Charles Wesley - Let Not The Wise His Wisdom Boast Lyrics

Meaning & Inspiration

Marking its poignant re-emphasis this October 22, 2024, Charles Wesley’s profound hymn, “Let Not The Wise His Wisdom Boast,” descends upon us as a timeless echo of divine truth. This hymn is not merely a composition; it is a theological treatise set to verse, drawing directly from the wellspring of Jeremiah 9:23-24, which implores us, "Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight,' declares the Lord." Wesley masterfully unpacks this scriptural directive, challenging the core human tendency to find security and pride in transient achievements.

The initial stanzas serve as a stark warning against placing our trust in the fleeting glories of this world. Wesley points to human wisdom, earthly power, and material wealth as hollow foundations, reminding us they are destined to "take their everlasting flight." This echoes the preacher in Ecclesiastes, who declares all worldly pursuits to be "vanity and a chasing after wind" (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 14). The hymn then confronts our inevitable mortality, picturing "the rush of numerous years" bearing down on even "the most gigantic strength of man," ultimately returning him to dust, just as Genesis 3:19 proclaims: "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return." This stark imagery serves to humble human pride, forcing us to confront the ephemeral nature of all that we might accumulate or achieve apart from God. Our cleverness, physical prowess, and bank accounts are no match for time and eternity, losing all their significance when life’s brief chapter closes.

Yet, Wesley doesn’t leave us in despair; he pivots with glorious intention to the singular, eternal antidote to this earthly futility. The second stanza unveils the "one only gift" that can truly justify and allow for a boast that is not vain: knowing God through Christ. This profound shift immediately directs our gaze to the cross, where "Jesus doth his blood apply." Here, Wesley invokes the atoning sacrifice, the "sprinkled blood" that cleanses and redeems, harkening back to the blood of the covenant in Exodus 24:8, the Passover lamb, and ultimately, the new covenant established through Christ's sacrifice, as Hebrews 9:14 confirms: "How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God." To glory in this sprinkled blood is to glory in divine grace, not human effort, recognizing that salvation is a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The hymn culminates in a triumphant declaration of Christ’s multifaceted provision for the believer. Wesley proclaims, "The Lord my Righteousness I praise," drawing from the powerful Messianic prophecy in Jeremiah 23:6: "And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’" This isn't just about forgiveness; it's about the imputation of Christ’s perfect righteousness, a divine exchange where our sin is taken, and His perfection is given. In Christ, we find true "wisdom, wealth, and strength of grace," mirroring Paul’s declaration in 1 Corinthians 1:30 that Christ "became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption." No longer are we dependent on our own finite resources, but we triumph in the boundless, "love divine" that secures these spiritual riches "to endless ages mine." This hymn, then, is a profound call to redirect our boast, moving from the fleeting shadows of this world to the unwavering, eternal substance found in Christ alone, inspiring us to live lives that reflect His inexhaustible grace.