Misguided Pursuit: Why We Seek Wisdom in All the Wrong Places

Allegory of Wisdom and Strength by Paolo Veronese, c.1565

This is a very perceptive painting by Paolo Veronese created in c.1565 in Italy. He contrasts wisdom and strength to give us an insight into true wisdom and its enduring value.

Lady wisdom dressed resplendent stands tall. Her gaze is upwards toward the source of light. There is light above her. She is the source of illumination as well. Her right foot is on the globe. There are scattered emblems of royalty, military, and wealth at her feet, all to show the value she ascribes to these symbols of power and wealth.

The man, Hercules, is the epitome of strength and desire. He is covered with wolf skin, and a wolf’s head is draped across his shoulder. This is an allusion to Mars, father of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, reared by a she-wolf. But he is faltering and falling to the ground. Cupid, the Roman god of desire and erotic love, is on the floor. His gaze is towards the man who is tripping over. Is Cupid the cause of the man’s fall?

An appropriate inscription at the bottom of the column on the left reads, “Omnia Vanitas.” This Latin phrase is a quote from Solomon’s words in the Book of Ecclesiastes, ‘All is vanity.’

"All is vanity"

Solomon, the Wise

Solomon was said to be the wisest of all men, with an encyclopedic grasp of all available knowledge. He dispensed justice to his people with fairness. He wrote Proverbs, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes— part of wisdom literature in the Bible. Through his wisdom, he became very wealthy, militarily strong, astute in judgement, constructed the glorious Temple of God in Jerusalem, and his palace. People from all over came to see him and hear his wisdom. Queen of Sheba, the Ethiopian Queen, came to listen to his wisdom, and she was amazed to see everything in Jerusalem.

What is Wisdom?

What is wisdom? Wisdom originates in God and it is a God-given gift, as we see from the example of Solomon. Wisdom is nurtured as we align ourselves with the commands and purposes of God. Wisdom is not just a mere accumulation and application of knowledge. Morality and justice are foundational to the concept of wisdom. Divorced from morality, wisdom is empty and destructive. Walter Brueggemann, an Old Testament scholar and writer, puts it eloquently: 'To be wise is to understand what Yahweh wills and to practice it. And clearly Yahweh does not will the greedy pursuit of riches or preoccupation with one’s own life. What God wills is the enhancement and well-being of community neighbours in faithful and just relations.’ 

In his collection of wisdom sayings, in the Book of Proverbs, Solomon portrays wisdom as a woman. Lady Wisdom was present with God at creation, implying that wisdom was integral to the cosmic and moral laws of creation. Wisdom was with God when God brought order out of chaos (Proverbs 3 & 4).

Wisdom as a Person

What is the implication of wisdom being presented as a person? Von Rad says, “…it is correct to say that wisdom is the form in which Jahweh‘s will and his accompanying of man (i.e. his salvation) approaches men ... the most important thing is that wisdom does not turn towards man in the shape of an̳ ’It,‘ teaching, guidance, salvation, or the like, but of a person, a summoning ̳'I.‘ So wisdom is truly the form in which Jehovah makes himself present and in which he wishes to be sought by man.” Appropriate response to such a summons is to “…love her …cherish her …embrace her” (Proverbs 4:6-9). Heeding the call of Lady Wisdom leads to peace, prosperity, knowledge, good judgement, and discretion.

Countering this call and drawing us away from wisdom is Lady Folly’s tempting invitation (Proverbs 9). Heeding her call leads to the path of destruction and death. Many go to her and find themselves feasting with her guests in the grave.

Solomon's Folly

Solomon is a prime example of the contrasting outcomes that befall a person who follows Lady Wisdom and then abandons her for Lady Folly. Solomon began well with humility, seeking after God. But towards the end of his life, he was a pathetic man from whom wisdom had fled. He had squandered away the gift of wisdom by embracing every other ideology that came to him through marriage and compulsions of international relations. Cupid played a prominent role in his downfall. He did the very things that kings were warned against in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 17. Eventually, after his death, the Kingdom of Israel split and never united again.

True Wisdom

So then, the pursuit of wisdom is essentially a pursuit of God.

The book of Proverbs talks about the 'fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom’. It is not a state of being terrified of God, but being in reverent awe of God. The result is that we become humble before God and accept God’s definition of right and wrong, being dependent on Him and working for the purposes that God has created us. 

Finally, Christ Jesus himself has become our wisdom from God (1 Cor 1:30). As we deepen our relationship with Christ, his presence within us becomes for us wisdom leading us to make wise choices.