Corinthians 1:26-31 ²⁶ For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. ²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence. ³⁰ But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— ³¹ that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” 

(click here if you have not read Part 1 Click to read part 1)

In my last article we examined what it means that Jesus Christ became for us wisdom from God. Today we will examine how God continually chooses foolishness, weakness, baseness (born of low status) and things considered nothing, to destroy the wisdom of men and glorify Himself.

Let us first consider Noah. From Genesis 6 we understand that this man was singular in all his generation. Noah was consider righteous by God, not because of His works, but because of his faith in YHWH; evidenced by his obedience to the commands of the LORD.

Let us remember that Noah meticulously constructed a huge floating vessel according to the LORD’s commanded design. Noah did this although rain had never fallen on the earth (Genesis 2:5-6).

He had constructed this vessel and proclaimed to the people the reason for the vessel was a flood, that would destroy all life, even though there had been no rain on the earth and no large bodies of water within hundreds of miles.

Noah was a preacher of righteousness (II Peter 2:5), when the entire world was literally the embodiment of wickedness.

Genesis 6:5-6 ⁵Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 

To the world that Noah lived in, nothing could be more foolish than God working through the only man, who disagreed with and lived opposite of the entire population.

Nothing could be more foolish than proclaiming God’s judgment through a flood in a land locked area, where rain had never fallen.

Nothing could be weaker than the one contrary person, saying he was attempting to save them all, if only they would repent of their sin, get into his weird boat and follow his rules.

Nothing could be more odd and off  putting than declaring the ark to be a foreshadowing of the One who would save all men of all human history, from their natural state of war against God (seen in our sinful lives), with His own shed blood, but…

1 Peter 3:20-21 …, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. ²¹ There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Let us now consider Moses, who is the epitomes of the “base” things of the world (which means of  low-born estate). Consider that this Israelite, as a male child was so low-born as to be among thousands to be killed, simply because they were slaves.

Remember that no Egyptian would think this child adopted into Pharoah’s house would become great, yet the base was used to bring the noble bloodline of a Pharoah and a nation of elites to their knees.

Moses, that low-born child, would eventually command a large portion of the Egyptian army to great exploits.

Yet, Moses own sinful pride and delusions of deliverance for His people, would lead him to murder, exile, humility as a shepherd and being forgotten, until he met God in the burning bush (Hebrews 11:23-29).

Despite all of this, among his own people, he was continually reminded he was no higher than they–He faced continual threats to God’s rule through his leadership–yet still under great burden interceded for them, when they often rebelled against the LORD.

Yet, despite the odds, he completed his mission, and God glorified Himself, while shaming the false god’s of Egypt, and Canaan.

Who would think Moses, a man with many flaws, would be a model for the Messiah, an indication of His first incarnation?

Deuteronomy 18:15 ¹⁵ “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear

Now let us look to David, as he defeated Goliath, a literal giant. 

Let us remember that Goliath was a descendant of those who were half fallen angel and human, or what the Hebrew language labels Nephelium.

Genesis 6:4 ⁴There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. 

How these abominations made it through the flood is fodder for speculation, but the phrase “also afterword” gives credence that other angels fell after the flood and did the same abominable act of procreating with human woman.

Goliath was one of these offspring and a fierce monster of destruction, so much so that all Israel’s fighting men were afraid, even the biggest and baddest of them, King Saul.

In to this setting, where a challenge from Goliath was made against Israel, comes a young teen-aged lad, named David. When he hears the threats of Goliath and that none can be found to challenge the Giant’s blasphemy against YHWH, he is incredulous.

1 Samuel 17:26 ²⁶Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 

David is made know to Saul and comes to offer himself, which all, including the king believed was foolishness, but David had faith in the LORD, not himself, and faith to all Israel looked foolish at that point.

1 Samuel 17:28 ²⁸Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 

But David was about protecting God’s honor and glory, by his faith in YHWH. Consider his words before Saul.

1 Samuel 17:34-37 ³⁴But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, ³⁵ I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” ³⁷ Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

What faith he had. Consider how foolish David appeared to Goliath. Remember his was a giant creature, at least 10 feet tall weighing over 600 pounds. David seemed like a bug to him.

1 Samuel 17:42-44 ⁴²And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. ⁴³ So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” 

As God’s word records, David declares what he was about to do to the giant, by God’s strength and grace and in God’s name; and does it. How God used the foolish, the weak and the base to bring to nothing the strength and might of the world, the flesh and the Devil.

God then promised this foolish man, David, to be the one through whom Messiah would come.

1 Chronicles 17:11-12¹¹And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. ¹² He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. 

Now let us consider the most foolish of all, in light of worldly wisdom; our Lord Jesus Christ. We already know that the wisdom of God is foolishness to men, as is the cross of Christ; to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness (I Corinthians 18-31).

How foolish that God would be conceived in a virgin’s womb by the Holy Spirit–be born and entrust His own safety and provision to flawed human beings–live sinlessly overcoming temptation–die on a cross in place of all humanity whether any would believe on Him–rise from the dead after declaring He would–ascend into heaven in the sight of 500 people–and return.

Even more foolish is that that the Christ would fulfill all of the over 300 prophecies detailing what I just wrote about, most of which were more than 700 years old prior to His coming.

This is why God’s wisdom is so mighty, because it is based on God’s truth and always right and righteous. To tie up this truth of how God’s wisdom puts to shame the wisdom of men, let us consider one more powerful passage.

Philippians 2:5-11 ⁵Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Hallelujah, let us proclaim this passage as the Wisdom of God.