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Wisdom - Jesus in Proverbs
| John Hoole | March 28, 2004 |
Wisdom Jesus, the Wisdom of Proverbs John Hoole "Wisdom - Jesus"Today we continue to examine the primary subject of the Book of Proverbs. WHAT IS THE KEY SUBJECT OF THIS OLD TESTAMENT BOOK?
Wisdom.Last week I claimed that our world was in need of common sense and wisdom. I backed up that assertion by reading some of the labels we find on products today. But, perhaps I left some of you unconvinced of this conviction, so I want to supplement my case by sharing some stories from an Internet web site called Bonehead of the Day. If these stories don't convince you that our world is in need of wisdom, well, I guess nothing will.
o An Illinois woman was pulled over and given a speeding ticket. She later called police to tell them that her car had been stolen and that if the police just happen to pull the vehicle over for some reason, that it would not really be her driving the car. It didn't work. The woman forgot she had given the police her ID and when police went to her home to check out the stolen car report they, amazingly, found her car in the garage.o A Pennsylvania man smashed his SUV into another vehicle, causing his car to start on fire. He left the scene of the accident, making a beeline to his home, with the car still in flames. He drove it into his garage without first lifting the garage doors, ultimately setting his garage and home on fire.
o Burgess Hill Town Council in the United Kingdom, in response to a worker's complaint that sunlight coming through the window caused a glare on his computer screen, has already had three meetings, six months of discussion, contact with several contractors, produced a six page report, working up five potential alternatives, their favorite being the spending of up to $10,000 to put computer controlled screens on the outside of the window or coat the window with reflective film. In the meantime, the worker decided to solve the problem by moving the desk away from the window.
o Robert Moisescu of Montreal was convicted of robbing a bank in the United States. He appealed his seven-year sentence claiming that if he stole the same amount of money in Canada it would only be worth 64% in US funds. There, being a Canadian his US sentence should be reduced by 38%. The district attorney responded by saying that his office does not offer a Canadian exchange for prison sentences.
o A man who, when asked by a Philadelphia Highway Patrol officer if he had seen any of the posted speed limit signs, explained, "I went by them so fast I probably missed them."
Folks, I rest my case.
Last week, in our introductory lesson on Wisdom, we made a number of observations.
1. According to Psalm 111:10, wisdom is lacking in our culture today because of:a. a diminished reverence and awe of Godb. a disappearing respect for God's Word.
2. There are three different kinds of wisdom mentioned in the Bible.
a. Human Wisdomb. The fallen world's supernatural Wisdom
c. Godly Wisdom
3. Wisdom is not the same as knowledge.
4. A concise definition of Wisdom is:
Wisdom is the proper application of knowledge.5. The Wisdom of God is often linked with His power.
o Job 9:4 "God is wise in heart and mighty in strength."o Daniel 2:20 "Wisdom and might are His."
At the end of our class time, we were noting that wisdom is often seen as a person in Proverbs.
WHAT KIND OF PERSON IS WISDOM SHOWN TO BE?
She is always portrayed as a woman.Last week, I asked you if there was some significance in wisdom being personified as a woman, and then cautioned you not to extrapolate that thought too far. There is another woman mentioned in Proverbs which does not have such good qualities. In Proverbs 2:16, she is called a "strange woman" in the NAS. In the NKJV, she is called an "immoral woman." In the RSV, she is called a "loose woman."
In Proverbs 9:13 (NIV), we read:
13 The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge.This is what I usually call this woman - Folly.I would, however, like to continue our examination of wisdom represented as a person. Let's return and read again some of the passage in Proverbs where wisdom is personified. The first time we see wisdom personified as a woman is in Proverbs 1.
Proverbs 1:20-21 NIV
20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:Proverbs 3:13-18 NIV
13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.Proverbs 4:5-9, 13 NKJV
5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you."13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life.
I want to spend some time looking at wisdom as she is portrayed in the 8th chapter.
Proverbs 8:1-3 NKJV
1 Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice?
2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet.
3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors:Here in the 8th chapter, wisdom is not only referred to as a person, but she actually begins to speak. As one continues through the 8th chapter, wisdom takes on some new characteristics.
Proverbs 8:12, 14-16, 22-23, 27-30 NKJV
12 "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion.14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.
15 By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth.22 "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old.
23 I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth.Here, wisdom takes on some eternal attributes. She originates with God before anything had yet been created.27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him.Whoever this person is was the object of God's pleasure. She is shown as existing prior to this world and thus must be considered eternal for to be before this world is to be before time.
Before we continue examining Proverbs 8 and the personification of Wisdom, I want to discuss more fully what is mentioned in Proverbs 8:23.
