Wisdom and Discernment – Knowledge and Revelation
- Truth and Spirit -
D.P. Weary
July 2009
In the Old Testament a balanced mixture of wisdom and discernment marked true greatness. Solomon was given both wisdom (chakam - truth and knowledge) and discernment (biyn – a spiritual revelation on how to use the wisdom).
{1 Kings 3:12 NASB} - behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.
{Genesis 41:33 NASB} - "Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
{Genesis 41:39 NASB} - So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are.
{Deuteronomy 1:13 NASB} - 'Choose wise and discerning and experienced men from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.'
{Isaiah 29:14 NASB} - Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed."
{Hosea 14:9 NASB} - Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; {Whoever} is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them.
| chakam | Pronunciation khä·käm' (Key) |
| Part of Speech adjective | Root Word (Etymology) from H2449 |
| TWOT Reference |
Outline of Biblical Usage
1) wise, wise (man)
a) skilful (in technical work)
b) wise (in administration)
c) shrewd, crafty, cunning, wily, subtle
d) learned, shrewd (class of men)
e) prudent
f) wise (ethically and religiously)
| biyn | Pronunciation bene (Key) |
| Part of Speech verb | Root Word (Etymology) a primitive root |
| TWOT Reference |
Outline of Biblical Usage
1) to discern, understand, consider
a) (Qal)
1) to perceive, discern
2) to understand, know (with the mind)
3) to observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, consider
4) to have discernment, insight, understanding
b) (Niphal) to be discerning, intelligent, discreet, have understanding
c) (Hiphil)
1) to understand
2) to cause to understand, give understanding, teach
d) (Hithpolel) to show oneself discerning or attentive, consider diligently
e) (Polel) to teach, instruct
2) (TWOT) prudent, regard
To truly understand the ways of the Lord requires both true information (wisdom) and spiritual revelation (discernment) concerning how to use the information. This is especially true in times of war. King David was successful in his battles because of his “mighty men of valor”. Key among these were the sons of Issachar who understood the times and had knowledge of what Israel should do.
{1Ch 12:1 NASB} - Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still restricted because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped {him} in war.
{1Ch 12:32 NASB} - Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs {were} two hundred; and all their kinsmen {were} at their command.
Today we find ourselves in mighty spiritual battles. We need to be like the sons of Issachar, people who have understanding of the times we are living in (wisdom) and people who know what we should do (discernment).
In the New Testament this truth is expressed as requiring both truth (knowing the Word of God) and spirit (having revelation as to how to apply the truth).
{John 4:23 NASB} - "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
{John 4:24 NASB} - "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
{John 14:17 NASB} - {that is} the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, {but} you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
{John 16:13 NASB} - "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
True understanding of the ways of the Lord requires both true information (knowledge) and spiritual revelation concerning how to use and live by the information. There is only one way to get true understanding, wisdom and discernment; the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, gives it to us. He guides us into all the truth, and He gives us the revelation as to how to use and live by the truth. The world cannot receive true understanding (wisdom and discernment) because it does not see or know Him (the Holy Spirit). But we who claim to be true followers and disciple of Jesus should be able to receive wisdom and discernment because Jesus in the form of the Holy Spirit is with us and in fact is in us.
{Jhn 14:16 NASB} - "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
{Jhn 14:17 NASB} - {that is} the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, {but} you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
{Jhn 14:18 NASB} - "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
{Jhn 14:19 NASB} - "After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you {will} see Me; because I live, you will live also.
{Jhn 14:20 NASB} - "In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
{Jhn 14:21 NASB} - "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."
{Jhn 14:22 NASB} - Judas (not Iscariot) *said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?"
{Jhn 14:23 NASB} - Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.
{Jhn 14:24 NASB} - "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.
{Jhn 14:25 NASB} - "These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.
{Jhn 14:26 NASB} - "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
{Jhn 14:27 NASB} - "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
{Jhn 14:28 NASB} - "You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
{Jhn 14:29 NASB} - "Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. (Revelation)
Practically all of this means that we must know and receive the Holy Spirit into our hearts (our lives at the deepest level) and we must strive to have both a knowledge of His Word and spiritual revelation as to how to apply the Word on a moment to moment basis.
{Acts 13:1 NASB} - Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was {there,} prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
{1 Corinthians 12:28 NASB} - And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, {various} kinds of tongues.
{Ephesians 4:11 NASB} - And He gave some {as} apostles, and some {as} prophets, and some {as} evangelists, and some {as} pastors and teachers,
{1 Timothy 1:7 NASB} - wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. (Knowledge without revelation, truth without spirit, wisdom without discernment)
Having knowledge (information) without revelation produces dryness and death, having a form of Godliness but lacking the power thereof (2 Tim. 3:5). Having revelation without knowledge produces chaos (2 Pet. 2:1, 1 John 4:1). This can be true even if the prophets are not false prophets, but people with a gift of prophecy but lacking the truth foundation that interprets and applies the prophecy. To deal with the world we live in today we must have both prophets and apostles/teachers. We must know the Word and have present revelation (present truth – 2 Pet. 1:12) as to how to live by and apply the Word in the world around us.
These things being true, how then should be live? We must know and receive the Holy Spirit, we must know the Word, and we must seek present revelation from the Holy Spirit about everything we do. To live victoriously in the days ahead we must hear what the Spirit is saying to us today!
{Revelation 2:7 NASB} - 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'
{Revelation 2:11 NASB} - 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.'
{Revelation 2:17 NASB} - 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give {some} of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.'
Revelation 2:26-29 (NKJV) 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations-- 27 'He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels'-- as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." '
Revelation 3:5-6 (NKJV) 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." '
Revelation 3:12-13 (NKJV) 12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." '
Revelation 3:21-22 (NKJV) 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." ' "
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