Really Smart

TITLE: Really Smart
DATE: February 22, 2019
TEXT: 1 Corinthians 3:19 – ESV - 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”
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I have a deep appreciation of human knowledge.

• The knowledge of a doctor who saw the curative possibilities of penicillin in a petridish saved my life from pneumonia when I was five.
• The knowledge of another man, and his team, offered my children freedom from polio.
• Other smart folks have given our households microwave ovens, automobiles, light with the flip of a switch, central air-conditioning, band-aids, computers, nail-clippers, CD's and videos to preserve family memories.

 God also is pleased with human knowledge.  He who gave us brains to think is pleased when we put them to use. But when earthly experts elevate human knowledge over God's wisdom, that’s when they  become foolish.
Take a look at the Bible. I'll show you what I mean.

• Adam and Eve were intelligent enough to name all of the Creator's creatures. God asked them to do that. But when the first family thought they were experts and elevated their wishes above God's will, they got into trouble.
• Before the flood, God had no problem with humans using their intelligence to subdue the earth. He said that was their responsibility. But when those humans thought they were wise enough to put their pleasure-seeking above God's wisdom, the Lord was greatly grieved. (Genesis 6:5).
•  The Lord was glorified by many of the things His prophet Moses did. But when Moses thought himself an expert wise enough to improve upon God's plan to give water to the wandering Israelites, things did not go well (Numbers 20:5).

Time and again Scripture tells us that when a man thinks he is expert enough and has wisdom enough to displace God, the Lord turns the tables. When experts elevate human knowledge over Godly wisdom they become foolish.

Nowhere is that more apparent than on the topic of Judgment Day. Almost 2,000 years ago, our Savior, God's Son, said what it was going to be like on "too-late-day." The omniscient Lord, who holds all history in His hand said, 'When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory."

Today's experts tell me it ain't gonna happen. Some experts tell us, "If Jesus comes back over Rugby, North Dakota, the geographic center of North America, He couldn't possibly be seen over Yackandandah, Australia. It's when experts elevate human knowledge over God's wisdom that they become foolish.

Jesus continues: "All the nations will be gathered before Him and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats."

Earthly experts will say, "How can it happen? How can someone who died centuries ago, whose body was cremated, and ashes scattered over the continents be brought back together in one spot. How can those atomized by the bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima come back? And even if they could be brought back, how is Jesus going to separate them? It would take forever."

And the Lord Who brought life into being with a word and who brought Lazarus back from the dead says, “Trust Me. I’ve got it under control.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, bless human knowledge. Let us always have respect for Your omniscience and  trust in Your Word and promises. This we ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html