Proverbs 8:12–36

From verse 12 to the end of the chapter, the female pronoun is not used. In the first 11 verses the writer reports the actions and words of the woman wisdom. But from verse 12 it is not a report. A Person is speaking directly, calling Himself "I Wisdom." So the emphasis is not on how people are affected, but on truth that is true no matter how it affects men. This whole long speech is not an example for us to copy. It is a statement of wonderful facts, meant to bow our hearts in adoration at the feet of Him who is Wisdom.

Here the Old Testament sets Him clearly before the hearer of the written Word — the One who would later become flesh and live among us. So we can understand that His grace makes itself deeply felt... He is a divine Person: Jehovah's daily delight, whose delights were with the sons of men. Though He was set up from eternity, He calls Himself Wisdom dwelling with prudence. He appeals in a special way to heart and conscience. For who does not feel the need of such guidance?

"Witty inventions" in Proverbs 8:12 is the same word as that translated "discretion" in Proverbs 1:4 and Proverbs 2:11. Fürst gives for Proverbs 8:12, "knowledge of intelligent counsels."

Wisdom makes prudence its dwelling place. There it finds knowledge — if not of witty inventions, then certainly of reflections, which is a better thing. So wisdom, with resources deeper than every snare, meets subtle enemies.

"Prudence" in verse 4 can sink into cunning or sly ways, as in Exodus 21:14 and Joshua 9:4. But as in Proverbs 8:5 and 12, so here and in related forms, it has the fair meaning of practical good sense.

Prudence is the virtue that tells apart things that differ. That matters if we are to welcome wisdom. In dwelling with prudence, wisdom finds out knowledge and discretion. Of course, it is Christ who finds these out in perfection.

We are in a world dominated for the present by a subtle spirit of evil that has access to every heart. There is therefore constant need of a wisdom above man's. For the Christian it descends from above; it is Christ, God's wisdom no less than His power.

Wisdom sees everything in divine light, and detects its character at once. In this way it has the deepest subtlety of all. It has the discernment of God. A scene of satanic deceit may perplex the mind. What is it? Getting into it goes against the fear of the Lord, so the whole thing is judged, though I cannot account for a hundredth part of it. The soul not guided by the fear of the Lord plunges into a scene beyond its powers, and is the sport of Satan. The fear of the Lord and the Spirit of truth, for the simplest mind, has preserved from and judged it all... "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence" — that is, the reflective judgment which the fear of God calls for and produces, always seeking His will, and giving a discernment that judges the true character of everything.

Divine wisdom in the Word forms the godly in obedience, not in the cleverness that outwits craft by deeper craft. That would only dishonour God and stain the soul.

This fear of the Lord is not the slavish dread that marks the superstitious. No. It is reverent trust joined with hatred of evil. Where this is kept up, the presence of the Lord is real, and a joy.

Christian teaching draws an important distinction. Judicial forgiveness is full, complete, and everlasting. Governmental forgiveness brings the believer back to enjoying the relationship he already stands in with God. The passage here does not make that distinction clear. It points instead to a fact just as important: God's forgiveness has a sanctifying effect when a person truly knows it. "But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared." "The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil."

This book states seven times what the fear of the Lord is... The fear of the Lord is the first step to knowledge and progress... The things He hates, we should hate too, or His fear is not in us.

God's wisdom in the Word trains the godly in obedience. It does not train them in the cleverness that beats cunning with more cunning. That would only dishonour God and stain the soul. So God and His people hate pride and arrogance on one side, and the evil way and the perverse mouth on the other. They are the ways and the words of self, far from Him who leads in the path of obedience.

Now the word "she" is exchanged for "I." We are no longer looking at wisdom's activity in the believer, that is, subjectively. We are looking at wisdom objectively, in Christ personally, apart from people's experiences or feelings... In Christ we also see perfectly "the fear of the Lord" (v. 13). He hates "evil, pride and arrogance and the evil way." Such is His character as "Wisdom." He hates the perverse mouth, for the words of His mouth are pure and good.

Ahab brings in Obadiah, the steward of his house, a man who held a public place at the king's court. "Obadiah feared the Lord greatly" (v. 3). This might seem to be enough for a faithful walk... But we are also told: "fear the LORD, and turn away from evil" (Prov. 3:7). And again: "The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil" (Prov. 8:13). A person may fear the Lord greatly and still dishonour Him by keeping company with the world that rejects Him.

All spiritual growth begins with what the Bible calls the fear of the Lord. That means real reverential respect for Him, recognizing His power and authority over us. It leads to hating evil and turning from it. It lets a person stand like a wall against the evil influences around, and keep them out. This is the beginning of all spiritual growth and character. Where it is lacking there is no foundation to build on.

