Articles
Understanding
The wise writer instructed his son, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding” (Prov. 4:7). He said this because the father [the speaker in this passage] wanted what was best for his son, and for him to be able to make life easier, even in the most difficult times. Understanding does not eliminate difficulties, but it can help us endure them better. The same is true today, but understanding of spiritual matters not only makes life a little better; it is what makes the difference between spiritual life and death.
The Hebrew word translated here as understanding can also be defined as knowledge, discernment, or wisdom; in the New Testament, the Greek word translated into our English word understanding likewise has meaning of knowledge, comprehension, and wisdom. The thought here is that one has the ability to fully know what is said or done, and may act according to that understanding. Again, in spiritual matters, this is essential, else one may act with only partial knowledge, act with faulty perception, or act without fully comprehending what has been said or demanded, and err in his or her actions — not what we aim for, I hope.
For a few minutes, let us consider the importance of gaining understanding in spiritual matters, and why some never will achieve that necessary understanding — and the consequences of failing to truly understand these things. First: Why some will never understand.
Worldly/Fleshly Desires. When Paul reminded the Christians at Corinth of the message he had delivered to them, he pointed to the reality that what had been delivered to him by the Spirit of God and passed on to them were “the things of God,” and Paul said that he and others spoke those things to them, “not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:12-14). The “natural man” Paul identifies here is one who is guided by his fleshly senses and desires; the word is sometimes translated as sensual — one who seeks fleshly pleasures; a hedonist.
Paul noted that one who chases after the fleshly pleasures as a way of life will never understand the spiritual things “because they are spiritually discerned” and such a one has no ability to comprehend this, for he has no knowledge or experience in such matters. As long as one has his mind and life set on indulging in the fleshly pursuits, there can be no spiritual understanding; there won’t even be a desire to understand.
Dull Hearts. Isaiah wrote of ones who would have dull hearts and, as such, they “Keep on hearing, but do not understand” (Isa. 6:9, 10). In the New Testament, when Paul spoke to some Jews in Rome, he quoted this passage as it applied to some there who heard but continued in their unbelief (Acts 28:23-27). The general meaning here is that those who see and hear have become insensitive to — or maybe desensitized — to the message of the gospel, to the point it does not touch their hearts, does not inspire any feeling of remorse for sin, and cannot move them to respond in love. As such, they cannot comprehend what they do not ‘hear’ or ‘see’ because their senses have been dulled to the point of an inability to feel anymore. They are callous.
Lacking Understanding. Jesus, in the explanation of the Parable of the Sower, said this: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside” (Matt. 13:19). A lack of understanding is a dangerous situation, to say the least, for the “word of the kingdom” is the message of salvation — what Peter called “the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Friends and brethren, if we fail to understand these words, it will cost us eternity in heaven!
To Gain Understanding. When the wise writer admonished his son to “get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding,” the necessary inference here is that it is possible to gain this wisdom and understanding. But how can this be achieved?
Fear the Lord. The psalmist once wrote, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psa. 111:10); the wise writer concurs, writing, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1:7), and, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov. 9:10). For some who may be reading this, it may not seem like that is any kind of answer at all, but consider:
The “fear of the Lord” is a healthy reverent respect for the Lord — who He is, what He has done, and what He demands of us, His creation. It is only by knowing all these things about Him that any man can have a proper, reverent respect for Him, and that itself will change our thinking. One who recognizes God as Creator and the one who has the right to demand anything of us, His creation, will likewise recognize our responsibility to Him as our Creator. A further, deeper knowledge of His character [love, mercy, longsuffering] will further motivate us to consider what we owe Him in return. [Not that we can repay anything, but the feeling of gratitude and a desire to repay love with love.] If we get this far in our knowledge of God, it is likely we will stop focusing on our selfish desires and begin to focus on His desires — what He demands and deserves from us.
Get help, if needed. When the faithful Jews returned to Jerusalem after 70 years in captivity, Ezra and others gathered the people together to teach them the Law that had been forsaken by their forefathers, with the intent they would know and obey those words. When the Law was read before the people, the religious leaders “helped the people to understand the Law” (Neh. 8:7, 8). The next day, those of the tribe of Levi [who would be responsible for teaching the Law to the people] gathered to Ezra and the scribes “in order to understand the words of the Law” (Neh. 8:13). It only makes sense that a people essentially deprived of hearing these words for a generation or two would need help understanding the very words by which they would be living the rest of their lives.
We who now live in a world where a generation or two have not been taught God’s word will also need some help in understanding God’s laws and God’s ways, and even the plan God has for their salvation. The challenge we have is getting past the misunderstanding so many have, the abundance of misinformation, and many misconceptions of God, the Bible, salvation, and eternity.
But help can mean the difference between a continued to lack of understanding and true understanding that can lead to salvation! When Philip met the Ethiopian eunuch, who was reading from Isaiah, he asked the eunuch, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:30). Because Philip took the time and explained the meaning of what he was reading, the eunuch came to know the truth, believed it, and was baptized (Acts 8:35-39). Understanding meant salvation!
How about you? Have you the understanding that leads to salvation? If not, we are here to help! — Steven Harper
