A wise man remains quiet and ONLY speaks when needed. He doesn’t brag or boast.
A wise man doesn’t seek the approval of others, nor does he ask for advice!!!
Even the unlearned man appears wise when he keeps his opinion to himself and keeps quiet!!!
Proverbs 17:27-28 (NCV)
27 The wise say very little,
and those with understanding stay calm.
28 Even fools seem to be wise if they keep quiet;
if they don’t speak, they appear to understand.
Proverbs 17:27-28 (NIV)
27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues.
The foolish man boasts, and brags and tells all he knows!!! The foolish man is easily angered, but a wise man doesn’t let others provoke him to anger.
Proverbs 29:11 (KJV) A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
Proverbs 29:11 (NKJV) A fool vents all his feelings,
But a wise man holds them back.
The truly wise are careful in ALL that they do!!! We can choose to be wise in any situation!!! When we don’t know what to do, we just need to ask GOD!!!
GOD tells us in HIS WORD, that if we need wisdom, all we have to do is ask. HE will gladly give us all the wisdom that we need, and will NOT fuss at us for asking!!!
James 1:5 (KJV) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
James 1:5 (NKJV) But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous to everyone and will give you wisdom without criticizing you.
We can find examples of great wisdom and foolishness throughout THE WORD of GOD!!!
At times, King Hezekiah showed wisdom, but at other times, he did NOT!!!
2 Kings 20:12-18 (NKJV)
12 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan was king of Babylon. He sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, because he had heard that Hezekiah was sick.
13 Hezekiah listened to the messengers, so he showed them what was in his storehouses: the silver, gold, spices, expensive perfumes, his swords and shields, and all his wealth. He showed them everything in his palace and his kingdom.
14 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say? Where did they come from?”
Hezekiah said, “They came from a faraway country—from Babylon.”
15 So Isaiah asked him, “What did they see in your palace?”
Hezekiah said, “They saw everything in my palace. I
showed them all my wealth.”
16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to the words of the Lord:
17 ‘In the future everything in your palace and everything your
ancestors have stored up until this day will be taken away to Babylon. Nothing
will be left,’ says the Lord.
18 ‘Some of your own children, those who will be born to you,
will be taken away. And they will become servants in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”
GOD called David a man after HIS OWN HEART!!! David followed after GOD and he had great
wisdom!!!
Nabal was a foolish and harsh man that thought he could do and say what he
pleased because he was very rich, but he married a very wise woman.
David wisely chose to listen to Abigail, and he allowed GOD to repay Nabal. GOD quickly repaid Nabal for his unwise
words and actions, and he died!!!
1 Samuel 25:2-38 (NCV)
2 A man in
Maon who had land at Carmel
was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was cutting
the wool off his sheep at Carmel.
3 His name was Nabal, and he was a descendant of Caleb.
His wife was named Abigail. She was wise and beautiful, but Nabal was cruel and
mean.
4 While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was cutting the wool from his sheep. 5 So he sent ten young men and told them, “Go to Nabal at Carmel, and greet him for me. 6 Say to Nabal, ‘May you and your family and all who belong to you have good health! 7 I have heard that you are cutting the wool from your sheep. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harm them. All the time your shepherds were at Carmel, we stole nothing from them. 8 Ask your servants, and they will tell you. We come at a happy time, so be kind to my young men. Please give anything you can find for them and for your son David.’”
9 When David’s men arrived, they gave the message to Nabal, but Nabal insulted them. 10 He answered them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many slaves are running away from their masters today! 11 I have bread and water, and I have meat that I killed for my servants who cut the wool. But I won’t give it to men I don’t know.”
12 David’s men went back and told him all Nabal had said. 13 Then David said to them, “Put on your swords!” So they put on their swords, and David put on his also. About four hundred men went with David, but two hundred men stayed with the supplies.
14 One of Nabal’s servants said to Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the desert to greet our master, but Nabal insulted them. 15 These men were very good to us. They did not harm us. They stole nothing from us during all the time we were out in the field with them. 16 Night and day they protected us. They were like a wall around us while we were with them caring for the sheep. 17 Now think about it, and decide what you can do. Terrible trouble is coming to our master and all his family. Nabal is such a wicked man that no one can even talk to him.”
18 Abigail hurried. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two leather bags full of wine, five cooked sheep, a bushel of cooked grain, a hundred cakes of raisins, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs and put all these on donkeys. 19 Then she told her servants, “Go on. I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband.
20 Abigail rode her donkey and came down toward the mountain hideout. There she met David and his men coming down toward her.
21 David had just said, “It’s been useless! I watched over Nabal’s property in the desert. I made sure none of his sheep was missing. I did good to him, but he has paid me back with evil. 22 May God punish my enemies even more. I will not leave one of Nabal’s men alive until morning.”
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed facedown on the ground before him.
24 She fell at David’s feet and said, “My master, let the blame be on me! Please let me talk to you. Listen to what I say. 25 My master, don’t pay attention to this worthless man Nabal. He is like his name. His name means ‘fool,’ and he is truly a fool. But I, your servant, didn’t see the men you sent. 26 The Lord has kept you from killing and punishing anyone. As surely as the Lord lives and as surely as you live, may your enemies become like Nabal!
