WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.960 Welcome back. Today we're doing a deep dive into, 00:00:03.259 --> 00:00:05.620 well, the whole idea of wisdom. And we're using 00:00:05.620 --> 00:00:07.280 a really interesting lens for that, aren't we? 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:09.759 Yeah, excerpts from Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom. 00:00:10.080 --> 00:00:12.560 It's an ancient text, but still feels relevant. 00:00:12.859 --> 00:00:15.320 Absolutely. The goal is sort of unpacking what 00:00:15.320 --> 00:00:17.859 this prayer tells us about wisdom, what it is, 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:20.039 why it's so important, according to this story. 00:00:20.359 --> 00:00:22.899 What immediately struck me, you know, is you 00:00:22.899 --> 00:00:25.500 have this incredibly powerful figure, King Solomon. 00:00:25.660 --> 00:00:27.960 Right, at the absolute peak of power. And he's 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:31.269 basically saying, I don't inherently have the 00:00:31.269 --> 00:00:33.850 wisdom I need. That's quite a starting point. 00:00:33.969 --> 00:00:35.850 It really is. It's profoundly humble. He calls 00:00:35.850 --> 00:00:39.789 himself... a man weak and short -lived. Weak, 00:00:39.850 --> 00:00:42.689 yeah, and lacking in comprehension of judgment 00:00:42.689 --> 00:00:45.509 and of laws despite being the king. Exactly. 00:00:46.009 --> 00:00:48.469 It sets up this idea that wisdom isn't just something 00:00:48.469 --> 00:00:50.689 you're born with or get from experience alone. 00:00:51.409 --> 00:00:54.549 It's something else. Something beyond just human 00:00:54.549 --> 00:00:56.770 capability. That seems to be the core message. 00:00:57.030 --> 00:00:59.469 Yeah. He explicitly says wisdom needs to come 00:00:59.469 --> 00:01:02.299 from a higher power. from God. He uses phrases 00:01:02.299 --> 00:01:05.439 like consort at your throne, right? And that 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:08.000 it was present when you made the world. It's 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:10.680 woven into the fabric of creation almost. So 00:01:10.680 --> 00:01:13.120 it's definitely not just being clever or, you 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:16.219 know, having a high IQ? No, not at all. The divine 00:01:16.219 --> 00:01:19.260 origin implies something much deeper, like a 00:01:19.260 --> 00:01:21.840 fundamental understanding of reality aligned 00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:24.120 with the divine. What kind of cosmic insight? 00:01:24.439 --> 00:01:27.200 Perhaps. Something beyond just logic and reason. 00:01:27.709 --> 00:01:30.670 More intuitive maybe. Okay. So if he believes 00:01:30.670 --> 00:01:34.269 wisdom comes from this divine source, yeah What 00:01:34.269 --> 00:01:36.810 does he actually want it for? Why pray for it? 00:01:36.890 --> 00:01:39.290 Well, primarily it's about how to rule he asked 00:01:39.290 --> 00:01:43.090 for wisdom to Govern the world in holiness and 00:01:43.090 --> 00:01:44.989 righteousness righteousness, okay, and to render 00:01:44.989 --> 00:01:47.549 judgment in integrity of heart. It's about justice 00:01:47.549 --> 00:01:50.989 fairness So for him wisdom is the tool for good 00:01:50.989 --> 00:01:53.799 leadership the essential tool I'd say It's how 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:55.700 he can understand what's right, what's pleasing 00:01:55.700 --> 00:02:00.000 to God, and make sure his actions are just and 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:01.799 acceptable for his people. It's very focused 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:04.219 on ethical governance, isn't it? Not personal 00:02:04.219 --> 00:02:06.500 advantage. Precisely. It's about having that 00:02:06.500 --> 00:02:09.099 moral compass. And the prayer also touches on 00:02:09.099 --> 00:02:11.460 why this divine help is so necessary, doesn't 00:02:11.460 --> 00:02:14.620 it? Yes, it highlights human limitations. He 00:02:14.620 --> 00:02:17.919 says things like, deliberations of mortals are 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:21.310 timid. and uncertain our plans. Timid and uncertain. 