THE writer of the book of Proverbs says, "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." The Oxford dictionary defines wisdom as the possession of "experience and knowledge together with the power of applying them critically or practically," and it affirms understanding to be the "power of apprehension;" that is, the ability to conceive or grasp ideas. Thus it becomes plain that while understanding, as humanly interpreted, is highly important, wisdom is still more important, for wisdom is the means whereby understanding is made demonstrable or useful. In carefully studying this subject in Science and Health, we find that wisdom is always closely related to God, divine Mind, and that man reflects this divine attribute. On page 6 we read, "God is not separate from the wisdom He bestows."
One may be equipped with a liberal knowledge of a certain subject, may have grasped many correct ideas concerning it, but if he is unable to use his understanding in a practical way, it is at best of little real benefit; and this simply because demonstration, outward expression or manifestation, is lacking, and to all intents and purposes his knowledge is intangible, uncertain. It is quite possible, therefore, for one to be in possession of a certain degree of understanding and at the same time to lack wisdom, but it is altogether impossible for one to possess wisdom and be without understanding. It might be said, then, that right understanding forms the prelude to wisdom, and that to fail to make this understanding externalize, or prove itself, is to keep wisdom from appearing and playing its assigned part.
It would seem that in several passages in the Bible the words wisdom and understanding are used interchangeably, but a careful examination of these passages will show that wisdom carries with it a higher, broader meaning than does understanding; yea, that "wisdom is the principal thing." As we study the Old Testament, it is interesting and helpful to note the divine understanding that came from time to time to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and the prophets, but it is vastly more helpful to see and rightly appreciate the wisdom they gained by applying this understanding.
