WISDOM'S CHILDREN
WISDOM’S CHILDREN
Luke 7: 35 - 38; 2 Samuel 14: 1 - 3; 2 Samuel 20: 16 - 22
The thought of “wisdom” has been very much on my mind in view of this meeting. It is a very extensive and comprehensive subject, as you will readily understand in that the name “Wisdom” may be applied to the Lord Jesus Christ. In approaching the subject our minds are at once directed back to the beginning of things. No one who takes account, even in the most superficial way, of the phenomena in the physical system before our eyes every day, can fail to admit that wisdom has been behind its creation. But I do not wish to dwell upon this aspect of wisdom tonight, but to speak of it as it applies at the present time in a spiritual way.
We read in Romans 1 that the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made; and wisdom must be regarded as one of these invisible things. The apostle Paul so regarded it, speaking of the “hidden wisdom”. Evidently this wisdom was not employed in the creation of the universe. It is the “hidden wisdom which God had predetermined before the ages for our glory: which none of the princes of this age knew, (for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory)” (1 Corinthians 2: 7, 8). God had hidden this wisdom, but in due course has brought it forth and caused it to be seen in the working out of Wisdom’s plan in the assembly; the “all-various wisdom” of God has come into display (Ephesians 3). It is now a manifested thing, it has been disclosed. It is seen here on earth now in the assembly by principalities and powers in the heavenly places. It is of this wisdom that I wish to speak, while feeling what a great undertaking it is.
James, in order to clear our minds, delineates its features — “The wisdom from above first is pure, then peaceful, gentle, yielding, full of mercy and good fruits, unquestioning, unfeigned” (James 3: 17). All these are the elements of the hidden wisdom, and wherever wisdom is found these features will be in evidence.
Now I wish to begin with the woman in Luke 7. She shows how wisdom begins to take form in her children. Christians are wisdom’s children. The Lord says, “Wisdom has been justified of all her children” (Luke 7: 35). Those who know James’ delineation can readily discern them. It is very wonderful to belong to this family, found on earth. Its wisdom surpasses that of all the scientists of this world, as Daniel’s wisdom exceeded that of all the magicians of Babylon. The Spirit pays a remarkable tribute to Daniel. When speaking to the prince of Tyre, in Ezekiel 28: 3, Jehovah says, “Thou art wiser than Daniel!” God takes account of wisdom, of wisdom’s children. The wisdom found in the assembly today excels all the wisdom of the world’s sages. By it is apprehended more of the physical universe than is known by the greatest astronomer. This is only to be understood by faith; no one can comprehend it by means of a telescope. We read in Hebrews 11: 3, “By faith we apprehend that the worlds were framed by the word of God”. The mind of God is apprehended by faith.
So I wish to draw attention to this woman, so well known to all of us as a type of the needy sinner coming to Christ. But she is more; she is one of wisdom’s children. Luke always put things in moral order. Thus, after having made the statement as to wisdom’s children, he brings in an illustration. Scripture not only says things are so, but also shows them. The Lord says, “Seest thou this woman?” He calls attention to her. What an exercise would it create if the Lord were to call attention to you or me! He calls attention to her in connection with the [p. 89] marks of wisdom seen in her. She had heard that He was in Simon’s house. Light had been brought to her; she came there through a report. And she was prepared to brook the chilly atmosphere because Jesus was there. Wisdom detected the greatness of the Person. The One whose feet had carried grace into this poor world was in the Pharisee’s house, and she approached Him there, washing those feet with her tears. Wisdom’s children have feelings, sympathies, affections, spiritual emotions, which are touched and stirred by Christ. If in the beginning, when God laid the foundations of the earth, the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy, how much more would wisdom’s child be touched when the Creator Himself was found in the Pharisee’s house! He had brought there everything needed by man. There was nothing lacking in the Saviour when He came into manhood. His feet carried it all in the pathway, and wisdom’s child washed those feet with her tears. How many such tears have you shed? God has a bottle for such tears. How many of our tears go into it? They represent holy emotions, drawn out into expression by the presence of Christ. In this woman we get the initial idea of wisdom’s children. They are affected by Christ. Christ is supreme with them. The Lord is able to draw attention to the woman as a model. Such a one as this woman is the saviour, under God, of any company. So the apostle says to the Corinthians, “There is not a wise person among you” (1 Corinthians 6: 5). How important in a company is the presence of a wise man or woman! Such will be marked by these initial features. They are always preserved, and used to preserve others.
Love is the greatest thing, and wisdom is the handmaid of love. This woman loved much. Love underlies all edification, all true building in the assembly. Proverbs 14: 1 tells us that “The wisdom of [p. 90] women buildeth their house; but folly plucketh it down with her hands”. We want to be like the wise, not like the foolish. The building is very easily damaged by the foolish woman. Love is always true to itself. Love edifies. And wisdom is love’s handmaid. We might call it the next great thing in the moral system.
