The Two Types Of Wisdom

To be blunt, The Lord says everyone is born with foolishness in their heart – we can read that in Proverbs. Foolishness is the opposite of wisdom.

Proverbs 22:15 AMP says – Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline [correction administered with godly wisdom and lovingkindness] will remove it far from him.

So I ask a curious question if that foolishness is not removed from the child’s heart, do they grow up as adults and make unwise decisions?

We can debate that question in the comment section or something for you to think about –

What Is Wisdom?

Initially, Adam was surrendered to God. He had a will, but he was not confronted with sin. God did all the work and instructed Adam on what to do. God does everything. We have to wait on His instructions.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lived in harmony; God created and involved Adam in His work. So yes, there was work in the Garden of Eden, and God tasked Adam to care for the garden, and Adam named all the animals in the world. Adam and Eve lived in the will of God.

God had instructed Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In chapter 3 of the book of Genesis, we see how the enemy deceived Eve into disobeying God – but I ask, could Eve have said NO to the serpent and changed the course of humanity’s existence?

Nevertheless, Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and because they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they immediately became aware, and their spirit died. The flesh, with its sinful desires, became alive. This transformation also meant humans would have to make decisions based on wisdom – and we see that Adam and Eve’s first decision of sewing fig leaves to cover themselves was a fallible one.

After they sinned, Adam and Eve realized they were naked, so they had to cover themselves up; they sewed fig leaves and used that for their covering. Immediately we get a sneak peek into human beings’ limited and shallow wisdom, in contrast with God, who made garments of skin for Adam and Eve to clothe them.

There is a vast difference when we consider the decision Adam made when it comes to covering themselves and the decision God made when it comes to covering Adam and Eve. For one, Adam using fig leaves to cover himself meant that his choice of clothing would not last, and when we see God’s choice of covering for Adam, God chose a durable material to make clothes for Adam, which would last for a long time.

This contrast is the same way godly wisdom and earthly wisdom compare to each other. The wisdom that comes from God makes it possible for people to have good judgments and good decisions that will be beneficial and bring good rewards in return. In contrast, earthly wisdom is void of good judgment and deep understanding, making decisions on temporary facts. Often, these decisions have side effects or may, in time, yield dire consequences.

How Does Wisdom Work?

Wisdom is knowledge coupled with insight, good judgment, and deep understanding that helps a person make a good decision or solve a problem.

Human wisdom is very limited and fallible; this kind of wisdom treats the symptoms of the problems instead of holistically solving the problem. Whatever decision we make, there is a consequence or reward attached to the decision. Our decision to surrender to God and walk in His will with fear and respect is a decision that has a reward of blessings of heavenly wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. The Bible says the fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

To reiterate, everyone enters the world with foolishness in their heart. The parent’s responsibility, especially the father, is to ‘remove’ the folly from the child’s heart. The Bible talks about instilling godly discipline and wisdom in the developing child. Our childhood experiences affect us as adults.

God’s wisdom is all about love, purity, and grace. So we see the two types of wisdom on display early in the Bible – Adam’s wisdom was to sew fig leaves to cover himself; in contrast, God’s wisdom was to make garments out of animals’ skin to dress Adam and Eve.

After Adam and Eve sinned, they stepped out of God’s will, which meant they could decide for themselves instead of depending on God. James 3:13-17 and Proverbs 3:5-6

In conclusion, I would encourage people to follow the will of God and to fear God, meaning show Him reverence and obedience to Him; that brings wisdom and knowledge to a person.