Wisdom, Reason, and Logic

"The evidence that God expects us to use reason and logic is throughout Scripture. For example,: “Come now, let us reason together” (Isa. 1:18). The word “wisdom” occurs more than 50 times in Proverbs alone, and Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.” Without wisdom, which includes reason and logic, we would read the Bible and not know what to believe or have faith in.

One of the Hebrew words sometimes translated “law” is torah. However, in Hebrew, torah is better translated “instruction,” than “law.” A “law” is a single statute, a regulation, like a speed limit sign on a highway. That sign, that “law,” governs only that stretch of road.

On the other hand, the “instruction” that says, “Drivers must travel at speeds that are reasonable and prudent for the driving conditions they are experiencing” is like torah, an instruction from which we make a broad application for all driving.

God’s torah gives us basic instruction in how to live. Every situation we encounter in life cannot be specifically mentioned in the Bible, so God has done several things to help us.

First, He has given us some specific regulations to follow in specific situations.

Second, those specific regulations fall into the category of torah, that is, they are examples that we can use as instruction to understand the concepts of just laws and justice and build and govern a just society.

Third, He has given us the capacity for reason, logic, and wisdom, so we can properly generalize from the specific examples God gives us to a broader application.

Thus it was right for Jesus to command us, “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment” (John 7:24). People who do not use reason and logic to interpret the circumstances around them and make good judgments are called "fools." (Ps.14:1; Prov.1:7; Jer.5:21; Luke 24:25; Gal.3:1-3)"