The Vanity of Philosophy

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

The Vanity of Philosophy

Proverbs 21:30 EVS

No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
can avail against the LORD.

There are two great truths that have been with man since the sin of Adam in Genesis 3. The first is the depravity of human nature. As the Scriptures say, “Man is as prone to do evil as the sparks fly upward.” The second is the brilliance of human intelligence. From inner space to outer space, human brilliance seems to know no bounds. Whatever can be imagined, can be done.

The writer of Proverbs brings these twin features before us in verse 30. This deserves a closer look.

Proverbs 21:30A

1. There is an anti-God intellectual system. Genesis 11:1-5 introduces an early manifestation of this system. There are elements here to remember.

¹Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.

²And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

³And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.

⁴Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth."

⁵And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.

A. Genesis 11:3-4 There is cooperation.

B. Genesis 11:4 It is motivated by vanity.

C. Genesis 11:4 It is intended to protect and strengthen human accomplishments.

2. This system has all the necessities of a moral philosophy wisdom, understanding and counsel. Will Diurant in The History of Philosophy quotes a recognized philosopher as saying, “The end purpose of all philosophy is morality.” This is a loose quote but I’m sure it is accurate.

There is now and there has always been two systems of conduct. The code of the world which is self satisfaction and the one of God’s word which is obedience to God’s law performed by the people of God, the Church.

3. This system is always anti-God. The best moral system this world could produce was that of the Pharisees of BC 200 to Christ’s day. Some of the remnants of that remain in modern day Judaism. But a close inspection into that system found what the Lord Jesus described as “white grave markers”, and “dead men’s bones.”

The brilliant and heroic potential of mankind often blinds the believer’s eye to the systematic disobedience and hatred of God which prevails in the world around us. The Providence of God has used these human remains of the image of God to give us a more pleasant and enjoyable world. For this we must thank God.

4. This human system will fail. It cannot “avail against the Lord.” It will not defeat God. God will continue his sovereign rule. These puny passing efforts are but a continuation of the failed philosophies that have come on the scene and then are no more.

God’s word will not be disproved. Truth stands, error fails. There is nothing new in the exaltation of pleasure. Mankind desires to see beautiful things, taste delicious dishes, and have self-exaltation. The Scriptures called this “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.” Those stand opposed to God’s law, always have, always will.

The opposition to God is always going to be leveled against His Church. But it will not avail. The church has in the past prevailed in times of bloodshed. The church in Africa and China, and Egypt, and Iran will win. Uganda was once a slaughtering ground for the Church. It is now by majority a Christian nation.

The Church will prevail against the subtle influence of Hedonistic culture. The Church will return to the truth that is its responsibility to condemn culture not to change it. It will get back to its job of calling the elect out of a condemned culture that Scriptures describe as the “domain of darkness” and restraining evil with the judgment of God pronounced on all the works of darkness.

Whatever Nebuchadnezzar final end might be, he has left us a rich heritage in Daniel 4:34-35. Nothing “can avail against God.”