◄ Proverbs 21:30 ►
There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
Study Bible
There is no wisdom
This phrase emphasizes the limitations of human wisdom when compared to divine wisdom. In the biblical context, wisdom is often associated with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10). Human wisdom, no matter how profound, cannot match the infinite wisdom of God. This is echoed in 1 Corinthians 1:25, where Paul states that the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom. The Bible consistently portrays God as the ultimate source of wisdom, as seen in James 1:5, where believers are encouraged to ask God for wisdom.

no understanding
Understanding in the biblical sense often refers to insight or discernment that comes from God. The Hebrew word for understanding, "binah," implies a deep comprehension that goes beyond surface knowledge. In Isaiah 55:8-9, God declares that His thoughts and ways are higher than human thoughts and ways, underscoring the idea that true understanding is divine. This phrase serves as a reminder that human understanding is limited and should be sought in alignment with God's will.

no counsel
Counsel refers to advice or plans, often in the context of strategic planning or decision-making. In the ancient Near Eastern culture, counsel was highly valued, especially in leadership and governance. However, this phrase asserts that no human counsel can stand against God's purposes. This is illustrated in Psalm 33:10-11, where the plans of nations are thwarted, but the counsel of the Lord stands forever. It highlights the sovereignty of God over human affairs.

that can prevail against the LORD
The phrase underscores the omnipotence and sovereignty of God. Throughout Scripture, God's plans and purposes are shown to be unassailable. In Job 42:2, Job acknowledges that no purpose of God can be thwarted. This is further affirmed in Romans 8:31, where Paul declares that if God is for us, who can be against us? The ultimate fulfillment of this truth is seen in the life and work of Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection demonstrate that God's redemptive plan cannot be overcome by any earthly or spiritual power.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Solomon
Traditionally attributed as the author of Proverbs, Solomon was the son of King David and known for his wisdom, which he received from God.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God in the Hebrew Bible, representing His eternal, sovereign, and omnipotent nature.

3. The Kingdom of Israel
The context in which Solomon ruled and wrote, a nation chosen by God to be His people and to follow His laws.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty Over Human Wisdom
Human wisdom, no matter how profound, cannot stand against God's plans and purposes. We must submit our understanding to His will.

The Futility of Human Counsel Against God
Any counsel or plan that contradicts God's will is ultimately futile. We should seek alignment with God's counsel in our decision-making.

The Importance of Seeking Divine Wisdom
True wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. We should prioritize seeking God's wisdom through prayer and Scripture.

Trust in God's Ultimate Plan
Even when human understanding fails, we can trust that God's plan is perfect and will prevail. This trust should bring peace and assurance in our lives.

Humility in Our Own Understanding
Recognizing the limitations of our own wisdom should lead us to humility and reliance on God, rather than pride in our own intellect.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does recognizing the limitations of human wisdom affect your daily decision-making and reliance on God?

2. In what ways can you seek God's wisdom more actively in your life, and how does this align with the teachings of Proverbs 21:30?

3. Reflect on a time when human counsel seemed wise but was contrary to God's will. What was the outcome, and what did you learn from it?

4. How can the truth of Proverbs 21:30 bring comfort and assurance in times of uncertainty or confusion?

5. Compare Proverbs 21:30 with 1 Corinthians 1:25. How do these verses together deepen your understanding of the relationship between God's wisdom and human wisdom?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 40:13-14
This passage emphasizes that no one can instruct or counsel God, highlighting His supreme wisdom and understanding.

1 Corinthians 1:25
Paul speaks of the foolishness of God being wiser than human wisdom, reinforcing the idea that human wisdom cannot compare to God's.

Job 12:13
Job acknowledges that wisdom and power belong to God, and He possesses counsel and understanding.
Sermons
The Vanity of Attempting to Oppose GodJ. Saurin.Proverbs 21:30
The Just Judgments of the EternalE. Johnson Proverbs 21:27-31
The Achievements and Limitations of WisdomE. Johnson Proverbs 21:29-31
People
Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Avail, Counsel, Insight, Over-against, Plan, Succeed, Suggestions, Understanding, Wisdom, Wise
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 21:30

     5481   proverb
     5917   plans
     5960   success
     6708   predestination
     8366   wisdom, source of
     8672   striving with God