23 I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth.Let's start back at the beginning. The beginning of the Bible, that is.
Genesis 1:1
"In the beginning, God…."In these four word: "In the beginning God,….." we find what is undoubtedly one of the most important phrases in the Bible. It is in God that all things begin. And it is in God that all thoughts begin as well. The word "genesis" means beginning.
WHEN WAS THE BEGINNING?
THE BEGINNING OF WHAT?
BEFORE THIS "BEGINNING," WHAT WAS IT LIKE?
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE EXISTENCE OF GOD BEFORE THIS "BEGINNING," WHENEVER IT WAS?
"In the beginning, God…" There was a time - if "time" is what I can call it, when God, in the unity of His nature dwelt all alone. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit - alone. God - all alone. Have you ever given that any thought. "In the beginning", ONLY GOD. There was no physical heaven, where His glory is now particularly manifested. There was no earth to engage his attention. There were no angels to sing hymns of praise or say "Holy, holy, holy." There was no Lucifer, on whom He could place his beauty, and no Satan to oppose Him. There was no universe to be upheld by the word of His power. There was nothing……No one……but GOD.
FOR HOW LONG WAS GOD ALONE?
For all eternity past. Forever past - God was alone.Colossians 1:16-17 NKJV
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.If God existed before all things, then, by definition, He existed when no thing (nothing) else did.
Psalms 90:2 NKJV
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.John 17:5 & 24 NKJV
5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
24 "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.From everlasting past - God was alone: - self-contained, self-sufficient , self-satisfied, and in need of nothing.
If this is true - and I believe that it is, WHY, THEN, DID HE DECIDE TO CREATE EVERYTHING THAT HE HAS? DID HE NEED THEM?
If he "needed" a universe,...or angels...or human beings,... WHY DID HE WAIT SO LONG BEFORE CALLING THEM INTO EXISTENCE?I know that in some ways some of these questions solicit pure speculation. But, I hope it makes us think a little more deeply about the character and nature of God. This very question is speculative, since the phrase "why did God wait so long" implies waiting a long time. But we know that God is not bound by times, but lives outside it. Therefore, there is no such thing as a short time or long time to God. But the previous question - Did He need His creation? - is not a speculative question. With Scriptural knowledge, we can indeed answer that question.
Malachi 3:6 says, "For I am the LORD, I do not change;…"
That means, among other things, that when He did create, His creation added nothing to His character or His attributes. God was under no constraint, no obligation, no necessity to create. The fact that He did so was purely a sovereign act on His part. Don't get in the trap of saying God created mankind so that He would have someone to love Him. If that were true, it would mean that God wasn't complete without that expression of love.
Ephesians 1:11 says He...
"Works all things after the counsel of His own will."Six verses earlier (verse 5), the Apostle Paul tells us that it "…was according to the good pleasure of His will." Creating the things He has brought Him much pleasure.
Revelation 4:11
"…for thou hast created all things, and for thy PLEASURE they are and were created."God's creative acts were purely a sovereign decision on His part. He desired them to be in existence. And He knew they would bring Him pleasure. We know that God is a real Person who has existed through all eternity past. He has never had a beginning, nor will He have an end. God is eternal, both past and future. He lives in an ever-continuing present tense. But Wisdom, in Proverbs 8, is also given the attribute of eternality. Wisdom, as a person, was before time began. But time began at Creation. Let me once again read the verses in Proverbs 8 which speak of deity.
Proverbs 8:22-23, 27-30 NKJV
22 "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old.
23 I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth.27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,DO THESE QUALITIES TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT THE PERSON CALLED "WISDOM," AT LEAST IN THIS CONTEXT?
FROM WHAT IS STATED HERE, CAN WE DETERMINE WHO THIS IS SPEAKING ABOUT?To answer this question, let me first ask you a couple of other questions.
CAN ANYONE HERE QUOTE JOHN 1:1?
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT IS THE GREEK WORD TRANSLATED "WORD?"LogosHOW MANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT THE SEPTUAGINT VERSION OF THE BIBLE IS?
The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Old Testament. In theological books it is sometimes referred to as the LXX. LXX is Roman Numeral for the number 70. And that is what the word "Septuagint" means in Latin. A total of 70 scholars, some from each of the 12 tribes, tackled this job and completed the task sometime around 280 B.C.. Early in the history of the Church, this became a valuable tool for understanding the Old Testament in a language that was familiar to them. I bring the Septuagint up because in Proverbs 8, the Greek word used for wisdom is "Sophia." In the early church, theological writers often wrote that the "LOGOS" of the New Testament was the "SOPHIA" of the Old Testament.WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE THEY DID THAT?
