Riddle

“To understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.”  Proverbs 1:6

Riddle – If God wants to communicate with men, why does He speak in riddles?  That’s the question we must ask when we read this opening thought in the book of Proverbs.  God is anxious to teach men the ways of life.  He wants us to know the straight path.  He desires that we understand what pleases Him.  So, why does Solomon suggest that some of these important ideas are communicated as “dark sayings”, the Hebrew word hida?

The answer is found in the definition of wisdom.  Wisdom in the Bible is not about the collection of facts.  It is not a spiritual game of trivial pursuit.  Wisdom is about what pleases God.  It is first and foremost the change in my actions that align me with God’s expectations.  Therefore, the wisest man is not necessarily the man with the highest IQ.  The wisest man is the one who is closest to God.  And that man is characterized by the fact that he listens to God’s instruction and obeys. 

This kind of wisdom is a gift, not an achievement.  I can’t earn a degree in godly behavior by studying books and taking tests.  I must ask God for a change in my heart and then I must act accordingly.  God grants wisdom to those who are willing to obey Him. 

So, when God writes the instruction manual for living, He writes it for those who are willing to listen, that is, those whose ears are open to what God says and whose hearts are ready to follow His directions.  Therefore, God writes so that the words require His constant explanation.  The words will be nothing but riddles to those whose hearts are set against God’s ways, but they will be illuminated to those who seek Him.  The answer to the riddle (the dark saying) is simple:  if you want wisdom, practice obedience.

Do you see now why Jesus spoke in parables?  He was being consistent with the Old Testament.  He painted picture stories that could be understood only with hearts of obedience.  The lessons were only for those with the right kind of ears.

Today you will open your Bible and read something God put there, but unless your heart is just as open to His guidance and your mind is just as open to obeying His prompting, the words will be nothing more than riddles. 

If you discover you are reading riddles, check your obedience thermometer.