One of the important features of good Bible reading is noticing the small things in the text. There are a plethora of small, seemingly insignificant words in every passage we read. If we pass them over, we will often miss a gold mine. It’s critical to train ourselves to catch these small nuggets of spiritual gold as we are reading. The more we work at noticing them, the more we will succeed at noticing them.
One of the most common of these small wonders we find in the Bible is the “if-then” statement. This kind of statement is called a conditional statement. The “if” part of the statement sets up the condition, and the “then” shows how the condition is met or not met. Sometimes, the word “then” is not expressed in the statement but understood. An example will help us see this more clearly. The sentence, “If it doesn’t rain, (then) we will go to the picnic,” demonstrates a conditional statement. The conditional part is whether it will rain or not, and the part that shows if the condition is met is going to the picnic or not. These kinds of conditional statements can often have a great deal of meaning in biblical texts. One of these important texts is Proverbs 2:1-15.
Proverbs, of course, is the book of wisdom, and this passage (2:1-15) deals with the way of wisdom. How do we get the much-needed true biblical wisdom? Solomon uses the “if-then” conditional statement to flesh out how we arrive at the desired divine gift of wisdom. In this passage, we find three conditions for wisdom (three “ifs”) and two results of wisdom (two “thens”). The ramifications of these statements are enormous in our quest for truth and in the work of that quest, reading our Bibles, and everything that flows out of that in our lives and our mission.
Three Conditions for Wisdom
The first condition we find in Proverbs 2 is that we must eagerly receive the word. “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding” (Proverbs 2:1-2). Wisdom begins with receiving the word of God. Having the wisdom of God requires knowing the word of God. It is foolish to reject the word of God when it comes to us but wise to receive it. But there is more to it than merely receiving the word; we must treasure it. It must hold a place of highest value in our lives. It is a treasure we long for and search high and low for it. We are so eager to receive the word of God that we incline our hearts and are attentive with our ears. We lean into hearing the word so that we can get every delicious and healthy morsel. We eagerly receive the word of God to gain the treasured wisdom we so desperately need.
The second condition for wisdom is that we cry out to God for wisdom. “Yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding” (Proverb 2:3). The person who greatly wants wisdom cries out to God for it. We see the psalmists cry out to God, “I cry out to God most high, to God who fulfills his purpose for me” (Psalm 57:2). “With my whole heart I cry out; answer me, O Lord! I will keep your statutes” (Psalm 119:145). Crying out to God in prayer shows a great desire for wisdom. You must have it above all else! God answers the prayers of those who desperately cry out for wisdom.
The third condition for wisdom is that we seek wisdom as the highest value. “If you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure” (Proverbs 2:4). We are to seek wisdom like a person crazed for precious metals. We forego no expense or effort to gain the desire of our hearts. We search for it like a man feverishly digging for hidden treasure. The questions are: what do we truly value, and how do we gain a proper sense of value that really leads to a flourishing life? Wisdom is that treasure. The way of wisdom is God’s way to have a flourishing life; it is of the highest value.
Two Results of Wisdom
The first result of wisdom we find in Proverbs 2 is a relationship with God. “Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:5). This is the “then” part of the conditional statement. If we meet the conditions for wisdom, then it follows that the results will come. The Bible teaches us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10). Knowing God is the essence of life. One’s relationship with God consists of a proper reverence of his holy person and a growing knowledge of his character and his ways. Wisdom brings us into this divine relationship. Therefore, we will go hard after wisdom if we want a relationship with God.
But with both of the results of wisdom, Solomon adds a twist. He provides a reason for the result specified. He does it with the little word, for or because, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield for those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the ways of his saints” (Proverbs 2:6-8). The result of wisdom is a relationship with God because God gives wisdom to those who love and follow him. If you honestly seek wisdom, then God will give it to you.
The second result of wisdom is a blessed life. “Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path” (Proverbs 2:9). New understanding brings a new way of life. Deeper wisdom brings a richer way of life. If one gets wisdom, then one will understand some key components of a blessed life. In Solomon’s words, these key components of a blessed life are righteousness, justice, and equity, which are “every good path.” Every good path is another way of saying every blessed way of life. Having wisdom means living a blessed life.
Solomon again gives the reason why this is so, why wisdom results in a blessed life. “For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you” (Proverbs 2:10-11). Wisdom will come into our hearts and lead us to a blessed life. Knowledge, which is another way of saying wise choices, will be pleasant to our souls rather than repugnant. It will open the doors of blessings. Solomon is not saying that everything in life will work out perfectly, but he is saying that we will avoid the foolish choices that often lead to misery and a way of life that is not blessed. Then Solomon reveals how discretion and understanding will guard us, “delivering you from every evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways” (Proverbs 2:12-15). Wisdom guards us from missing the blessed life because it gives us the understanding to discern those people and ideas that will lead us astray. Those who have wisdom do not fall prey to the temptations of the wicked. They avoid the pitfalls of folly. Wisdom truly promotes a blessed life.
Conclusion
Did you grasp the incredible power of just two little words – if and then? By noticing these words in the passage, we can unlock all the marvelous treasures of wisdom and the word of God. These two tiny keys – if and then – open huge treasure boxes. They reveal to us the way of wisdom. We are led on the path of truth by paying attention to these two little words rather than passing over them. And, traveling this path, we find the riches of wonderful blessings. We gain privy to the counsel of God, his divine wisdom.