I believe the more you compare this passage with other biblical passages, the more it become apparent that the person who is the LOGOS is also SOPHIA.As we look at the details of the personification of Wisdom in Proverbs, it will become more and more evident that this personification is the Person of Jesus Christ. He who was before all things, who is the Alpha and Omega, who is and always shall be, is the very Wisdom of God.
Colossians 2:1-3 NKJV
1 For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.And in 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 (NKJV), we read,
23 But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
24 But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.We will investigate this more fully in a few minutes. But before going to much farther, I need to clear up a possible question. Some might be asking the question: "If this is speaking of Christ, then why is He portrayed as a woman in Proverbs?" Wisdom in Proverbs 8 is an oriental figure of speech. The Hebrew word used for Wisdom (Chokmah) is feminine in gender. This portraying of wisdom as feminine shows it "wooing," "loving," and "pleading" with the hearer to find and fall in love with her, and accept her, and thereby find favor with God. Although war is normally associated with men going into battle, the Hebrew word for "war" is also feminine.
Many non-English languages ascribe gender to nouns. The Polish word for "table" is masculine, but it is feminine in French. What I am saying is that the gender of the Hebrew word for wisdom has no bearing on the object to which it refers. Jesus is prophetically spoken of as the "sun of righteousness" in Malachi 4:2. But the Hebrew word for "sun" is also feminine.
In Proverbs 9, wisdom is contrasted with the "woman folly." If Wisdom is Christ and Wisdom is contrasted with its opposite, then folly must be that which is the opposite of Christ, i.e., the Antichrist who is represented as a "woman" in Revelation 17.
Now let's return to the thought that Jesus is the personification of wisdom in Proverbs 8. First, let's compare some scriptures in the New Testament with statements made in Proverbs 8.
The Word is life
John 1:1-4 (NKJV) says,
1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."Compare this with Wisdom on Proverbs 8.
Proverbs 8:35 NKJV35 For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD;The Word was in the beginning
John 1:1 (NKJV)
1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.Wisdom was in the beginning. Proverbs 8:22-23 NASB
22 The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.
23 From everlasting I was established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.The Word was with God, - John 1:1
Wisdom was also with God.Proverbs 8:30 NKJV
30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.The Word was cocreator,
John 1:2-3 NKJV
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.Wisdom was also cocreator,Proverbs 8:25 NKJV
25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth;We need to couple this verse from chapter 8 with one in chapter 3.Proverbs 3:19 NKJV
19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens;The Word is the bread of life .
John 6:33 NIV
33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."Wisdom is the bread or substance of life
Proverbs 9:5 NKJV
5 Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.Christ is the Way
John 14:6 NKJV
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Wisdom is the wayProverbs 8:32-34 NKJV
32 Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.Christ is the "I Am"
I am the light of the world - John 8:12I am the bread of life - John 6:35, 48
I am the door - John 10:7, 9
I am the resurrection and the life - John 11:25
I am the way, the truth and the life - John 14:6
I am the true vine - John 15:1, 5
I am the Alpha & Omega - Revelation 1:17
This is no accidental pattern, and Jesus did not make these claims without Old Testament precedence.Exodus 3:14 NKJV
14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"Wisdom is the "I Am"
A case could be made for Wisdom being the way, the truth and the life, and the bread of life, the door, etc.Christ is Deity
John 1:1 (NKJV)
1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.Wisdom claims deity
Proverbs 8:23 NKJV
23 I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.Let's look at Colossians 1, where I believe we will find some other correlations.
Colossians 1:15-20 NKJV
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 Reconciled in Christ for it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.The thought, or metaphor, of Christ as the first-born in verse 15, is very similar to the description of Wisdom in Proverbs 8:22. And, although the "thrones, dominion, principalities or powers" of verse 16 is usually taken as the hierarchy of demonic fallen angels, could they have a parallel with the kings, princes, nobles and rulers of Proverbs 8:15-16?
Colossians 1:17 speak of Christ being before all things. Wisdom also was before all creation (things), as mentioned in Proverbs 8:22-26.
Colossians 1:19 speaks of the Father's good pleasure in the Son. This would find a parallel in Proverbs 8:30, where Wisdom "was daily His delight."
I think there is an enormous amount of evidence that the personified wisdom in Proverbs is none other than our Savior Jesus Christ.
Matthew Henry in his commentary says:
"Wisdom here (Proverbs 8) has personal properties and actions; and that intelligent divine person can be no other than the son of God himself, to whom the principal things here spoken of wisdom are attributed to Christ in other Scriptures."Gill's Commentary
"Many Bible commentators for centuries have understood Wisdom in Proverbs 8 to be descriptive of the works of Jesus Christ. It contains the instructions of Wisdom or Christ; showing the excellency of them, and the author of them."We have not yet read the last 6 verses of Proverbs 8. I did, however, mention them twice in the above argument.
