The Foolishness of God

 Psalm 19:7-11; I Corinthians 1:18-25

 Psalm 19 goes on about the characteristics of God’s wisdom shown in God’s laws, decrees, precepts, and commandments. The words perfect, reviving the soul, sure, making wise the simple, right, clear, enlightening, pure, and true are used. They are said to be more desired – wanted than fine gold and sweeter than the honeycomb.

Paul on the other hand in Corinthians talks about the foolishness of the cross to those who are perishing. God in this act of love, bringing Christ on earth to die for our sins, made foolish the wisdom of the world. He calls out the scholar and the debater. He tells how the Jews looked for a sign and the Greeks – the Gentiles looked to human wisdom.

But as Paul points out, God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom. The proclamation of Christ crucified is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. But God used this foolishness to save those who believe – those who put aside human wisdom and in faith believe in Christ and the power of God to save them.

In Psalm 19 it talks about how the decrees of the Lord are sure making wise the simple. Can we apply all these characteristics of the law to the foolishness of the cross of salvation in Christ. Does it not revive the soul, rejoice the heart, enlighten the eyes of the heart, and endure forever. Is it not true and righteous altogether? Psalm talks about the great reward in keeping them. Well, belief in Christ has the reward of living and serving in the God’s kingdom on earth, not to mention the promise of heaven.

I Corinthians 19:25 not only says God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom but that God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. What is this weakness? Could it be love for all of humankind even those who reject salvation due to their human wisdom. Yet we have received the power of God’s love in the free gift of salvation, to us “foolish” ones who believe.

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