Sometimes the Bible conveys some disheartening truths including man’s inability to love the Lord during difficult times. Regrettably, believers are easily offended and sometimes even scattered from the Lord because of a lack of resolve. The Lord prophesied in Zechariah 13:7 concerning His followers’ reaction to His rejection. Though the Lord knows the future, consider how this rejection must have grieved Him when it actually transpired. At a time when any faithful disciple should have been loyal to his Master, those closest to the Lord were instead scattered. The One that fed them when they were hungry (Mark 6:35-44), healed family members when ill (Mark 1:29-31), calmed the troubled waters during the storms (Mark 4:37-41), and taught them many wonderful truths was now the cause of their offence.
In our passage today, the Bible identifies three gifts from God intended to enable believers to make right decisions. These three gifts are knowledge, wisdom, and reproof. Knowledge involves factual information that enables the believer to possess details before making a decision. The Lord rebuked the simple pointing out that “they hated knowledge” (Proverbs 1:29). Because they hated knowledge, the people did not choose the fear of the Lord. Wisdom, on the other hand, involves the proper use of the knowledge provided by God for the individual. Wisdom takes the facts obtained and uses them to make the right choices. The last of the three gifts completes the package. Reproof entails the enlightenment of error. Knowledge, wisdom, and reproof work together to enable believers to choose wisely and properly.
