Uncommon Wisdom

September 1, 2024 homily on Song of Solomon 2:8-13 and James 1:5,16-18 by Pastor Galen

 “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.” — James 1:5

Common Sense is Not So Common

It’s been said that “common sense is not so common.” And it’s true in both senses of the word. First, what might seem like common sense to one person might not be common sense to someone else. And secondly, there seems to be an inordinately high number of people who don’t seem to have any sense at all.

We see examples of this when someone attempts to commit a crime but doesn’t think it all the way through, like the 17-year-old who stole a car without realizing the car had a manual transmission, which he didn’t know how to drive. And then there was the bank robber who wanted to expedite the process and called ahead to the bank to let the tellers know he was coming in to rob them. Of course, instead of getting his money ready for him, as he had hoped, the bank tellers called the police, who made it to the scene before the would-be bank robber and arrested him as soon as he arrived.

As I said, “common” sense isn’t so common.

If common sense isn’t very common, what seems to be even more rare in our world is wisdom. Wisdom differs from knowledge in that it’s not just knowing information or how to do something; wisdom is knowing how and when to apply that information. It’s knowing not to steal a car with a manual transmission, even if you do know how to drive one, because stealing is wrong. It’s knowing that if we get away with something for a time, eventually our sins will catch up to us, or “find us out,” as it says in the King James Version (Num. 32:23). And it’s knowing the best way to go, even when there are multiple options available to us.

Every Good and Perfect Gift

Now even though wisdom may not be so common, it is available to anyone who asks, according to the book of James. James tells us, “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.” James doesn’t provide any disclaimers or fine print. If we ask for wisdom, we will receive it.

For James, wisdom is undoubtedly one of those “good and perfect gifts” that James talks about a few verses later. James says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17 KJV). For James, it isn’t even up for debate. If we ask God for wisdom, God will grant it, because God is a good parent who loves to give good gifts to God’s children, as Jesus told us in Matthew 7:11.

A Wise and Discerning Mind

Certainly, we saw this play out in the life of King Solomon, who we studied a few weeks ago. If you remember, King Solomon was told that he could ask God for whatever he wanted (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon could have asked for riches or fame, but instead Solomon asked for “an understanding mind to govern [the] people, able to discern between good and evil” (1 Kings 3:9), and indeed his prayer was answered. The Bible says that “God gave Solomon very great wisdom, discernment, and breadth of understanding as vast as the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone else…[and] his fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations” (1 Kings 4:29–31).

It is thanks in large part to the value that King Solomon placed on wisdom that we have the “Wisdom Books” of the Bible: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. These books were not all written by Solomon (although some of the Proverbs most certainly were), but “King Solomon would have been the royal sponsor responsible for aggregating and presenting this wisdom in the finished works we see in Hebrew and Christian Bibles.” As such, we have Solomon to thank for ensuring that the proverbs and wise sayings found in these books were collected and compiled and passed down from generation so that we have access to this collective wisdom even to this day. (The New Testament Book of James, written by the half-brother of Jesus, follows in the tradition of Wisdom literature, even though it was written centuries later.)

The Song of Solomon

The Song of Solomon, of the “Song of Songs” is somewhat unique among the wisdom literature of the Bible in that it reads more like love poetry than collections of wise sayings. But the poetry found in Song of Solomon certainly depicts one of the greatest gifts given to humans that comes down from the Father of Lights: the capacity to love. 

Song of Solomon describes romantic love, but we know that there are other types of love as well, including familial love between siblings and parents and children. There’s the love shared between friends, and there’s even the special bond that people often have with their pets. And the list could go on. 

1 John 4:7 tells us that “love is from God;  [and] everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7b).  And so therefore, even though Song of Solomon never mentions God any where in the book, through the love poetry of Song of Solomon we can catch a glimpse of the love God has for us. Because any time we see true love, even romantic love, it points to the love God has for us as God’s children.

The lover in Song of Solomon says,

My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away, for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away” (Song of Songs 2:10b-13).

