The Law of the Wise

“The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.” (Pr 13:14 AV)

Isn’t that interesting?  The law is called ‘the law of the wise’ and not merely the law.  Several ideas here.  The law, as coming only from God, would be wise in nature.  The wise of heart would seek out the law of God.  Therefore, the law is not arbitrary.  It is not subjective.  The law is not a living idea.  It is concrete and absolute.  It becomes the law of the wise because the wise desire to know and follow it.  That is why they are wise.  Note the motive for the wise internalizing the law.  It is to depart from the snares of death.  This brings me to the point for this morning.  The law is ineffective unless the wise live by it.  The law existed before God created anything.  Over time, It was revealed to mankind.  But the word of God is eternal.  God does not need the law.  He is the law.  He does not need the law to discipline His choices or be judged if He fails to apply them.  He cannot sin.  He has no nature that can break His law because His law is Him.  It would be a contradiction.  Therefore, the law is for those who need it.  That would be created beings.  The angels, mankind, and even the animal and plant kingdoms need law.  The wise are those who take the law of God and make it their own.

The phrase ‘law of the wise’ reminds me of a phrase that would occur in some story involving a mystic source of knowledge that is reserved for the most learned or noble of seekers.  Perhaps a knight on a quest or a riddle that needs solving before passage is granted; the phrase reminds me of something that would evade most.  The ‘law of the wise’ sounds like something Hollywood would use to indicate some source knowledge existing beyond the reach of all but one.  There have been plenty of storylines around that theme.  From The Raiders of the Lost Ark to Star Trek, it seems there is one puzzle-solving hero who can figure out all the clues and solve a grand mystery the world has never solved.  The phrase does not seem like something available to all.  But the law of God is not so.  It is available to all who wish it.  It is not a mystery inside of an enigma.  It is not some series of nonsensical source code that needs a cipher.  The law of the wise is the law of the wise because the wise are wise.

The law remains dormant and unprofitable if it is not learned and applied.  A stop sign at an intersection is pointless if there are no vehicles that use it.  Thou shalt not kill would not apply if God had not created mankind.  The law exists.  The law is ineffective unless there are wise creatures willing to make it their own.  We often look at law as a bad thing.  But according to Solomon, we have two choices.  We can either chose the fountain of life or the snare of death.  There is no middle ground.  We can either stop at the stop sign and proceed safely.  Or we can ignore it and suffer an accident.  We are traveling down the road of life.  We have no choice in that matter.  The sign exists.  We have no power to remove it.  We either stop and live, or we ignore it and die.  The law remains.  Therefore, the wise will make the law their own law.  It will be a part of who they are and what they do.  It will be the defining trait of their character.  The law of the wise is from eternity, and it is the law of the wise because the wise have accepted it as their law.