Proverbs: The Wisdom of God in Christ (3/4)
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· 5 viewsWisdom is of old before the create she was there and she is inegration to the creation. This abain pionts us to Christ who is God's wisdom incarnate and is the sol instrament of God's creation
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
This evening if you would open your Bibles to Proverbs Chapter 8 after reading the whole chapter we will focus in on verse 22 - 31
In the first section of the chapter we learned that Wisdom is gentle in and persistent in her call to the simple to learn. There is no place where the wisdom of God is not displayed.
In the last section we were instructed that wisdom comes with all other virtues. When the believer first believes they are endowed with the Holy Sprint, they are given a direct link to the wisdom of God and that endowment but God’s wisdom forms in them all virtue. And we should have a good picture of what the word virtue means after Pastor Gable's sermon the Sunday before last.
Night lets read Proverbs Chapter 8 and that get into the foundational nature of wisdom in verse 22-31.
1 Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? 2 On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; 3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: 4 “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. 5 O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. 6 Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, 7 for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. 9 They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. 10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, 11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. 12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. 13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. 14 I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength. 15 By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; 16 by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly. 17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. 18 Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. 19 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. 20 I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, 21 granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries. 22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work, 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 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 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.”
May God Bless the Reading of his Holy and Infallible Word
Let’s Pray
Transition
Transition
There was a summary fo this section in a commentary by Derek Kidner that I think is a good place to start. Kidner writes
First, wisdom is what Yahweh as Creator counted primary and indispensable. Second, wisdom is both older than the universe, and fundamental to it. Not a speck of matter (26b), not a trace of order (29), came into existence but by wisdom. Third, wisdom is the spring of joy, for joy breaks out whenever (30b) and wherever (31) the Creator’s wisdom is exercised. Joy of creating and joy of existence—the Maker’s and the creature’s delight—both flow from the exercise of divine wisdom; that is, from God’s perfect workmanship.[1]
If you were going to sum up the points of this section in just a few sentences. That would be it.
RC Sproul describes this section saying,
Wisdom’s origin. This hymn-like section presents wisdom as the basis of design in the universe. The focus is unusual, but this view of wisdom does not go against the theology of the covenant and God’s saving acts in Israel. The sages were also men of the covenant (1:7; 2:20–22 and notes). The method of wisdom is to emphasize the biblical theology of creation as the basis for understanding our lives as redeemed people of God. [2]
In a biblical theology of creation Christ is central
“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.” (Col 1:16, ESV)
Again the wisdom of God in creation works through the person of the son prevarication such that this poem about wisdom finds its perfection in bringing us to meditate on Christ.
Let me say that again this poem finds its ..
these words are shadows and mystery without Christ
Lets read verses. 22-24
Body
Body
Pre-Creation Wisdom Existed
Pre-Creation Wisdom Existed
22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work, 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.
Remember the writer of this did not have the same concepts about time as you and I do.
They did have clocks around them infinitesimally measuring every second.
What this poetic language is saying is, Wisdom existed before creation.
What it is not saying is that there was a time when God did not have wisdom.
Addressing this statement, “Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.”
We clearly know God is eternal and imputable. There is is was never a time when God’s wisdom was not setup.
Anthropomorphic, poetic language. We don’t understand this as wisdom begin but wisdom being foundation to what began.
Transition
Transition
So what is it that began Verse 25-29
Wisdom in Creation
Wisdom in Creation
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 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,
Before is the key word here,
We have a list that is intended by the author to be all encompassing.
You cannot go anywhere in creation that was not made with God’s wisdom.
Transition
Transition
Within Creation we have all the evidence of God’s wisdom. Wisdom so deep that in-creation there are marvelous things we do not understand. But what about wisdom as a worker and sources of joy in creation?
Verse 30-31
Wisdom the Worker
Wisdom the Worker
30 then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.
I like what RC Sproul says about rejocing and delighting.
“rejoicing … delighting. Wisdom reflects the satisfaction expressed in the divine declaration that creation is very good” [3]
Notice the stacked usage,
“delight”
“rejoicing”
“rejoicing”
“delighting”
Meaning to say there is nothing God has done that God does not rejoice and delight
Now think my family in Christ, think. Isaiah writes,
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
It was God’s delight to create this fallen world and rescue use from it.
What shall we say in the face of such wisdom,
God why did you make me like this?
God why did that bad thing or that bad thing happen?
We must keep in our minds that God in his wisdom decreed all this and yes that can be painful, look to Christ, sweating great drops of Blood, but he said, your will be done. Because God’s will is delightfully wise.
There maybe a time of suffering here according to the will of God but there is an eternity of delight also according to the will of God.
So in trial, the believer says amen.
In hardship the believer say amen.
In prosperity the believe says amen.
With Job the believe say, the Lord gives and the lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.
With Paul the believer says, these trails and light and momentary compared to the every weight of glory,
It pleased the Lord to crush him for me, blessed be the Lord and his wisdom.
Benediction
Benediction
24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
References
References
[1]Derek Kidner, Proverbs: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 17, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1964), 74.
[2] R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1029.
[3] Ibid, 1030.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Kidner, Derek. Proverbs: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 17. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1964.
Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015.