Understanding: 1. Meaning 2. Principles 3 Reason 4. Teachers/Counselors
Wisdom: 1. What to Do Next 2. Application 3 Action 4. Prophets/Lay people
Knowledge is book smarts, understanding is street smarts, and wisdom is the application of both. What is the significance of the differentiation? We see it in Isaiah 11:1-3: "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked." This prophesy is obviously talking about Jesus, and there is also a mystery of the Bible presented here with the "seven spirits of God" as mentioned in Revelation 1:4 "John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne." So it seems the Bible is saying there are aspects of God that we are able to emulate given in the description of the seven spirits of God. There are things about the spiritual world that we don't know about but I think it's safe to relate this understanding to Ephesians 6:12 which says "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Except in this case we're talking about good forces in heavenly places of God Himself which limits the influence of power from the dark forces on a daily basis. If any of you were wondering why seven is a significant number, here's why; and it's the number symbolizing completeness and perfection. Revelation 20 "The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."
Examples of knowledge are facts, physical equations which represent physical laws (like gravity), and some lower ranking spiritual laws that mirror the physical laws which are known in their completeness by God and fit together to outline the skeletal fabric of the universe. Understanding is the network that connects the skeleton of concrete, creative knowledge, again only fully understood by God. And wisdom is the depth of the nature of creation, only grasped in full by God.
Proverbs 2:6,9-11 For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.... Then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
Proverbs 19:8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.
Proverbs 13:20 He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
Proverbs 24:5-6 A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength. For waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers.
Romans 16:19 But I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
Philippians 4:7 Then, the peace of God, which is beyond our utmost understanding, will keep guard over your hearts and thoughts, in Christ Jesus.
James 3:13-17 Is there some wise and understanding man among you? Then let his life be a shining example of the humility that is born of true wisdom. But if your heart is full of bitter jealousy and rivalry, then do not boast and do not deny the truth. You may acquire a certain wisdom, but it does not come from above--it comes from this world, from your own lower nature, even from the devil. For wherever you find jealousy and rivalry you also find disharmony and all other kinds of evil. The wisdom that comes from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, approachable, full of merciful thoughts and kindly actions, straightforward, with no hint of hypocrisy.
As for the picture, this verse applies. Proverbs 20:15 There is gold and an abundance of rubies, but a precious thing is the mouth of the knowledgeable.
Works Cited: "Knowledge." Acts 17:11 Bible Study: , Wisdom, & Understanding. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.
