proverbs session 6
proverbs session 6
Intro
Proverbs is an idealistic book, and its precepts and promises will only work in an idealistic world. Proverbs gives clear and in unqualified statements and rules to how the world works according to God. But have you ever read Proverbs and felt that some of the things stated don’t seem to be true and accurate to reality? Have you ever read a verse in Proverbs and though “wait, I’ve seen the opposite of this happen in my life”. I’ve done good, and only more bad stuff happened to me. I honored God and followed him and I wasn’t made rich and wealthy. I worked hard but I wasn’t given the promise spoken in this book.
This isn’t because Proverbs is incorrect. It is because Proverbs is describing a world in the way it should be. Not the way it always is. We live if a broken and fallen world, cursed on every level due to the sinfulness of man. So we can expect things to go wrong, and not all of God’s perfect plans and ways seem to happen. (Of course this doesn’t negate the ultimate Sovereignty of God and the fact that he has everything under control).
Verse 14-16 (Wisdom speaking)
14 I possess good advice and sound wisdom; I have understanding and strength. 15 It is by me that kings reign and rulers enact just law; 16 by me, princes lead, as do nobles and all righteous judges.
The promised consequences in Proverbs are more likely to happen when you live in a govt and system that is founded on the principles and wisdom of God. Only by Godly wisdom can truly JUST laws be enacted. Only through his wisdom can can leaders lead and judge righteously.
God’s Kingdom
We are first and foremost citizens of heaven. We are part of his kingdom, and thankfully his kingdom is perfect. Our allegience to God constrains us to seek wisdom, and we we find it to act it out in our lives.
We will be held accountable for this when we stand before God. No matter the system of government we live in on earth, we are to obey God because his kingdom is our first priority.
This also means that in God’s kingdom and economy truth, justice, and righteousness reign even now. We may not see it on earth but it is in fact the truth in the kingdom of Jesus.
We may or may not see the promises of living wisely fullfilled here on earth though.
Earthly Kingdom’s
Daniel pointed out that the Lord placed kings over kingdoms and also removed them (Dan. 2:21).
But that doesn’t mean that foolish leader could conquer a kingdom by using brute force,naked aggression, deception, or deceit.
We will never see the pefect will of God and the precepts established in Proverbs fullfilled perfectly in our earthly lives. This is because we will never live in a perfect earthly kindgom. We should of course strive for and work towards living in a society that falls in line with the Word and wisdom of God as much as we can.
And for this reason we should vote for leaders that we know will enact policies that are aligned with God’s biblical principles of righteousness and justice. We should vote for leaders that will speak the truth and love law and order and justice to flow in our streets and courts. We should encourage Christians to get involved in the political process.
The futher away from God’s ways our society drifts, the lower your chances are going to be to have the promise of living out the rules of the wisdom of God will come to fruition.
Remember out subject of Romans 13, where God claims to establish all authority and that he is the ultimate authority.
Wisdom Personified
In the passage we are examining today wisdom is personified as a great woman crying out. We see this woman making a call to whomever will hear her.
Verse 6-9
6 Listen, for I speak of noble things, and what my lips say is right. 7 For my mouth tells the truth, and wickedness is detestable to my lips. 8 All the words from my mouth are righteous; none of them are deceptive or perverse. 9 All of them are clear to the perceptive, and right to those who discover knowledge.
In a culture and time when deception seems to be the rule, God’s wisdom cry’s out that truth and righteousness are the only things that are truly wisdom from God. The enemies of God may think they are wise, but their wisdom is from the world. Our wisdom is from the Father, which is pure, truthful and righteous.
The ways of Satan are deceptive and perverse. He will always operate in the shadows.
Wisdom is giving a detailed explanation of the her qualities and attributes. She is describing her character and motives. She is telling us that pursuing her is better than pursuing riches. She is giving us promises of filling the treasuries of those who love her.
Verse 10-11
10 Accept my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. 11 For wisdom is better than jewels, and nothing desirable can equal it.
Verse 18-21
18 With me are riches and honor, lasting wealth and righteousness. 19 My fruit is better than solid gold, and my harvest than pure silver. 20 I walk in the ways of righteousness, along the paths of justice, 21 giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.
The wisdom of God is better than any other worldly pursuit or pleasure. Finding it will lead to true fulfillment and happiness. And often living by the precepts of God’s wisdom will result if lasting riches and wealth even in this life. But if not, we can be confident that we are storing up riches, wealth, and treasure in our future heavenly home.
Why is God (through Solomon) portraying Wisdom as woman?