Now in 2 Samuel 14 we have a woman called wise, but employed by another. Saints should be on their guard lest they become the tools of scheming persons. The church’s history has been marked all the way down by the presence of scheming persons. The public body of the church has been the sphere for the development of every form of human ambition. So we find Joab here, a scheming, ambitious man. He held his position by violence and craft, and, in order to ingratiate himself with the king, schemes to bring back Absalom and employs this woman whom Scripture calls wise. The worldly wise will use wisdom’s children if wisdom’s children are not on the alert. We read he said unto her, “I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments ... and come to the king, and speak after this manner to him”. It was all a sham: it must be so. The words he put into her mouth were good words, gospel words, but she used them for subversive ends, for Joab had in mind to reinstate a murderer. Did he care for Absalom? Not a bit. All he cared for was himself, his own ambition. This wise woman was simply acting as a parrot. The assembly is no place for parrots, however intelligent. There are thousands of such abroad preaching. Their words are from their mouths only, not from their hearts. It is out of the abundance of the heart that wisdom’s children speak. They speak of Christ. They love Christ. But this woman spoke beautiful things to a wrong end, and the result was that a murderer was reinstated: not merely a man after the flesh, but a murderer.
[p. 91] It can be easily shown that this exactly covers the present position in Christendom. The preaching is by those who have the words put into their mouths, and so open enemies of Christ are brought back. Such preaching is not by the Spirit; such labour at their own charges. When Absalom returned, what did he do, in order that he might see the king’s face? He burned up the barley field. The barley field speaks of Christ. What a picture we have here of the natural heart hating Christ and getting rid of Him to serve its own ends! These men try with all their power to get rid of every vestige of Christ, and to reinstate man after the flesh. Absalom was beautiful according to the flesh, and stole the hearts of the men of Israel. But let us not be drawn after him, let us not be deceived by his kisses.
Now pass on to chapter 20. By this time Absalom is dead, but the enemy is quick in filling his place by another. This time it is a man of Belial, Sheba by name. He was of Benjamin, the tribe of Saul. He was not a lover of David, but the counterpart of Absalom. It says he blew a trumpet. The blowing of a trumpet is the calling attention to something in a very definite way. Here it is typically a banner raised against Christ. He said, “We have no portion in David”. Many today throw over Christianity entirely. “Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, Israel”. It is the trumpet of sedition and rebellion to draw the saints away from Christ. This is the avowed object of the trumpet. Thank God this man is hunted down. He is found in the city of Abel, and the city is besieged. The city of Abel was part of the inheritance, and the problem now is how to save the inheritance and yet deal with the offender. What wisdom does this problem demand! We see Joab battering down the wall, pushing the siege, regardless of life and property in the city. Sheba only is before his [p. 92] mind. But there is the city, and a wise woman in the city, a mother in Israel, and are they to be destroyed?
In the assembly how essential it is to be wise so as to be able to get at the offender without causing destruction to the inheritance of God. Wisdom teaches us to enquire, to discern. In connection with the sin of Achan, how careful and thorough a search was made until the offender was finally discovered! This is wisdom’s way. Now note what the wise woman says, how wisely she speaks. What God is doing is working locally. “There is not a wise person among you”. In Ecclesiastes 9: 15 we find that “a poor wise man” delivers the city. The thing is to have wisdom. The Spirit says this woman was wise. And she was not employed by anyone: she acts from herself, moved by the urgency of the situation. The whole city is exposed to destruction, and by her wisdom she delivers the city.
Note how she refers to the ancient way, to what happened of olden time. “They were wont to speak in old time saying, Just inquire in Abel; and so they ended”. Here we come to experience. Experience is one of the greatest things in the house of God. The elder must be a man of experience. The Lord as presented in the Revelation has hair “white, like white wool, as snow”. Grey hairs found in the way of righteousness — that constitutes eldership. One of the greatest things to be cherished at the present time is what was at the beginning. The apostle John opens this up in his writings. There is no idea of change in connection with the truth of God. God, Christianity, and divine principles remain ever unchanged. All change is the result of man’s will and sin. God will not modify His principles to conform to man’s changes. What was at the outset stands, and there the matter ends: no innovation can be brought in. Scripture is [p. 93] the test of everything, and there is the end of the matter. There is no appeal from that.
This woman, having faced Joab, then turns to the men of the city. She goes to them in her wisdom. She uses her wisdom, not her natural intelligence or influence, nor her family connections. She goes in her wisdom. And presently the head of Sheba goes over the wall. Wisdom is from above. If we lack it, let us ask of God who will give it liberally. Sheba must be located, his head must be thrown over the wall, but the city must be saved. God’s inheritance must not be destroyed. Think of a great general pressing hard the siege, and yet one woman ending the matter!
Finally Joab returns to Jerusalem, and David’s regime is set up in peace. The authority of Christ is secured, the order of His house set up. The greatness of wisdom is seen in that by it the brethren are preserved, yet the guilty is discerned and dealt with. Wisdom is a very great subject. We see it shine in these characters, and so are able to speak of it.