The one who gets wisdom loves life
Proverbs 19:8 - Wisdom brings a love of life and goodness to the forefront; putting that wisdom to good use allows you to prosper in many ways as you live your life for the glory of God!
“The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.”
Proverbs 19:8
The Lord must want me to get my daily dose of wisdom, since He has been nudging me towards Proverbs again. Today’s verse, like the one from Friday, is one of the proverbs of Solomon and is designed to pack a lot of knowledge into two short lines of text.
It begins with “The one who gets wisdom loves life”. Pursuing wisdom, then holding onto that wisdom throughout one’s life, is worth striving for because it is good and helpful. This shows that we love our own life. 17th century theologian Matthew Poole explained this phrase (translated as “loveth his own soul” in the KJV):
“Or loveth himself, because he procures great good to his soul, or to himself, as it follows; as sinners, on the contrary, are said to hate their souls, Proverbs 29:24, because they bring mischief upon them.”1
Going back to the original ancient Hebrew, the word for wisdom is לֵב (lēḇ) and some translations of that word are “heart”, “conscience”, and “determination of will”. So wisdom isn’t just a matter of intellect, but of will, conscience, and even affections. Working to obtain and keep wisdom shows that a person has regard for their body and soul.
From the Pulpit Commentary for Proverbs 19:8 on BibleHub.com are several examples (from St. Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle) of how a good person loves their own life but an evil person cannot:
Hence St. Thomas Aquinas ('Sum. Theol.,' 1:2, qu. 25, art. 7, quoted by Corn. a Lapide) takes occasion to demonstrate that only good men are really lovers of themselves, while evil men are practically self-haters, proving his position by a reference to Aristotle's numeration of the characteristics of friendship, which the former exhibit, and none of which the latter can possess ('Eth. Nic.,' 9:4).
“One who cherishes understanding” not only works hard to gain wisdom and good judgement, but also guards those qualities as if they were a rare fortune. That means doing all one can to not lose gained wisdom or let it lie unused. Like funds that are managed with care and thought, wisdom grows and brings prosperity to its owner.
Now, loving one’s self and life sounds un-Biblical, doesn’t it? I questioned this and found an answer from Calvary Chapel of Jonesboro:
This is the way to love yourself. You love your own soul by protecting and guarding it from the tyranny of self. You choose instead to embrace God's wisdom in the heart. You decide that you will guard and protect yourself from anything that turns you even slightly from a life lived for the glory of God - from a life lived for the kingdom of God - and a life lived by the Spirit of God as He teaches and leads you by the Word of God. Want to love yourself? That is the way to do it!
Wisdom brings a love of life and goodness to the forefront; putting that wisdom to good use allows you to prosper in many ways as you live your life for the glory of God!
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear God, provide me with the wisdom to love my own soul and life, as well as the understanding to find good in all situations and all people. May I use Your Word to help me seek more knowledge and understanding in all areas of my life, so I may grow and become a better person. Teach me to always do what is right and just, and may my actions reflect the wisdom and understanding I have acquired. I thank You for your guidance and blessings. AMEN.
Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.
Poole, Matthew "A Commentary on the Holy Bible" Volume 2 (Psalms-Malachi) (London: Banner of Truth Trust, 1968)