It is portrayed in this way to encapsulate a certain subset of God’s character. It is a foreshadowing of God presenting himself to humanity personified. God is not a person, he is Spirit. He in incomprehensible. Who is man that we could know God? In order for us to better understand his ways he often will explain his ways to us in a manner we can comprehend.
Wisdom is not a God. God is not ONLY wisdom.
We can find many of the characteristics of God in the description of his wisdom. Therefore we can find many of the characteristics of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as we examine this passage.
Wisdom from the Father
Let us first understand and remember that true Wisdom is from the Father. This personified wisdom even claims that she was present with the Father before the foundation of the earth 8:23.
Who else claims they were with God before the foundations of the world?
This implies that the wisdom of the Father is not merely a human invention. In other words, it was not created out of Solomon’s mind as he wrote this book. Rather it was given to Solomon. In 1 Kings 3:7-9 Solomon asks God for wisdom to govern Israel:
7 And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
God is so pleased with this prayer that he not only answers his prayer and grants him wisdom but also gives him riches and honor. We see Solomon express this experience he had in this passage. The woman promises that loving she (wisdom) will lead to our treasuries being filled.
Let us not forget that this is not just an old testament precept. In James 1:5 we are told:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me, and those who search for me find me”
In verse 17 of this chapter God tells us that if we search for wisdom we will find her. This wisdom is from God, so a search for it should start with God.
The wisdom of the Father is not a worldly wisdom. God’s wisdom more than just a set of pithy statements we can live life by to be more happy. Or for us to be able to appear wise before men. No, God’s wisdom is the bedrock of our life, and hopefully our society.
Wisdom found in Jesus
The personification of wisdom into human form is a foreshadow and type of Christ. He was the full condescention (personification if you will) of God into human form. True Wisdom is found in the Son, and as we pursue him we will find wisdom.
Read 1 Cor 1:18-30
As we see described in this passage, the wisdom of the Father is foolishness to the world.
What is something that God has called you to do that has seemed like foolishness?
Obeying God is a wise thing. That is to say, if you are reading his word and following the leading of the Holy Spirit as he guides you you’ve already established the foundation for living a life of wisdom.
The pursuit of Jesus is wise, and to pursue Jesus is to pursue wisdom. The centerpiece of the wisdom of God is Christ’s Death and Ressurection. He openly made a public spectacle of the devil and brought him to shame. Through what looked as a failed foolish plan can the greatest event and act ever performed in history. Ths led to the salvation of millions, and the reconciliation of humanity back to God.
How do you pursue Christ in your daily life?
In what ways can your pursuit of Christ grant you wisdom?
Since we know and believe that Jesus is God, these same things can be interpreted as Jesus speaking and describing his own character. In other words, there is a parallel between Prov 8 and Jesus. But we cannot take the stance that its a perfect connection. Just the same way that we cannot draw a straight line from Jesus and some of the prophetic Psalms like 38. We can see clear parallels but of course cannot be perfectly connection to Jesus. We’ve already established that this woman’s (wisdom) description of herself is God’s way of using personification to allow us to better understand his character.
There was a heretical teaching in the church in the 3rd century that even used v23 of this chapter to argue that Jesus was “created”. We now know this was a bad translation of the word, which is more appropriately translated as “possesed”. Furthermore, even if we can read this passage as Jesus speaking directly we are not trying to establish a direct one to one correllation. Jesus clearly taught that all scripture was ultimately about him, so we should not be surprised to find him hanging out here in chapter 8 of Proverbs.
Wisdom given by the Holy Spirit (our experience)
True Wisdom is given through the Holy Spirit. The character and mind of God is ours through Christ Jesus. If we lack wisdom, we have a promise from God that he will give it to us. True lasting wisdom can only come from the Holy Spirit working in and through us.
A person who isn’t a follwer of God can read Proverbs and decide to follow its precepts. Doing so might result in reaping the benefits promised by God. This is because God’s wisdom and rules reign supreme in the universe no matter who chooses to follow them. But this doesn’t imply that this person has chosen the true and lasting wisdom of God, which is to put your trust in the work of Christ.
The Holy Spirit is only given to those who have put their trust is Jesus’s death and ressurection. He is the means by which true and lasting wisdom can be given to us. We are able to live life in a pleasing and obedient manner, and are given power over sin, the flesh, and the devil through Him.
We see this clearly stated in Col 1:9-12
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
Verse 12-13
12 I, wisdom, share a home with shrewdness and have knowledge and discretion. 13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.