Today, palladium is the most expensive precious metal on the planet. Discovered in 1803, the demand for the metal has risen exponentially as new uses for its chemical properties are discovered. Businesses are increasingly using palladium in electronics, jewelry, dentistry, and primarily in the automotive industry for catalytic converters to change harmful gases into beneficial ones.
However, gold was the most precious and coveted metal for most of history. History is replete with examples of people’s efforts to obtain precious metals. Conquistadors braved the unknown, invaded continents, and enslaved civilizations in their search for gold and silver. The discovery of gold in America in the 19th Century significantly changed our country’s population distribution. It started with the discovery of gold in Georgia (1820s) and the resulting redistribution of the southwest native Indian population. Next, the California gold rush of the 1850s and the Yukon gold rush of the 1890s brought hundreds of thousands of people migrating to the west hoping to get rich.
When Old Testament writers wanted to identify the value of godly wisdom, they symbolized it using the most valuable and precious metal of their day: silver and gold.
Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal. It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold (Job 28:17). For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold (Proverbs 3:14).
The Bible describes wisdom as valuable and rare because it is not native to the human heart — foolishness is. The writer of Proverbs states that “foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child” (Proverbs 22:15). We, for example, never had to teach our kids how to be foolish! The warning is that since foolishness is our default condition, it will persist unless replaced by wisdom.
The proverb that I often quoted to my teenage children summarizes the book of Proverbs: “It is not illegal to be foolish, but it is expensive.” I also stressed that they didn’t have to validate the proverb themselves; there were plenty of examples of their friends making foolish decisions from which they could gain wisdom.
The term foolish in Scripture has a range of meanings, from evil and rebellious to thoughtless or even silly. Generally, it means “thickness” of mind. The Greek word MOROS, from which we get our English word moron, means dull, silly, or stupid. A general definition of foolish that would apply in most cases is “the lack of commonsense perception of the reality of things natural and spiritual.”1 The Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament (Job, Proverbs (especially), Ecclesiastes, and Psalms) deals significantly with the contrast between the wise and foolish.
Jesus testified that foolishness is not just a childhood trait. In his parable of a rich man presuming the longevity and meaning of life, a man stockpiles wealth for a comfortable retirement. However, God said, “You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” (Luke 12:20-21).
Foolishness is a byproduct of our broken relationship and rebellion against God. Cut off from the Source of truth and arrogantly confident of our own ability, we are shortsighted and blind to God’s design for life. “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). Without intervention, childhood foolishness will follow us throughout life, wreaking havoc and robbing us of the abundant life God desires for us (John 10:10).
In the life of David, we have an example of how foolishness can follow us into adulthood. In 1 Samuel 25, we have the story of two foolish men and one wise woman. In the narrative, David is trying to avoid confrontation with King Saul, who is seeking to take his life. He believes God will deal with injustice, so there is no need to seek personal vengeance. David leaves King Saul and justice in the hands of God. Yet in 1 Samuel 25, David and his men are rebuffed by Nabal, a wealthy, arrogant rancher whose livestock David has been protecting. David’s answer is a path of foolish revenge.
Graciously, God sends Abigail, a woman of wisdom and the wife of Nabal, into David’s life. Two foolish men are on a collision course, each for different reasons: Nabal out of arrogance and David out of revenge. In the story, with Abigail’s help, David recognizes and repents of his foolishness and lives. Nabal, however, persists in it and dies. Foolishness unchecked is very expensive!
Here are some observations about foolishness from Scripture.
- It is our natural, default condition (Proverbs 22:15).
- It results from our rebellion against the Source of truth and choosing evil (John 3:19).
- It brings grief to ourselves and those around us; it is expensive (Proverbs 10:1).
- The foolish seek wisdom in all the wrong places (Job 28:19-20).
Wisdom
If foolish is the “lack of commonsense perception of the reality of things natural and spiritual,” wisdom is its polar opposite: the exercise of discretion. Wisdom requires both understanding reality and the discernment of the best means to achieve a worthy outcome.
Although foolishness is part of our default DNA, we need not be victims of it. The book of Proverbs tells us that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). However, although wisdom is available to anyone, it does not come automatically. Proverbs highlights the challenge of gaining wisdom. Notice action verbs in the following passage.
My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom; Incline your heart to understanding. For if you cry out for insight, And raise your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And discover the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:1-6, emphasis added).
Scripture promises that we can gain wisdom by intentionally and diligently looking in the right place. On the other hand, foolishness comes from doing nothing and reaping the costly consequences. In the personification of wisdom in Proverbs, wisdom promises that when she is ignored, neglected, and mocked, there will come the point at which she will no longer be available.
Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; And you neglected all my advice, And did not want my rebuke; I will also laugh at your disaster; I will mock when your dread comes, When your dread comes like a storm And your disaster comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but will not find me (Proverbs 1:24-28).
Here are several observations from an overview of wisdom from Scripture:
- Intelligence, age, or experience are not substitutes for wisdom (Luke 12:21).
- Wisdom can be obtained, but it cannot be bought or sold (James 1:5).
- Wisdom is more valuable than palladium (Proverbs 3:14).
- It is a bi-product of the fear of God (Proverbs 9:10).
- Wisdom is accessible to everyone and can be missed by anyone.
- Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life (Proverbs 9:11).
- Wisdom is available for the asking from the right Source, under the right conditions (James 1:5).
- The fruit of wisdom is increased wisdom (Proverbs 1:5).
Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her (Proverbs 3:13-15).
1 Webster Dictionary 1828
For Reflection
1. What are other characteristics of the foolish?
2. Who do you know that you would consider wise and why?