When I was a child, I fondly remember how my mother would gently tend to me during those frigid months I found myself very ill with high fever and the flu. My mother would become very worried because she knew that I was not a sickly child and when I fell victim to infirmity it would charge at me with all its might. Although being sick with high fever is never fun, I must admit that some of my most precious memories of her take place during that time of illness. The one thing I still see in my mind’ s eye (and I imagine everyone else does as well) are the home remedies she would resort to because we could not afford going to the doctor. I will never forget how I deplored having to take the hot teas she would prepare for me because some of them had an unbearable taste to them. One in particular was my least favorite, but admittedly was the one that would always work. When she would walk into my room with a hot cup of lemon tea mixed with virgin honey, my taste buds would angrily protest, but I would still drink it because I knew it never failed. Finally one day I asked my mother why did this particular tea always work for me? Her response, with that sweet voice and mischievous smile was, “The secret is in the honey son.” As I reminisce about these teachings from my mother, I am also reminded of one of Solomon’s proverbs:
13My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste. 14So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off (Proverbs 24:13-14).
It is not uncommon for Holy Scripture to compare knowledge to honey. For the Israelites, honey was not only useful because of its sweetness but it was also commonly used to replenish strength or cure minor burns to the skin. Jonathan, king Saul’s son, in a certain occasion ate honey from the honeycomb to replenish his lost strength from the arduous battle they were fighting (1st Samuel 14:24-47). In another proverb, Solomon compares the advice given by a wise, prudent man as a “honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (Proverbs 16:23-24). The analogy the people of Israel associated with honey and knowledge is very probable to what was in the mind of the apostle Peter when he wisely councils us to add knowledge to virtue (2nd Peter 1:5). His advice, in short, is to continually refill our strength for the following day through knowledge. Being brave and fearless is wonderful, but can be reckless if that is all we are. However, if we learn how to use our strength in an effective manner we become lethal soldiers in the army of our King (Ecclesiastes 9:13-16). The writer of Ecclesiastes, in observing what took place under the sun, arrives to the same conclusion Peter has; wisdom in the proper hands is very powerful (Ecclesiastes 9:18). There is an important difference in knowing what we have to do and knowing how to do it.
In studying about our faith and virtue, we were able to comprehend that if we want eternal glory we must lose all fear and begin the climb. However, in adding knowledge to our journey we are making ourselves resourceful climbers. It is wiser to conserve our strength during the climb for better endurance; climbing blindly and wildly is quite the opposite. Hence why wisdom has always been a requirement for the people of God. It is important, however, to acknowledge that there are different types of knowledge in this world; therefore we must recognize which knowledge is the one we are being advised by the apostle to add to our virtue. This begins by establishing the fact that there are two kinds of wisdom: there is terrestrial wisdom and there is celestial wisdom (James 3:13-15). James, in his letter, teaches us the importance of knowing how the two are different from one another. He begins his explanation with the following question, “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?” In his question, we learn two very important facts; one that wisdom and knowledge are not the same and two, not everyone is wise. Examining more carefully James’ question, our first clue to identifying the knowledge we should acquire is in it’s connection with wisdom. Looking back, the same connection is made by the writer in our proverb at the beginning of this article. The proverb states that it is “the knowledge of wisdom” which he illustrates as honey from the honeycomb for the soul (Proverbs 24:14). In the King James translation of the Bible, James’ question to his readers speaks about a sage who is “endued with knowledge” (James 3:13). If we examine a second translation the phrase “endued with knowledge” is replaced with the word “understanding” (American Standard Version, ASV). In fact, the Greek word used by the apostle Peter for knowledge is gnōsis. Gnōsis is derived from the primary verb ginōskō which in our language means “to know” (absolutely), be aware [of] (Strong, G1097). Therefore, our interpretation of gnōsis is “general intelligence, understanding” (Thayer, G1108). In putting both Peter and James’ instructions side by side, we learn that knowledge refers to our ability to understand. Applying this concept to our proverb, the honey from the honeycomb focuses on man’s capability to understand the wisdom that comes from God. If we strive to understand God’s wisdom, it will then function as honey for our soul. Obtaining the ability to understand the wisdom of God will make the bitter experiences sweet and the burns from our fiery trials heal. If a man is wise with celestial wisdom, then he will reveal it by “good life his works in meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13, ASV). The knowledge Peter exhorts his readers to obtain can only be the understanding of God’s Word. Only His word can serve as a medicine to our souls when we scrape ourselves on the sharp edges of the rocks we call life. Understanding that He is our key to unlocking the mystery of His map means that we must be willing to follow His instructions to a tee or we will get lost (Proverbs 3:5-8). In seeking to understand our God’s divine map, we find the encouragement and solace that we are on the right path. Interestingly enough, in Greek mythology the gods of Olympus ate ambrosia to remain immortal. This ambrosia is depicted by the Greek poets as sweet nectar from the honeycomb. Even in worldly literature, the importance of understanding Divine wisdom is described as the food that grants longevity. Having the knowledge that God is the one who promised us eternal life makes this path bearable. Knowing that He is a God who keeps His word should soothe the injuries we sustain by the wicked jeering of the world. Having now obtained the firewood necessary to keep our fire burning, Peter seeks to now teach us how to keep that fire in its proper place. This lesson is very valuable because as the writer of Ecclesiastes already told us, knowledge in the wrong hands can be very dangerous. If not contained properly, fire can become wild and cause great damage to everything and everyone that surrounds it (Ecclesiastes 9:18b). It is an important thing to want to understand God’s word, but we must also learn how to use this knowledge we attain properly. Because knowledge is power, especially when speaking about Divine knowledge, it becomes essential that we are careful with it or else we can get very hurt. To be continued…
