Scripture Reading(s)
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
8:1 Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?
8:2 On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand;
8:3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
8:4 “To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.
8:22 The LORD created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago.
8:23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
8:24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.
8:25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth–
8:26 when he had not yet made earth and fields, or the world’s first bits of soil.
8:27 When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
8:28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep,
8:29 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,
8:30 then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,
8:31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.
Reflections
Some of the wisdom poetry from the Hebrew culture can be a bit confusing. The Hebrews had a way of personifying certain things as though they were alive. This is what is happening here in Proverbs 8. What is the author trying to say with this personification? It appears that the message is an urging of men and women to seek wisdom and understanding.
Why seek such things? They are called to seek such things because they have divine attributes. Wisdom was created before and present during the creation of the universe and human beings. Wisdom was the right hand of the creator and the master worker. Wisdom had a direct relationship with the Lord and rejoiced with the Lord in the creation of man.
Despite the old saying it’s wisdom that is next to Godliness, not cleanliness. Jokes aside, this wisdom of God is important in guiding mankind. Today as Christians we would call this wisdom the WORD or the LOGOS. The personification of wisdom as the LOGOS was not uncommon and was certainly recognized in the opening of John’s gospel.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3)
Of course the LOGOS was more of a combination of wisdom and the word of God, not just wisdom. However, one can still see that there is some overlap in thinking.
So, what should we take away from all this? Perhaps we can say that it’s incredibly important to seek the wisdom of God. Luckily for us Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to fill this role. This is also why we are instructed by Paul to always walk in the Spirit and not in our own flesh. By doing this we walk in the wisdom of God and not our own understanding.
[Featured image from closerdaybyday.org]