September 29, 2017
WISDOM IS WHERE IT BEGINS
Proverbs 8:22–36
Nic Ochoa
Central Truth
If wisdom was present since creation, we must start with the Creator to entirely encounter and experience it.
Key Verse | Proverbs 8:22
"The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His work,
the first of His acts of old."
(Proverbs 8:22)
Proverbs 8:22–36
22
The LORD possessed
1
8:22
Or fathered; Septuagint created
me at the beginning of his work,
2
8:22
Hebrew way
the first of his acts of old.
23
Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25
Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
26
before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
27
When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28
when he made firm the skies above,
when he established
3
8:28
The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
the fountains of the deep,
29
when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30
then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his
4
8:30
Or daily filled with
delight,
rejoicing before him always,
31
rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.
32
And now, O sons, listen to me:
blessed are those who keep my ways.
33
Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.
34
Blessed is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
35
For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the LORD,
36
but he who fails to find me injures himself;
all who hate me love death.”
Dive Deeper | Proverbs 8:22–36
Last fall, I had the privilege to travel to Israel with a group of young adults from the Porch. Between standing on the Horns of Hattin overlooking the Sea of Galilee to hearing the waves crash against the shore that evening, my breath was absolutely taken. In the beginning, God . . . . These four words reflect the core of our belief system—that there’s a God, and He is the author of creation (Genesis 1:1).
In Mark Cahill’s book The One Thing You Can’t Do in Heaven, he explains that a basic proof for God is that everything we see in this universe reflects creation, design, art, and order. “If every other thing has a creator, a designer, an artist, and an order behind it, why would you not think there is [the same] behind this universe?” As we read Proverbs 8, we see that from the beginning of creation, God possessed Wisdom (verse 22). Before He shaped the Horns of Hattin and before He assigned the Sea of Galilee its limit, Wisdom was “beside him, like a master workman, and . . . daily His delight” (verse 30). Not only that, but we see God freely invites us to partake with Him in this blessing of Wisdom, “whoever finds [Wisdom] finds life and obtains favor from the Lord” (verse 35).
As I read this passage, I couldn’t help but believe its entirety points to the coming of Jesus. In the same way Wisdom is portrayed, we recognize that Christ was with God since the beginning (John 1:1), that in Him is abundant life (John 10:10), and that He beckons us to come and follow (Matthew 4:19). The last and most striking similarity between Wisdom and Jesus is that God freely gives them both in spite of us. “[B]ut God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Jesus died for us that we might live with and for Him. We have literally the embodiment of Wisdom in Christ. By Him alone, we are clothed in redemption and stand unblemished before the Creator of the universe.
Discussion Questions
1. What is the source of your wisdom? Who and what are you putting your trust in?
2. Have you ever responded to the gift freely given to us by God in the person of Jesus Christ? (Romans 6:23, 10:9-10)
3. The discipline of gaining biblical wisdom starts with a daily devotion and commitment to spend time with God in His Word. Take a moment to honestly assess how you are doing in this area of your life. If this is a growth opportunity for you, how can you take steps this week toward daily devotion?