The nine gifts of the Spirit

THE GIFT OF THE WORD OF WISDOM
Just as the gift of tongues is incomplete in operation to the
edification of the Church without the gift of the interpretation
of tongues, so the gift of the word of knowledge is incomplete
without the gift of the word of wisdom.
What is the gift of the word of wisdom? Like all gifts of the
Spirit, it is supernatural and does not work through our
understanding. The operations and products of this gift are also
inspired by the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 12: 11). Through the gift of
knowledge, the Lord reveals to us things of which we know
nothing with our natural understanding; through the gift of
wisdom He reveals to us what we must do or speak after He has
shown us something.
After God had revealed to Joseph that seven plenteous
years and seven years of famine would come over Egypt, He
made known through a word of wisdom what Pharoah had to
do to save the peoplefrom starvation (Gen. 41: 33-36). Through
this advice, not only were the Egyptians saved, but God also
carried out His plan with regard to the people of Israel.
God showed King Nebuchadnezzar, through a word of
knowledge to Daniel, that judgment was about to take place.
Then through a word of wisdom, Daniel gave the king advice as
to what he should do to escape the judgment.
The Lord gives this gift especially to those whom He
appoints to lead a people. Joshua received this gift when Moses
laid hands on him.
King Solomon asked God for knowledge and wisdom to
lead the people of Israel. The Bible gives us an example of this
gift in operation in a very difficult situation when justice had to
be administrated. Two women came to the king with a living
child and a dead child, and nobody was able to tell to whom the
dead child and to whom the living child belonged. No witnesses
and no laws could give clarity. But through a word of wisdom,
Solomon knew what he should do. He commanded: 'Bring me a
sword and divide the living child in two.' Immediately, it was
known which woman was the mother of the living child. Then
all people recognized that the wisdom of God was in the king to
do judgment (l Kings 3: 16-28).
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