Our study this week takes us to the book of Proverbs. Sometimes it is referred to as the book of wisdom. The dictionary defines wisdom as “the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.”1 The Bible tells us that true wisdom comes from God. We are urged to seek wisdom. Yet, as we saw above, it is not found easily on earth.
Oh, there are some who are truly knowledgeable or skilled in various crafts. But even then, if they or we do not recognize that even this is a gift of God’s grace, we fall short of true wisdom. Today it is my prayer that we delve into these scriptures from Proverbs exegetically and hermeneutically. (Delving deep into truth-not opinion and allowing scripture to interpret scripture.) Our Hope and Joy rests in The Word of God which is Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
For that reason, my greatest desire is that you see Jesus Christ in every part of the Bible. For the entire book is about him. It is His Story and Redemptive Plan for all to see. He is the perfection of every attribute of God, including wisdom.
Jesus is the Wisdom of God To Every Believer
Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles: foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than mankind, and the weakness of God is stronger than mankind. I Corinthians 1 (NASB)
Speaking of the Laodiceans, Paul wrote
2 My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2 (NET)
Wisdom An Attribute of God Wanting to be Heard
Proverbs 7 speaks of the harlot calling forth to draw men to sin. Chapter 6 names pride, laziness, and bad friends drawing one away from true wisdom. Meanwhile God tells us that wisdom is calling to us to turn to He who possesses the ultimate, perfect wisdom- Jesus.
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:
4 “To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O you simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fool, be of an understanding heart.
All the world wants to make “wise decisions”. Even the most pagan of mothers desire their children learn to make wise decisions in their career choices and in their finances. But the truth is:
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV).
Hearken to Wisdom
6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
7 For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
9 They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
11 For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her. Proverbs 8 (NKJV)
Wisdom as Representative of Christ
As we move into the next section, I feel it necessary for a little explanation as so many have misrepresented or misused these verses. They represent the attributes of Jesus Christ. Since He always existed and was a part of creation, these verses refer to the fact that wisdom as an attribute of God always existed. Some however in describing this try to say it is proof that Jesus and God are female since wisdom is called she.
But the truth is both Greek and Hebrew are gendered languages as are the Latin languages. Example in Spanish we have El Sol and La Luna—El being masculine and La feminine. That does not make the Sun male nor the moon female—it is the structure of the language. The same is true for the Greek word for wisdom and the Hebraic word for wisdom. Furthermore, here wisdom is an attribute of Jesus Christ. He is the perfect wisdom of God. God’s wisdom existed for all the same years as God has. In other words, always and forever.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
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. Proverbs 8 (NKJV)
No judges, prince, president, nor king rules unless God in His wisdom has ordained so and will bring about His purpose. He will accomplish all that He has planned, even when we do not understand nor see how.
Grace Shown by God in Granting Wisdom
17 I love those who love me,
And those who seek me diligently will find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches, and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
20 I traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries. Proverbs 8 (NKJV)
This is a wealth far beyond what the richest person on earth can offer. It is a wealth of life, hope, joy, and love. Our hope is not in the vain things of this world. Our hope and joy lie in knowing Jesus Christ and the anticipation of spending eternity in His presence. There is no love, no joy to compare with that. My hope relies on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. His blood to cleanse me so that I might wear His cloak of righteousness and be filled with His Wisdom forever. What a wise and wondrous God He is.
Wisdom inherent to Jesus Christ
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.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields,
Or the primal dust of the world. Proverbs 8
Everything done. All of creation was an outpouring of the wisdom of God. He never did anything out of foolishness or just because.
Furthermore
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, Proverbs 8 (NKJV)
Some believe this next verse refers to the absolute delight of Jesus with the Father in the Creation within their attribute of wisdom. Imagine the celebration with music and dances of joy. Delighting in you and me, knowing we would be His bride one day.
30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And my delight was with the sons of men. Proverbs 8 (NKJV)
And So, take Heed to listen to Wisdoms Message
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.” Proverbs 8 (NKJV)
Look How Wonderfully the Bible Confirms the Bible
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1(ESV)
How to We Learn Hope and Joy by Seeking Wisdom
Let us turn to another Proverb to help with this.
The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal:
2 Surely I am more stupid than any man,
And do not have the understanding of a man.
3 I neither learned wisdom
Nor have knowledge of the Holy One. Proverbs 30 (NKJV)
A teacher of doctrine declares that with the Torah, the Chronicles, and the book of Judges, he still did not really know God. He knew of God but did not know God. Why did he feel so apart from God? He gives us a clue in the next verse.
4 Who has ascended into heaven, or descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has bound the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name, and what is His Son’s name,
If you know?
What a beautiful prophecy amid this wisdom literature. To know God intimately you must know His Son’s name. This is what was missing in the Old Testament. Oh, yes they knew God, but they did not yet know the name of Jesus. All the prophets spoke of His coming and how that would transform the covenant but they did not yet know Him,
Another Example is in Judges 13-Oh the exceeding wisdom of God
Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. Judges 13 (NKJV)
Amazing, but who is the Angel of the Lord?
6 So the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A Man of God came to me, and His countenance[was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. 7 And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son.
8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, and said, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.” Judges 13 (NKJV)
But it did not end there
9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, “Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!”
11 So Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the Man, he said to Him, “Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?”
And He said, “I am.”
So, The Angel of the Lord repeated all the instructions to Manoah who offered Him food and asked He stay.
16 And the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Though you detain Me, I will not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the Lord.” (For Manoah did not know He was the Angel of the Lord.)
17 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, “What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?”
18 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?”
Wow! Almost the same question, what is the name of God’s Son, for surely this was the preincarnate Jesus. His name is wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6).
Furthermore: God promised There will be a new covenant
34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jeremiah 31:34
Agur realized there was no teaching that help us know God better unless we know the name of His Son. Only with an intimate relationship with Jesus can we truly know wisdom and know God.
Then Agur proclaimed:
5 Every word of God is pure;
He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
6 Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
7 Two things I request of You
(Deprive me not before I die):
8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches—
Feed me with the food allotted to me;
9 Lest I be full and deny You,
And say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or lest I be poor and steal,
And profane the name of my God. Proverbs 30 (NKJV)
Yet, for us the mystery has been unveiled.
“ it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. Ephesians 3 (NKJV)
And What Wondrous Mystery Revealed in the Name of Jesus
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
In the Name of Jesus, the Veil is Torn
Beyond that, He has promised to transform my heart so I may be transformed to His image.
15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3 (NKJV)
Hallelujah! The law could never transform my heart: but the name of Jesus can and will. He is the wisdom that I seek. What about you?
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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©Effie Darlene Barba, 2024
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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