The Poverties of Wisdom

I. Wisdom's limits keep us humble

1. Wisdom cannot make you immortal, Eccles. 2: 16
2. Wisdom cannot make you infallible, Eccles. 9: 11
3. Wisdom doesn't make you all-powerful, Proverbs 21:30

II. Wisdom's ironies test our assumptions

1. Wisdom and fame don't always connect, Eccles. 9: 13-16
2. The wisest man in the OT abandoned his wisdom, I Kings 11:1-4
3. Wisdom makes the heart glad, but not always, Eccles. 1;18; Prov. 17:21
4. Wisdom gained over life can be lost in old age, Ps. 90: 12; Eccles 12: 1-4

III. Wisdom's fruits reveal a heart for God or self

When wisdom's benefits accrue and you are blessed you either decide you don't need God as much or you may decide to serve Him even more earnestly with all of life's gains. Proverbs 1:7, 22:19