Where is the wise man? That is what the world should be asking, for the world needs wisdom if it is to escape the judgment of God. The world needs those who can explain to it why things are as they are, and how we can be reconciled to God, and how his anger can be turned away.
How do we read the signs of the times? How do we live as those whose eyes are open to what is really going on in the world? The question relates to what God has been telling Jeremiah and warning the people of. Unless we see the purposes of God and what he is doing, we look at life in a trivial way, and we miss the most significant aspects of life. We reduce events to the lowest possible level, and we fail to grasp that what takes place is the fulfilment of his plan and is bringing about his goals. We need wisdom to read life properly, but not the sort of wisdom that knows how to make money, or to solve complex technological problems, or even the wisdom that allows us to heal troublesome diseases. They have their place, but they are not the highest kind of wisdom. The wisdom we need begins with the fear of the Lord, and it is the wisdom that understands why the world is the way it is. It has sight of the big picture and listens to every word that God speaks. It sees that this is a created world and a world upheld and governed by God. He is actively judging men and women, even before the final day comes. He is teaching and delivering his people, and providing for them during their earthly pilgrimage. He makes a great distinction between those who know him and love him, and those who reject him and choose their own way.