The Gift of Presence

One of the ways we as humans often show people that we care about them is through giving them gifts. We buy cards or flowers on Valentine’s Day. We exchange Christmas gifts or give birthday gifts. We also show people that we care through doing nice things for them, and saying kind words.

But people who are in love know that the best gift they can ever give to their beloved is the gift of their presence. Spending time with someone that we love, being available to them, listening to them, holding them. Our presence is indeed the best present that we could ever give someone. This is demonstrated in the Song of Solomon, as throughout the poems the lovers consistently express their longing and desire to be in each other’s presence.

And this is true of God as well. The gift of God’s presence is certainly the best gift we could ever receive. Throughout the Scriptures, God promises to be with us. And indeed, the most “good and perfect gift” that ever came down from God our Father was Jesus Christ, who was born and lived among us to show us who God is. Even after Jesus ascended, he gave us his Holy Spirit to be with us and to guide us. And so God demonstrates his love for us by being present with us. 

Wisdom = Holy Spirit

But what does all of this have to do with the concept of wisdom? Well, the following is just a theory, and I certainly can’t prove it. But you know how the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) doesn’t really refer to the Holy Spirit? The phrase “holy spirit” is found only a couple of times in the Hebrew Bible, but it’s not a reference to a specific person of the Trinity, as in the New Testament. When the Hebrew Bible talks about God’s spirit, it’s just an extension of God, rather than a separate member of the Trinity.

But at the same time, in the Hebrew Bible, “Wisdom” is often personified. For example, in the book of Proverbs, “God’s wisdom…is poetically portrayed as a woman who loves and is beloved by any who will receive her offer. The love language of Proverbs 8 includes ideas of faithfulness and truth (8:7), righteousness and justice (8:20), and life (8:35), themes all related to the marriage covenant.” In other places in Proverbs, Lady Wisdom is variously described as a homemaker or counselor.

So here’s my theory: I think that when the Hebrew Bible talks about wisdom, I think what it’s really refering to is the Holy Spirit. I think that when Solomon asked for a wise and discerning mind, that God filled him with the Holy Spirit. I think the Holy Spirit was very much present and active all throughout history. And the wisdom of Solomon was really the Holy Spirit working in and through him, guiding him to make wise decisions for the good of the people.

The Gift of God’s Presence

If it’s true that the concept of wisdom is synonymous with the Holy Spirit, then the gift of wisdom is really the gift of God’s presence with us. And what James is really saying is that if we’re lacking in wisdom, then all we need to do is ask God and God will give us the amazing and wonderful gift of God’s Holy Spirit — God’s presence with us — to guide and direct us! 

This means that the wisdom that comes from God is not some sort of “app” that just sort of gets downloaded into us and now all of a sudden we’re wise and can make right decisions. No, the wisdom that comes from God is God’s Spirit, dwelling within us! And it’s evidence and testament to God’s love for us, because just as lovers desire to be with their beloved, so too God longs to be present with us! The wisdom that God gives to those who ask comes in the form of God’s Spirit, living inside of us, loving us, guiding us and directing us and comforting us.

Truly the gift of God’s presence is the most good and perfect gift!

The Time of Singing Has Come!

So if anyone is lacking in wisdom, ask God! God is the lover described in Song of Solomon who is leaping and calling to us, telling us to arise, that the winter is past and that the time of singing has come!

So let us sing of our love for God. Let us ask God to come and fill us, to quench the longing of our hearts. Let us invite God’s presence to fill us and guide us and direct us. And let us back in the warmth and light of God’s neverending love for us.

Amen!

Questions for Personal Reflection:

1. Reflect on a time when you lacked wisdom in making a decision. What could you have done differently? Did you seek guidance from God or others at that time?
2. How often do you actively ask God for wisdom in your daily life? What might be stopping you from asking God for wisdom more frequently?
3. In what ways do you see God’s presence as a gift in your life?
4. If wisdom is truly the Holy Spirit’s presence with us, how might this change the way you seek and value wisdom?
5. In what ways can you open yourself up to receiving God’s wisdom and presence more fully?