Prudence & Discretion - the Evidence of Wisdom

“See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. “So keep [shamar – watch, guard, care for] and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’             Deuteronomy 4:5-6 

Much of the old covenant relationship with God through the Law of Moses was perfected in an individual’s attitude toward and pursuit of wisdom. In fact, a major section of old covenant literature is known as “Wisdom Literature” and reference works attributable to Solomon, including Proverbs and Ecclesiastes as well as Ecclesiasticus and the Wisdom of Solomon (both included in the Apocrypha) and finally, Job. The Greek word for wisdom is chokmah and can be defined as “the knowledge and the ability to make the right choices at the opportune time.” According to Vines Dictionary of the Old Testament, it represents “the consistency of making the right choice” and is an indication of maturity and development. In the passage above, the Lord is presenting to the Hebrew nation an avenue to real maturity and it centers on accepting, caring for and doing His statutes and judgments.

“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know [yada – to know rationally & experientially] wisdom and instruction [musar – discipline], to discern [biyn – to perceive] the sayings of understanding, To receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice and equity; To give prudence [ormah – craftiness] to the naive, to the youth, knowledge and discretion [mezimmah – good judgement, wise planning], A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, To understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”             Proverbs 1:1-7

In this beginning passage of Proverbs 1, we are introduced to a number of Biblical principles all related to one finding wisdom and understanding. Solomon is making a case for the importance of various elements of wisdom that promote a rational and experiential knowledge of God. Two of the most important of these is prudence (ormah) and discretion (mezimmah). They represent clear evidence that wisdom has found a home in the believer’s heart and functions to reveal itself in right choices. These words are not widespread in today’s English-speaking world so they require further definition. In Proverbs 8:12-13, “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.”

Prudence 

Merriam-Webster defines prudence primarily as “the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason” and can also mean “the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason” and “caution or circumspection as to danger or risk”. Having real knowledge is important, but knowledge serves little purpose when it is not applied properly in real-life experiences. The Hebrew word ormah has both positive and negative connotations, both represented by the English word “craftiness”. In the NASB, it is also translated “sensible” as illustrated in verses found in Proverbs 14. Consider the following: 

Proverbs 14:8 - The wisdom of the sensible [prudent] is to understand his way [thinks things through], but the foolishness of fools is deceit.

Proverbs 14:15 - The naive believes everything, but the sensible [prudent] man considers his                    steps.

Proverbs 14:18 - The naive inherit foolishness, but the sensible [prudent] are crowned with                    knowledge. 

Applying wisdom in real-life situations is the ability to think things through instead of acting impetuously or in foolishness. The prudent man is not naïve, but considers how he walks and thus proves that he is not foolish. In Proverbs 27:12, the prudent man recognizes he operates in a world filled with evil and that evil is ever-present to entrap the naïve and they will pay the price. In Proverbs 12:23, prudence produces a certain humility in not showing off one’s knowledge while the foolish one displays his folly. His anger dominates him while the prudent one reveals no dishonor (Proverbs 12:16).

Discretion

Discretion is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the right to choose what should be done in a particular situation” and “the quality of being careful about what you do and say so that people will not be embarrassed or offended.” It has the idea of good judgment and produces an ability to control one’s anger in difficult situations, to be able to pick and choose when to be confrontational and when to be circumspect (Proverbs 19:11). Proverbs 2:11-13 says, “Discretion will guard you, understanding will watch over you, 12 To deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things; 13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness.” Discretion creates an environment in the soul that produces a spiritual life and victory in circumstances (Proverbs 3:21-22). 

Jesus identifies the fruit of prudence and discretion as having a proper mindset, a spiritual outlook. He illustrates it in His dealing with Peter’s denial of the Father’s plan that Jesus would need to suffer and die, but would be raised on the third day (Matthew 16:21-23). In verse 23, Jesus tells Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." Peter was operating in man’s wisdom and this mindset governed his thinking. The Greek word “phroneo” is translated “setting the mind or affection” and involves the will, the affections and the conscience. The Apostle Paul uses this word in connection with those who are enemies of the cross, “whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19). They have allowed their appetites to replace God in their lives.

Wisdom of God 

“And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”             1 Corinthians 2:1-8 

Paul recognized that the solution to the matter was not allow anything to take superiority over his relationship to Jesus Christ and Him crucified. When Paul operated outside of his natural strengths and gifts, he was allowing the power of God to be manifested in his ministry. This meant that others would recognize the demonstration of the Holy Spirit instead of Paul and this would lead them to the person and work of Christ. Paul is speaking about the fear of the Lord. In Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”