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The Timelessness of Wisdom

Proverbs 8:25 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)
²⁵Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,

Before the mountains had been shaped: The Hebrew term (טָבַע taba) here rendered shaped has the sense of being deeply embedded in something. This same term is used in Job 38:6, where it speaks of God sinking or setting the earth on its bases, supporting its foundation; the question is asked, ‘What holds up the pillars that support the earth?’ This, according to Job 9:6, are the foundations on which the pillars that support the earth are resting.

Before the hills, I was brought forth: Wisdom was brought forth has the sense of being created or conceived. Yet another case of figurative language highlights the timelessness of wisdom.

Do you think that the Bible’s words of wisdom can work for you, living in the 21st century? Yes, the Bible’s wisdom is timeless and will never be outdated. But why look to the Bible instead of to other sources of wisdom? Because, among other many reasons, the principles found in the Bible have time-tested value for thousands of years. God has given humans another kind of basic wisdom as well, instinctive wisdom. Yes, God has endowed humans with the faculty of free will. But he has also implanted some basic instinctive abilities as well. Instinctive wisdom did not come about by chance. Instinctive wisdom is done without conscious thought, without thinking. ‘In this quite abnormal character, instinctive wisdom appears only to hinder conscious knowledge at certain points.’ The intuitive sense is based on what one feels to be true, even without conscious reasoning.

Some basic instinctive wisdom that we all possess. (1) Something feels wrong in your body. Listening to your body’s subtle signals is important. (2) You are in danger. Your brain can detect subtle irregularities in your environment and other people’s behavior. (3) Giving other people help. Our instinctive desire is to identify with others, to empathize with them. (4) Knowing this is it. Your intuition signals that you’ve found something truly special. These and others are commonly called gut instincts, and there are times when we should use them to make decisions.