27 I have brought a gift to you for the men who follow you.
28 Please forgive my wrong. The Lord will certainly let your family have many kings, because you fight his battles. As long as you live, may you do nothing bad. 29 Someone might chase you to kill you, but the Lord your God will keep you alive. He will throw away your enemies’ lives as he would throw a stone from a sling.
30 The Lord will keep all his promises of good things for you. He will make you leader over Israel. 31 Then you won’t feel guilty or troubled because you killed innocent people and punished them. Please remember me when the Lord brings you success.”
32 David answered Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me. 33 May you be blessed for your wisdom. You have kept me from killing or punishing people today. 34 As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, he has kept me from hurting you. If you hadn’t come quickly to meet me, not one of Nabal’s men would have lived until morning.”
35 Then David accepted Abigail’s gifts. He told her, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words, and I will do what you have asked.”
36 When Abigail went back to Nabal, he was in the house, eating like a king. He was very drunk and in a good mood. So she told him nothing until the next morning. 37 In the morning when he was not drunk, his wife told him everything. His heart stopped, and he became like stone. 38 About ten days later the Lord struck Nabal and he died.
Knowledge and understanding are to be sought after!!! Wisdom is more precious than rubies.
Proverbs 3:13-20
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her.
19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens;
20 By His knowledge the depths were broken up,
And clouds drop down the dew.
4 While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was cutting the wool from his sheep. 5 So he sent ten young men and told them, “Go to Nabal at Carmel, and greet him for me. 6 Say to Nabal, ‘May you and your family and all who belong to you have good health! 7 I have heard that you are cutting the wool from your sheep. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harm them. All the time your shepherds were at Carmel, we stole nothing from them. 8 Ask your servants, and they will tell you. We come at a happy time, so be kind to my young men. Please give anything you can find for them and for your son David.’”
9 When David’s men arrived, they gave the message to Nabal, but Nabal insulted them. 10 He answered them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many slaves are running away from their masters today! 11 I have bread and water, and I have meat that I killed for my servants who cut the wool. But I won’t give it to men I don’t know.”
12 David’s men went back and told him all Nabal had said. 13 Then David said to them, “Put on your swords!” So they put on their swords, and David put on his also. About four hundred men went with David, but two hundred men stayed with the supplies.
14 One of Nabal’s servants said to Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the desert to greet our master, but Nabal insulted them. 15 These men were very good to us. They did not harm us. They stole nothing from us during all the time we were out in the field with them. 16 Night and day they protected us. They were like a wall around us while we were with them caring for the sheep. 17 Now think about it, and decide what you can do. Terrible trouble is coming to our master and all his family. Nabal is such a wicked man that no one can even talk to him.”
18 Abigail hurried. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two leather bags full of wine, five cooked sheep, a bushel of cooked grain, a hundred cakes of raisins, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs and put all these on donkeys. 19 Then she told her servants, “Go on. I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband.
20 Abigail rode her donkey and came down toward the mountain hideout. There she met David and his men coming down toward her.
21 David had just said, “It’s been useless! I watched over Nabal’s property in the desert. I made sure none of his sheep was missing. I did good to him, but he has paid me back with evil. 22 May God punish my enemies even more. I will not leave one of Nabal’s men alive until morning.”
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed facedown on the ground before him.
24 She fell at David’s feet and said, “My master, let the blame be on me! Please let me talk to you. Listen to what I say. 25 My master, don’t pay attention to this worthless man Nabal. He is like his name. His name means ‘fool,’ and he is truly a fool. But I, your servant, didn’t see the men you sent. 26 The Lord has kept you from killing and punishing anyone. As surely as the Lord lives and as surely as you live, may your enemies become like Nabal!
27 I have brought a gift to you for the men who follow you.
28 Please forgive my wrong. The Lord will certainly let your family have many kings, because you fight his battles. As long as you live, may you do nothing bad. 29 Someone might chase you to kill you, but the Lord your God will keep you alive. He will throw away your enemies’ lives as he would throw a stone from a sling.
30 The Lord will keep all his promises of good things for you. He will make you leader over Israel. 31 Then you won’t feel guilty or troubled because you killed innocent people and punished them. Please remember me when the Lord brings you success.”
32 David answered Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me. 33 May you be blessed for your wisdom. You have kept me from killing or punishing people today. 34 As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, he has kept me from hurting you. If you hadn’t come quickly to meet me, not one of Nabal’s men would have lived until morning.”
35 Then David accepted Abigail’s gifts. He told her, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words, and I will do what you have asked.”
36 When Abigail went back to Nabal, he was in the house, eating like a king. He was very drunk and in a good mood. So she told him nothing until the next morning. 37 In the morning when he was not drunk, his wife told him everything. His heart stopped, and he became like stone. 38 About ten days later the Lord struck Nabal and he died.
Knowledge and understanding are to be sought after!!! Wisdom is more precious than rubies.
Proverbs 3:13-20
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her.
19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens;
20 By His knowledge the depths were broken up,
And clouds drop down the dew.
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