Timothy Ministries

Wisdom Hates Evil

Proverbs 8:12–13
I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. NIV

Wisdom comes to us in the Scripture sometimes as a person and speaks to us in a very personal tone of voice. Wisdom presents to us a choice. Wisdom shows us the dividing of the pathway – the pathway of life and the pathway of death. Wisdom warns us that if we are to walk in the pathway of life we have to hate evil. There is no room for compromise.

Those who are walking in that pathway cannot in any way permit themselves to entertain the thoughts of evil. We have to watch our own lives, our own behavior. We have to guard against the things that wisdom hates.

Wisdom hates pride and arrogance. These are subtle things that may begin to grow up in our lives without us scarcely being aware of them. Evil behavior and perverse speech – these are things that wisdom hates, and if we are to walk in the way of life we have to hate what wisdom hates. We have to side with the Lord against sin and iniquity, rebellion and deception. We have to dethrone these things from our hearts and to make room there for wisdom – wisdom with prudence, with knowledge and with discretion. We have to bear in mind continually that all the counsel of wisdom, all the instruction and even the admonition of wisdom is designed for our good.

—Derek Prince

Love Wisdom

Proverbs 4:5–8
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it costs all you have, get understanding. Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. NIV

There are some people whom we may love and admire and seek to do good to, and yet in the end they will turn against us and fail us and betray us. It’s one of life’s tragedies to invest your love and to give yourself to someone who ultimately betrays you. But the advice of Scripture is: love wisdom. Devote yourself to wisdom, she will not betray you, she will honor you, she will uplift you, she will protect you. And wisdom comes from the Word of God.

Wisdom is more important and more precious than all the things that men seek after. Wisdom is like that pearl of great price that Jesus spoke about: when the merchantman found it, he went and sold all that he had and bought that one pearl. He was a merchantman and knew the value of things. That’s how wisdom is. It’s a pearl of great price.

Even if it costs you all you have, the Scripture advises you buy it. Give yourself to wisdom, devote your life to her, she’ll never betray you. She’ll exalt you, she’ll bring you to honor. Your latter end will be better than your beginning.

—Derek Prince