Walking the Way of the Wise: A Biblical Theology of Wisdom

by Mitchell L. Chase

Wisdom Is Not Simply Knowledge or Cleverness

Walking the Way of the Wise is a profound exploration into the depths of biblical wisdom, seamlessly blending scholarly insight with practical guidance. In this latest addition to IVP Academic's Essential Studies in Biblical Theology (ESBT) series, Mitchell Chase invites readers to rediscover wisdom as an essential thread woven throughout the tapestry of Scripture. Chase unveils wisdom not merely as knowledge or cleverness but as a life-giving path of joyful obedience to God's Word. By tracing the themes of wisdom and folly from Genesis to Revelation, Walking the Way of the Wise illuminates the role of wisdom in the covenant life of God's people.

Readers will gain a deeper understanding of how wisdom plays a vital role in the lives of believers. By following the wise path set out by God, we can experience joy, peace, and fulfillment in our lives. Perfect for pastors, scholars, and everyday believers, Walking the Way of the Wise provides thoughtful discussion questions designed to encourage deeper reflection. Discover that biblical wisdom is central to understanding God's grand narrative and our place within it as you read Walking the Way of the Wise.

Genres: Theology

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2025

Reviews

[Jeremy Fritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid addition to the ESBT lineup. Great starting point for someone to explore the category of wisdom in the Scriptures.

[Rainer Erani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love me some Biblical Theology. Chase embodies an artist and an academic as he pulls the string of wisdom throughout the entire Biblical narrative. I kept thinking, “woah, I never noticed that before” as he continued to reveal how all Scripture is Wisdom Literature, not just what fits nicely into the genre.

Leaves me wanting to read more in the ESBT series, and read more of Mitchell Chase’s works.

Grateful for this contribution to theology.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Traces the idea of wisdom in scripture and how integral it is to walking well with God in covenant relationship.

For most of us, when we think of Wisdom in connection with the Bible, we think of the Wisdom literature. Three books stand out: Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. We might add some of the psalms, perhaps the Song of Songs. Then some might even add James. While these books are of the “genre” of Wisdom literature, Mitchell L. Chase proposes that wisdom runs through the whole storyline of the Bible. An adequate theology of wisdom must encompass the whole Bible.. In this book, Chase offers an outline of the contours of such a theology.

It is a story that begins in the Garden. God wanted Adam and Eve to be wise in knowing good and evil through trusting obedience. Instead, they chose the folly of moral autonomy in a quest for wisdom apart from God. Now the divine wisdom that created the world would be needed to save it. Before continuing the storyline of Genesis, Chase considers our need for wisdom amidst suffering in the ancient story of Job. Then we turn to Abraham and his descendants, including the children of Israel in the exodus. We observe the wisdom of trusting obedience that saves Egypt in famine, and the consequences of giving way to fear when Israel heeds the bad report of the spies rather than trust God’s power to give them the land.

Eventually, under Joshua, Israel enters the land. As he passes the torch to the next generation, Joshua exhorts them to live by God’s law. This was wisdom for enjoying the covenant relationship God had established with Israel to be their King and enjoy his protection. But they would have none of it and rebelled. Rejecting God, they had no king and pursued the folly of doing what was right in their own eyes, becoming prey to the nations. They believed only an earthly king could save them. In Saul, they learned that a king whose heart was not after God would also be a problem.

Then in David came a king who sang God’s wisdom from the heart, giving us many of the psalms. He sang of the wisdom of delighting in the law of the Lord and the folly of rejecting God. He sang of the holiness by which we may approach God, the presence of God in death’s shadow, and how God would guide all our ways in wisdom.

Following David, Solomon sought, received, and gathered wisdom to instruct both his children and his corporate son, Israel in living well with God. Then in the Song of Songs, Solomon, as tradition would have it, gave us wisdom for love in the covenant relationship of marriage, a parable for God’s covenant relationship with his people. Finally, Solomon offers us the wisdom that comes in knowing we will die. He paints our pretentious projects as futile against the transience of our lives, and commends the wisdom of receiving with joy the gifts of the day: good work and its fruits.