Library
Definition of Actual Grace
1. GENERAL NOTION OF GRACE.--The best way to arrive at a correct definition of actual grace is by the synthetic method. We therefore begin with the general notion of grace. Like "nature,"(3) grace (gratia, {GREEK SMALL LETTER CHI}{GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA WITH OXIA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO}{GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA}) is a word of wide reach, used in a great variety of senses. Habert(4) enumerates no less than fourteen; which, however, may be reduced to four. a) Subjectively, …
Joseph Pohle—Grace, Actual and Habitual

Epistle xxi. To Constantina Augusta .
To Constantina Augusta [1593] . Gregory to Constantina, &c. Almighty God, who holds in His right hand the heart of your Piety, both protects us through you and prepares for you rewards of eternal remuneration for temporal deeds. For I have learnt from the letters of the deacon Sabinianus my responsalis with what justice your Serenity is interested in the cause of the blessed Prince of the apostles Peter against certain persons who are proudly humble and feignedly kind. And I trust in the bounty …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Epistle Cvi. To Syagrius, Ætherius, virgilius, and Desiderius, Bishops .
To Syagrius, Ætherius, Virgilius, and Desiderius, Bishops [65] . Gregory to Syagrius of Augustodunum (Autun), Etherius of Lugdunum (Lyons), Virgilius of Aretale (Arles), and Desiderius of Vienna (Vienne), bishops of Gaul. A paribus. Our Head, which is Christ, has to this end willed us to be His members, that through the bond of charity and faith He might make us one body in Himself. And to Him it befits us so to adhere in heart, that, since without Him we can be nothing, through Him we may …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

How the Slothful and the Hasty are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 16.) Differently to be admonished are the slothful and the hasty. For the former are to be persuaded not to lose, by putting it off, the good they have to do; but the latter are to be admonished lest, while they forestall the time of good deeds by inconsiderate haste, they change their meritorious character. To the slothful therefore it is to be intimated, that often, when we will not do at the right time what we can, before long, when we will, we cannot. For the very indolence of …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

How those are to be Admonished who Desire not the Things of Others, but Keep their Own; and those who Give of their Own, yet Seize
(Admonition 22.) Differently to be admonished are those who neither desire what belongs to others nor bestow what is their own, and those who give of what they have, and yet desist not from seizing on what belongs to others. Those who neither desire what belongs to others nor bestow what is their own are to be admonished to consider carefully that the earth out of which they are taken is common to all men, and therefore brings forth nourishment for all in common. Vainly, then, do those suppose …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Heavenly Footman; Or, a Description of the Man that Gets to Heaven:
TOGETHER WITH THE WAY HE RUNS IN, THE MARKS HE GOES BY; ALSO, SOME DIRECTIONS HOW TO RUN SO AS TO OBTAIN. 'And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain: escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.'--Genesis 19:17. London: Printed for John Marshall, at the Bible in Gracechurch Street, 1698. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. About forty years ago a gentleman, in whose company I had commenced my …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

"And the Life. " How Christ is the Life.
This, as the former, being spoken indefinitely, may be universally taken, as relating both to such as are yet in the state of nature, and to such as are in the state of grace, and so may be considered in reference to both, and ground three points of truth, both in reference to the one, and in reference to the other; to wit, 1. That our case is such as we stand in need of his help, as being the Life. 2. That no other way but by him, can we get that supply of life, which we stand in need of, for he …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

How Christ is the Way in General, "I am the Way. "
We come now to speak more particularly to the words; and, first, Of his being a way. Our design being to point at the way of use-making of Christ in all our necessities, straits, and difficulties which are in our way to heaven; and particularly to point out the way how believers should make use of Christ in all their particular exigencies; and so live by faith in him, walk in him, grow up in him, advance and march forward toward glory in him. It will not be amiss to speak of this fulness of Christ …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

An Analysis of Augustin's Writings against the Donatists.
The object of this chapter is to present a rudimentary outline and summary of all that Augustin penned or spoke against those traditional North African Christians whom he was pleased to regard as schismatics. It will be arranged, so far as may be, in chronological order, following the dates suggested by the Benedictine edition. The necessary brevity precludes anything but a very meagre treatment of so considerable a theme. The writer takes no responsibility for the ecclesiological tenets of the …
St. Augustine—writings in connection with the donatist controversy.

Paul's Departure and Crown;
OR, AN EXPOSITION UPON 2 TIM. IV. 6-8 ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR How great and glorious is the Christian's ultimate destiny--a kingdom and a crown! Surely it hath not entered into the heart of man to conceive what ear never heard, nor mortal eye ever saw? the mansions of the blest--the realms of glory--'a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' For whom can so precious an inheritance be intended? How are those treated in this world who are entitled to so glorious, so exalted, so eternal, …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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