Cook Book Recipes and Proverbs


In reading Proverbs 1-4, I found it fascinating that the Bible plainly tells us how to acquire wisdom, knowledge, and understanding-like-just sitting right there, black and white. Assuming we would all like to be wiser, more knowledgeable, and to understand what we know and how to apply it, I present the following:

Proverbs 1:20 states blatantly that “Wisdom cries aloud in the street”, that is to say that it is easily accessible. It is our own immaturity, selfishness, and laziness that keeps us from grasping what is right in front of us (struggle with daily Bible reading much?). Proverbs 2 then gives step by step instruction as to how to obtain knowledge and wisdom. You could not write a recipe in a cook book clearer then how Solomon spelled it out (he knew his audience well). It can be bulleted from Proverbs  2:1-5 as such:

“My son…”

  1. Receive my words
  2. Treasure up (meditate/remember/dwell on) my commandments
  3. Make your ear attentive to wisdom
  4. Incline your heart (desire) understanding
  5. Call out for insight and understanding
  6. Seek it like a something incredibly valuable

“Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God”.

Another essential factor is that we not forget from whom the source of all knowledge and wisdom come: “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding…” (Prov 2:6). 

Now, re-read that because it is probably a thought that we most often take for granted and do not really conceptualize the power of the truth of that verse.

Another interesting thought:

Prov 1:5 says:  “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.”

There is a kind of circular, closed loop, system being described here. It is the person who is already wise being admonished to hear and increase in learning. The fact that they are wise implies that they do, and will do, this very thing; listen and increase in learning.  Also, the one who understands is told to obtain guidance. Again, this is a direct result of the fact that this person has obtained guidance previously, gives guidance, and will continue to do the very thing that gave him the understanding in the first place.

These counsels are also the character traits of the person being counseled. The wise is wise because he listens, and the understanding give guidance because they know to obtain guidance.

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