God and Wisdom

newton3005

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God never intended man to know good and evil when He created Adam and Eve, and He warned both not to eat from the Tree of Good and Evil. But as Adam, at the behest of the serpent through Eve, was induced to eat from that tree, God must have figured that man would never be what He originally created. I guess God could have destroyed Adam and Eve, as he destroyed others who sinned later, but for His own reasons He decided to accept that man would know good and evil from thereon in. Perhaps out of curiosity, God wanted to see how man’s knowledge of good and evil would develop and how he would act accordingly.

Well, we know the answer from Genesis after the Flood; God determined that there would always be evil in the hearts of man. Some, like Noah, avoided evil and was righteous, but most have continued to lean toward evil to this day.

Some have a natural propensity toward being righteous. This can be said of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and many in the twelve tribes of Israel that originated with Jacob’s twelve sons. But there was enough evil among the twelve tribes that when those who knew better pleaded with God to free them from slavery in Egypt, God saw an opportunity to help the people to rid themselves of evil once and for all by enacting 500 some-odd laws for them to abide by.

As the world became more complicated, it was hard for certain people striving for righteousness to discern good from evil. When Solomon became king after David’s death, he found himself in over his head. But what did he do? He asked God for help. In 1 Kings 3:8-9 he says “... your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may DISCERN BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL, for who is able to govern this your great people?” God answers him in Verses 11 1nd 12, “...’Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you A WISE AND DISCERNING MIND, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.’”

Wisdom involves having a “wise and discerning mind,” in this case being able to discern good from evil in striving for righteousness. To know God is to know wisdom as God taught Solomon. One of the Proverbs of Solomon, Proverbs 2:6, says “...the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding...”

But despite some like Solomon seeking to strive for righteousness, there were still enough people in the world who gave in to the temptations of evil, that God at this point wanted all to be saved. So Lord Jesus came down to earth, giving us an understanding of God that we may find to be a better alternative to the temptations of evil, even among the Jews whom God originally chose. And Lord Jesus and his disciples gave us his wisdom and taught us to develop and fortify God’s wisdom so we may keep on a righteous path, all the while relying on God through Lord Jesus as the focal point for our wisdom. Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and HE WILL MAKE STRAIGHT YOUR PATHS.”

What is Jesus to wisdom? 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, “...because of [God] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption...”

But as Proverbs 1:7 says “...fools despise wisdom and instruction,” you know there are many such fools in this world, many who managed to reach the heights of power and to govern at the expense of the people they have power over. Some people, including those who say ‘Lord, Lord’ through the laws that have been enacted, yet lack the Lord’s wisdom, will say, ‘Oh, our leader is a great man! He’s promised us many good things, and just give him a little more time to come through! And perhaps enough of us will give him the benefit of the doubt to give him another chance, through the ballot box.’

Which path will we take? Will we lean on our own understanding, thereby leaning away from God’s Wisdom, or will we be like Solomon, leaning to God to give us the wisdom to pursue righteousness, and to choose leaders who have the same quest in that regard?
 

eleos1954

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God never intended man to know good and evil when He created Adam and Eve, and He warned both not to eat from the Tree of Good and Evil. But as Adam, at the behest of the serpent through Eve, was induced to eat from that tree, God must have figured that man would never be what He originally created. I guess God could have destroyed Adam and Eve, as he destroyed others who sinned later, but for His own reasons He decided to accept that man would know good and evil from thereon in. Perhaps out of curiosity, God wanted to see how man’s knowledge of good and evil would develop and how he would act accordingly.

Well, we know the answer from Genesis after the Flood; God determined that there would always be evil in the hearts of man. Some, like Noah, avoided evil and was righteous, but most have continued to lean toward evil to this day.

Some have a natural propensity toward being righteous. This can be said of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and many in the twelve tribes of Israel that originated with Jacob’s twelve sons. But there was enough evil among the twelve tribes that when those who knew better pleaded with God to free them from slavery in Egypt, God saw an opportunity to help the people to rid themselves of evil once and for all by enacting 500 some-odd laws for them to abide by.

As the world became more complicated, it was hard for certain people striving for righteousness to discern good from evil. When Solomon became king after David’s death, he found himself in over his head. But what did he do? He asked God for help. In 1 Kings 3:8-9 he says “... your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may DISCERN BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL, for who is able to govern this your great people?” God answers him in Verses 11 1nd 12, “...’Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you A WISE AND DISCERNING MIND, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.’”

