The Story:Wisdom doesn’t always get the acclaim or appreciation it deserves. Witness Rehoboam’s hardness against his father’s counsel. But then, wisdom is content to be wise.It doesn’t need a lot of hoopla and hooray. Wisdom’s satisfaction is in itself, because wisdom partakes of the very essence of God (Prov. 8). “Under the sun” men despise the contributions of wisdom, probably because they remind them of the God Who beckons to them from His throne in the heavens, and they’re not interested in what He has to say. But Solomon, though wise, is neither small nor lacking in power. He is a great king and, at last, again a wise one. If Rehoboam won’t listen to him for his wisdom, perhaps he will hear this mighty king as he tries to dissuade his son from a life of folly – not by force of arms, but by quiet counsel, confrontation, and cajoling. Rehoboam may consider his father, now in his declining days, small and powerless. But Solomon advises him to look for the wisdom in his words, and not at the decrepit state of his body (see chapter 12).

The Structure:Does it seem as if Solomon keeps going over the same ground, with only a little twist here and there? There are only so many ways of answering the fool according to his folly (Prov. 26.4, 5). But these approaches are true: make them account for their presuppositions and convictions; lead them to consider the implications of their claims; force them to contemplate the folly of their thinking; and always – always – hold out for their consideration the beauty and consistency of life “under the heavens.” We must never tire of seeking to persuade our unbelieving friends to forsake their folly and embrace the truth in Jesus.

Are you growing weary of bearing witness to friends or colleagues who just want to argue or put down your faith? How can believers help one another to cultivate patience and persistence in bearing witness in love?

Each week’s studies in our Scriptorium column are available in a free PDF form, suitable for personal or group use. For this week’s study, “This Way to Happiness: Ecclesiastes 9,” simply click here.

T. M. Moore

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.