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One other feature has probably attracted the reader's attention--that each of the four
passages cited are doxologies. It is perhaps obvious that sinners saved by grace should be
grateful for salvation, for mercy, for life, for blessing. It is not so obvious that we should
render unceasing praise to God "only wise". It may be of service, therefore, to consider
the wisdom of God together, so that we may praise Him as is His due.
Let us begin with the fact that God is "only wise". There are passages of Scripture
that speak of the wisdom of men. Solomon is an outstanding example; and Daniel
shines, too, in this respect. Others also could be named, but we need not go further, for
all the wisdom of Solomon and Daniel is but as a drop in an ocean. Every atom of it was
derived from the Lord Himself. He alone is wise, and the fountain of wisdom.
So infinitely above all human wisdom is the wisdom of God, that the Scripture uses in
this connection the strange figure Catachresis, or Incongruity:--
"The foolishness of God is wiser than men" (I Cor. 1: 25).
With man, wisdom is the fruit of experience, of knowledge, of discipline, of time, and
often the result of mistakes and failures. The wisdom of God is underived. It is His
because He is God:--
"Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being His counselor hath taught Him?
With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of
judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and showed to Him the way of understanding?"
(Isa. 40: 13, 14).
It would be well for us to keep steadily in mind that when we speak of the attributes of
God, such as wisdom, power, righteousness, etc., we use a human device. There are in
actuality no such attributes in the sense that God is compounded of so much substance
and so many qualities. It would be truer to fact if we said that God Himself is wisdom, is
power, is righteousness, and that when we speak of the wisdom of God, we really mean
God acting wisely, or when we speak of the righteousness of God, we mean God acting
justly.
Wisdom enters into the work of creation, for it is written:--
"To Him that by wisdom made the heavens" (Psa. 136: 5).
"The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding He established the
heavens" (Prov. 3: 19).
"He hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom,
and hath stretched out the heavens by His understanding" (Jer. 51: 15).
The three items of related truth presented in Jer. 51: 15 cannot be considered in this
article with the care they demand. We may be able to devote space to this passage later.
It seems almost foolish to continue. The wisdom of God is so profound and altogether
wonderful. Think of the variety of the works of the Lord. As the Psalmist says, "O Lord,
how manifold are Thy works; in wisdom hast Thou made them all" (Psa. 104: 24). Apart