Wisdom involves having a “wise and discerning mind,” in this case being able to discern good from evil in striving for righteousness. To know God is to know wisdom as God taught Solomon. One of the Proverbs of Solomon, Proverbs 2:6, says “...the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding...”

But despite some like Solomon seeking to strive for righteousness, there were still enough people in the world who gave in to the temptations of evil, that God at this point wanted all to be saved. So Lord Jesus came down to earth, giving us an understanding of God that we may find to be a better alternative to the temptations of evil, even among the Jews whom God originally chose. And Lord Jesus and his disciples gave us his wisdom and taught us to develop and fortify God’s wisdom so we may keep on a righteous path, all the while relying on God through Lord Jesus as the focal point for our wisdom. Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and HE WILL MAKE STRAIGHT YOUR PATHS.”

What is Jesus to wisdom? 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, “...because of [God] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption...”

But as Proverbs 1:7 says “...fools despise wisdom and instruction,” you know there are many such fools in this world, many who managed to reach the heights of power and to govern at the expense of the people they have power over. Some people, including those who say ‘Lord, Lord’ through the laws that have been enacted, yet lack the Lord’s wisdom, will say, ‘Oh, our leader is a great man! He’s promised us many good things, and just give him a little more time to come through! And perhaps enough of us will give him the benefit of the doubt to give him another chance, through the ballot box.’

Which path will we take? Will we lean on our own understanding, thereby leaning away from God’s Wisdom, or will we be like Solomon, leaning to God to give us the wisdom to pursue righteousness, and to choose leaders who have the same quest in that regard?

I guess God could have destroyed Adam and Eve, as he destroyed others who sinned later, but for His own reasons He decided to accept that man would know good and evil from thereon in. Perhaps out of curiosity, God wanted to see how man’s knowledge of good and evil would develop and how he would act accordingly.

God knows everything from the beginning to the end.

The plan of salvation (through Jesus) was put in place before any creation took place. God knew the fall of mankind would happen.

If God would have destroyed Adam & Eve ... there would not be a human race.

He don't "act accordingly" ... He knows everything that is going to happen and everything that has happened.
 
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OldWiseGuy

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The rebellion of Adam and Eve was a reenactment of the rebellion of Lucifer, and the beginning of "the restitution of all things"; the restoration of God's spiritual kingdom. The sin of Eve and Adam was the 'seed' that would eventually grow and destroy the kingdom of the world, just as the rebellion of Lucifer eventually destroyed the first Eden; the estate and habitation of the angels (Jude verse 6).
 
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Greengardener

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Interesting premise, newton3005. My thought is that God gave man freedom, and in giving him freedom, God took the risk that man would refuse obedience to what was God's best instruction. It's a little different lean on it than you took, but it doesn't discount anything that you said. It does serve to further my thoughts here, though.

In the US, our forefathers thought highly enough about our Creator to place His name in the first documents as the guarantor of our liberties, calling such "certain unalienable rights." Granted, one person's rights end where the next person's rights begin. The way Israel was set up during and after the time of Moses and Joshua was a time of great freedom - man could basically govern himself and was responsible for himself and his community, but was given rules to show where his own rights ended and the next person's began, along with a series of examples of how loving one's neighbor really looks like.

I've wondered if most of us out here are voting the lesser of evils with the hope of forestalling the judgement to come as we continue to slide down a slope to ruin. Increasingly it is becoming a crime to speak an unpopular opinion with no guile in the heart, no hatred as the motivator. Raising honest questions about the sustainability of government programs has become tantamount to being Scrooge, although in the process we've cheated people out of the opportunity to be mentored, to eventually overcome, and to have something to give to society. Freedoms have become licentiousness: instead of loving one another we are abusing one another. We are even glorying in the sacrifice of our unborn children. We look a lot like the nations God destroyed in the Old Testament. Is there any reason to think God has changed His mind about what He thought about people that abuse each other?

If you can find an ethical, sensible, honest, diligent, reliable and godly man or woman, I can't think of any reason I wouldn't want to vote for him or her. But honestly, I haven't seen one in a long time that made it to the ballot. You raise a good question. Are there any options other than the "lesser of evils" vote or the "get this guy out anyone is sure to be better" vote? Of those two, I'll have to stick with the first, regardless the race. Yes, it could get worse, and a lot faster.
 
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