Proverbs 8:31-36 NKJV
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men.
32 Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD;
36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death."I am not going to say much if anything about verse 31. So, take a look now at verse 32. This verse begins with the word "therefore." Whenever we see the word "therefore" in the Bible, we should stop and see what it's there for. The word "therefore" always draws our attention to the immediately preceding context. In this case the preceding context introduced us to wisdom incarnate, who is no other than Christ. No wonder we are told to hearken or hear.
Many things in life are not really all that important. If you miss them, it doesn't really matter. Many of you know I am a philatelist - a stamp collector. I usually try to go to two stamp shows each year. A stamp show is where stamp dealers from all over the United States and Canada gather to sell their wares. Each year, a large show is held at the Seattle Center. It is always held in January or February. When this year rolled around, there were other things more important on my schedule. Missing this show was not particularly a big deal.
Other things, however, are crucial, and if you miss them you could be in big trouble. If you forget to take your medicine, it could endanger your health. If you fail to show up at church on your wedding day, it could damage your future relationship and happiness with your spouse-to-be. This passage, in verse 32, presents us with a crucial issue that we must not miss. It is given both positively and negatively. After all the great discourse on wisdom, verses 12 - 30, the passage begins with, "Now therefore, listen to Me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways."
The positive statement is that we are to keep the ways of God. The negative statement is found in verse 36, which reads "he who sins against Me wrongs his own soul." In contrast to the one who "finds me finds life,". The one who misses does not.
Great happiness and joy are in store for those who find wisdom - find Christ - and obtain life, while the great tragedy awaits those who do not. This is an issue of life and death. We have to consider Christ, and listen and heed his words, if we want wisdom, for Christ is the wisdom of God.
Verse 33 (NIV) continues the thought of listening to Christ.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.You are not only to listen to the instruction, but understand what to do with what you hear.When I was in the Air Force, I was stationed most of the time in Alaska. On one occasion, the crew I was part of was sent to the tip of the Aleutian Islands, where we had a specific mission to carry out. On the island of Shemya, our mission was to observe Soviet missiles in flight. We were on constant alert, and we slept and worked in the hangar where our airplane was housed. When we got the call of a Russian missile being launched, we had to be on board and taxiing the airplane within a couple of minutes. When we received the call to get airborne, an alarm would sound, and we would reply to the message saying, "message received and understood."
In Verse 33, - "listen to my instructions and be wise, do not ignore it," the proper response is simply "Message received and understood." We have not only listened to the instructions, but, in wisdom, we understand what needs to be done.
Another important truth comes through in Verse 34.
Blessed is the man who listens to me.e>Jesus Christ, the wisdom of God, has the happiness of His people on His heart. So He thoroughly enjoys teaching us His truth. He has made every provision for us.Proverbs 8:35 NKJV
35. For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD;The word "whoever" comes into its own in the New Testament, in what is probably the most widely know Scripture of the Bible.John 3:16 NKJV
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.In addition, the Bible ends with that wondrous word still sounding from the heart of our God.
Revelation 22:17 NKJV
Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.Whoever finds Christ, finds life. The search is rewarded at last.
Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV
13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.Sir James Simpson discovered chloroform. Chloroform revolutionized medicine. Before his day, surgeries were a nightmare. One day a newspaper reporter interviewed the famous man. The journalist asked his first question: "Sir James, would you please tell me what you consider to be your most important discovery." The scientist promptly replied, "My most important discover was when I found out that I was a sinner in the sight of a holy God." The startled newsman did not think that answer would get his article on the front page, so he tried again. "Thank you, Sir James," he said. "Now would you tell me what you consider to be your second most important discovery?" The famous scientist replied, "Young man, my second most important discovery was when I found that Jesus died for a sinner like me." Sir James had found wisdom, he had found life and he had obtained the favor of the Lord.
None but Christ is able to say "he who finds me finds life," as it is written in Proverbs 8:35.
Only Christ could say "he who sins against me, wrongs his own soul" - Proverbs 8:36.
There is salvation in no other than Jesus Christ. And they who refuse or neglect Him cast themselves away. If we give wisdom personal qualities, as we have in Proverbs 8, I believe we must apply them to the Son of God.
1 Corinthians 1:30 NASB
30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.Christ is the wisdom for the believer today. And to know wisdom is to know Jesus Christ. You have to know the Author of the Bible before you can fully understand the wisdom found in it. We also need to know the Author in order to receive the benefits of the Bible, and before we can claim its great and precious promises.
In a previous lesson, we mentioned that "the fear of the Lord" involves an intimate relationship -- a relationship with God. And since "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," one cannot have wisdom without a relationship with God.
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