00:02:21.550 --> 00:02:24.009 Yeah, that feels true sometimes. And he even 00:02:24.009 --> 00:02:27.090 brings in the physical aspect, quote, the corruptible 00:02:27.090 --> 00:02:30.750 body burdens the soul, suggesting our very nature 00:02:30.750 --> 00:02:33.750 can cloud judgment. So we're kind of inherently 00:02:33.750 --> 00:02:36.169 flawed in our understanding. We can't see the 00:02:36.169 --> 00:02:38.870 whole picture on our own. That's the implication. 00:02:39.229 --> 00:02:41.849 There's this inherent limitation, this incompleteness 00:02:41.849 --> 00:02:44.129 without that connection to something greater, 00:02:44.349 --> 00:02:47.259 which makes seeking that higher wisdom. Absolutely 00:02:47.259 --> 00:02:50.120 crucial, especially for complex tasks like leading 00:02:50.120 --> 00:02:52.939 a nation. Exactly. How else can you grasp what 00:02:52.939 --> 00:02:55.759 truly matters, what's truly right unless that 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:58.159 wisdom is given? And the prayer kind of wraps 00:02:58.159 --> 00:03:00.280 up by saying this wisdom isn't just for knowing 00:03:00.280 --> 00:03:02.639 things. Right. It actually guides people. Guides 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:04.919 them to live rightly. It mentions people learning 00:03:04.919 --> 00:03:08.240 what pleases God and being saved by wisdom. Correct. 00:03:08.500 --> 00:03:11.319 It's transformative. It shapes actions, aligns 00:03:11.319 --> 00:03:13.979 you with a divine purpose. It leads to salvation 00:03:13.979 --> 00:03:16.500 in the context of the prayer. Okay, so let's 00:03:16.500 --> 00:03:18.719 quickly recap the key takeaways here. We've got 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:21.400 Solomon, this powerful king. Acknowledging his 00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:23.939 deep need for wisdom that comes from beyond himself. 00:03:24.379 --> 00:03:27.919 Right. Seeing wisdom as divine in origin, essential 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:31.020 for just rule for understanding God's will. And 00:03:31.020 --> 00:03:34.159 recognizing that human intellect alone is limited. 00:03:34.860 --> 00:03:37.300 Sort of inherently flawed. It needs that divine 00:03:37.300 --> 00:03:39.740 spark, that higher insight. Definitely. Wisdom 00:03:39.740 --> 00:03:41.659 is presented as the path to righteous living 00:03:41.659 --> 00:03:46.159 and ultimately being saved. So, Stepping back 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:48.539 from the text for a moment. Mm -hmm. It makes 00:03:48.539 --> 00:03:51.500 you think, doesn't it? How so? Well, how do these 00:03:51.500 --> 00:03:54.840 ancient ideas about needing a wisdom beyond just 00:03:54.840 --> 00:03:57.860 information? How does that resonate today? That's 00:03:57.860 --> 00:03:59.520 a great question for you listening. Mm -hmm. 00:03:59.659 --> 00:04:02.020 In our world, saturated with data and facts. 00:04:02.219 --> 00:04:04.639 Right. Endless information. What does it mean 00:04:04.639 --> 00:04:07.240 for you to seek a deeper wisdom? Something more 00:04:07.240 --> 00:04:09.219 than just knowing stuff. Something that guides 00:04:09.219 --> 00:04:10.819 your choices and understanding in a meaningful 00:04:10.819 --> 00:04:14.719 way. Yeah. What constitutes real wisdom in your 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:16.839 life? beyond just the data points, something 00:04:16.839 --> 00:04:17.500 to mull over.