His voice divine hath told me ;

I am safe, for God Himself doth hold me

In the hollow of His hand !

3. He will guard my soul, and leave me never;

From His love no power on earth shall sever;

And I know He'll keep me now and ever

In the hollow of His hand !

 Prayers

1.  Lord Jesus, help me to operate as a spirit not just a man.

2.  LORD God Almighty, help me not to miss You through putting confidence in human wisdom Jesus’ name. Amen.    

3.  Pray for others in this regard.