Israel’s history after Solomon is the sad story of pursuing Lady Folly rather than Lady Wisdom. Folly led to a kingdom torn asunder the fall of the north under a relentless string of kings who did evil in the lord’s eyes. In the south, a few respites of righteous rule were not enough to prevent Babylonian conquest and exile. Yet even in exile, God’s wisdom was manifest in Daniel, wisest of councilors and one who, along with other prophets to the one, the Son of Man, who would redeem God’s people.

At last, the one greater than Solomon comes. He is wisdom in the flesh, the way, the truth, the life. He renews us in his image, to live in covenant relationship with him as King over all our lives. And living wisely in Christ enables us to perceive the life that is ours beyond death. Thus, we live in the blessed hope of partaking of the tree of life in the heavenly city.

I love how Chase shows the wisdom of God for life that runs through the biblical storyline. Likewise, we see the folly of rejecting wisdom and the sad history of thinking we know better than God. By Genesis 3, we already know how that story plays out. Yet we keep falling for the same lies. Thanks be to God for Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Chase helps us see how all that treasure is ours in Christ. He helps us see how all of scripture can not only make us wise for salvation but to live well with God.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Walking the Way of the Wise, Mitchell L. Chase presents a biblical theology of wisdom. From the garden in Genesis to the restoration in Revelation, this book shows that wisdom is woven throughout Scripture.



Wisdom Literature
Of course, Chase dedicates chapters to the books typically associated with wisdom literature—Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. But I was most surprised to see how the Psalms also speak to wisdom, as well as how the lack of wise judges and kings shaped Israel’s history.


The book also talks about foolishness. Wisdom means not entangling our lives with fools. Folly corrupts lovely things and leads to death.



Wisdom Incarnate
What moved me most was reading about the wisdom of Jesus, even as a young boy. People called Him "Rabbi" though He had no formal training. Jesus is not only a teacher of wisdom—He is the incarnation of wisdom itself.


After reading this book, I find myself more aware of how wisdom appears in our day-to-day lives, especially in our relationship with God. Wisdom is walking in His ways, trusting in His word and revelation.


Listen to Wisdom
My hope is to read and interpret Scripture more and more through the lens of wisdom. And when I preach, teach, and apply it, I want to point others to the way of wisdom—and to listen to Wisdom Himself: Jesus.


I received a media copy of Walking the Way of the Wise and this is my honest review.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, not perfect, but a very good one. As of academic theology, it is a bit too heavily into being inspirational, but it does feel like both academic and a book that can teach us a lot about wisdom. I like how Mitchell L. Chase manages to find wisdom in books of the Bible that are often neglected, and keeps the thread throughout the whole. I do think the apocryphal books could have been included, as it is a short book, and it seems that he misses out a bit, as well as being very short of extra-biblical material and very few outside sources that are cited. Out of it, though, Chase gets a lot. I would of course have loved to see a bit more discussion around stuff like sophiology, as it is a missed opportunity to look into that and other later works on wisdom. Equating Jesus with Wisdom is also a bit of a stretch, and sometimes it feels like he stretches the definition to mold the idea of wisdom into the whole, both creation and salvation, without really giving us the clarity in the distinctions.

[Brett McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mitch has done it again. A biblical theological walk through the canon, tracing the thread of wisdom. Every chapter adds to the biblical perspective on wisdom. Th last chapter sends your heart soaring.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

The focus on “Wisdom” in the Pentateuch was excellent, as well as the discussion of how Jesus himself is the embodiment of wisdom.

[Daniel Scheiderer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. I would consider it to be a good recommendation as a devotional. The style (very readable) and material (wisdom literature) lend themselves to being helpful in that particular way.