Proverbs and other portions of the Bible pay glowing tributes to wisdom. It is ranked
above money and other desirable things. Its proceeds include peace, health, and long
life. God enjoins us to acquire wisdom, and told us how to get it. The easiest way to
acquire wisdom is by listening. Even native wisdom comes from hearing. In those days,
elders instilled wisdom in children by telling them stories, oftentimes, after dinner. The
tortoise made the most interesting storylines. Life-applicable lessons came from those
stories. The westernization of every aspect of our cultural life is a disgrace and a
disservice to our heritage. It is true that there were aspects of the culture that were
barbaric, even demonic. However, there were brilliant ones, like storytelling, that should
have been preserved. Back to divine wisdom, listening to God’s wisdom will put us on
the path to acquiring it. “A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of
understanding will attain wise counsel” (Proverbs
“We gain wisdom by observation.”
From our text, we see another way to acquire wisdom. Here, God is drawing our
attention to the life of Abraham. There are several cases where God drew our attention
to certain characters. Jesus remarked, “Remember Lot’s wife”. That was to warn the
people to avoid her mistake. Being called to look at Abraham is an invitation to learn
what connected him to God’s blessing. We gain wisdom by observation.