“Wisdom is better than implements of war, yet one sinner consistently tears down much good.”

(Ecclesiastes 9:18)

How quickly we rush to war when wisdom more often than not can lay out a path toward a lasting peace. This does not mean that there is never a place for a war when justice demands it, yet history is filled with examples of rash men running to grab sword or gun rather than seeking sound wisdom to guide through the conflict at hand.

Furthermore, weapons of war are constructed by the hands of men. And though the technology has advanced and weapons have become increasingly sophisticated and effective, they are still constructed by the hands of men. Wisdom, on the other hand, begins with the fear of the Lord and is constructed by God’s own hand. Thus, when we neglect wisdom and embrace the weapons of war, we are embracing a form of idolatry, presuming that man’s power to destroy is far greater than that of God’s wisdom to preserve.

The fearful thing is that sadly it is not just nations that run to man-made weapons rather than to wisdom. Communities do that, families do that, friends do that, and even churches do that. How sad it is when the Church of Jesus Christ turns from the wisdom of God and arms themselves for war internally. Indeed, one sinner will consistently tear down the good that is wrought within a church or a community. How we should strive to build up rather than to beat down, yet the sin within so often brings about just the reverse.