Wisdom is personified in these verses, and perhaps strangely, as "she." In fact, 1 Corinthians 1:24 speaks of "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God," and Christ is not female. The answer is in 1 Corinthians 1:30, "Of Him (God) you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God." … So "in Christ" believers have wisdom from God, but this is wisdom as it works in them, which accounts for the female gender used here. Christ Himself is wisdom in His own Person, but He uses believers to declare His truth. In Proverbs 8 the first 11 verses are the female voice, that is, Christ in believers declaring the truth. The rest of chapter 8 (vv. 12-36) is clearly the voice of the Lord Jesus Himself, who in His own Person is the wisdom of God.

Before He came out of heaven, His recorded word said, "I am understanding" (Prov. 8:14); and we are told, "Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it" (Prov. 16:22). We made our beginning in this when we were brought to the fear of the Lord. All that hate Him love death: but whoever finds Him finds life (Prov. 8:35). He is now found, thank God, by those who did not seek Him, as Isaiah foretold (Rom. 10:20). He sought and saved us when we were wandering in the wild wastes of sin and folly.

He will be the source of all counsel for those who share the government and its benefits in that day. All counsel that is good has already proceeded from Him, for it is He who has said, "Counsel is Mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. By Me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By Me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth" (Prov. 8:14-16). It is divinely suitable, indeed, that He should be called "Counsellor."

Wisdom makes prudence its dwelling place, and there finds knowledge… So wisdom and its resources meet subtle adversaries, and they go deeper than every snare. Its base is that fear of the Lord which hates evil, and intellectual sharpness and craft are no match for it. For divine wisdom in the Word forms the godly in obedience. It does not train them in the cleverness that outwits craft by deeper craft, for that would only dishonour God and stain the soul. Pride and arrogance on one side, and the evil way and the twisted mouth on the other, are hateful to God and His people. They are the ways and the words of self. They are far from Him who leads in the path of obedience, and who gives counsel and sound wisdom to those who wait on Him and keep His word. With Him is not only intelligence but strength — all we need in this tangled and shifting scene.

We cannot read His glory in the present state of government in the world, even though God Himself has set up the authorities that exist. There is government, and we have reason to be thankful for this. We know that all true justice comes from God's wisdom, as He tells us in Proverbs 8:15-16… Someone like Solomon showed remarkable wisdom in government, but that wisdom has been corrupted, like everything else committed to man's responsibility.

Wisdom is a person. What wisdom gives, and the power wisdom has, make it clear that wisdom is a divine person. Kings and princes rule by that person, as well as the nobles and judges of the earth. This wisdom ordains the authorities that exist.

But in Proverbs 8 we get wonderful things predicated of wisdom. Wisdom speaks, not as an abstract quality, but as a Person capable of loving and being loved. "I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me diligently find Me." That Person tells us He was set up from everlasting and anointed from everlasting. The title Christ means the Anointed.

"By Me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just" (v. 15). By whatever means men may appoint or elect rulers, such men are only pawns in the hand of the Lord Jesus, for He who is Wisdom is perfectly in control of all this.

The Lord did not dispute Pilate's authority. But where did it come from? "You would have no authority over Me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered Me over to you has the greater sin." "There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God"; so wrote the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans (13:1). "By Me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just"; so Wisdom speaks in the Old Testament (Prov. 8:15). Pilate had authority, but it was delegated authority. It was from above — that is, from God. So it was fitting for him to judge justly.

We now come to wisdom's direct place on earth, in God's government of the world. Government, righteous judgment, and the rule of the great all depend on it. So we read of the wisdom of Solomon. Rulers have to represent God. They must tell good from evil and uphold what is right by authority on the earth. They can only do this by divine wisdom.

He did not regard the people as his people, his to govern, his to serve God in, but God's people entrusted to him. This gives seriousness; and, further, it exercises conscience. So he asked for wisdom, for he surely needed it. Had it been his own people, he might have had wisdom enough; but, being God's people, he required wisdom from God.

We cannot read His glory in the state of government in the world today, even though God Himself has set up the authorities that exist. There is government, and we have reason to be thankful for it. All true justice comes from God's wisdom, just as He tells us in Proverbs 8:15-16. Someone like Solomon showed remarkable wisdom in government. But that wisdom has been corrupted, like everything else God has trusted to man.

None need wisdom so much as those in authority, the monarch in particular... The New Testament only gives instruction about submitting to authority. The Old Testament also instructs those who hold it. The Christian waits to reign with Christ, content meanwhile to suffer with Him and for Him. No command, no principle, no fact assumes he will hold worldly power in the world that rejected Christ. That waits until Christ appears to judge the world.

Wisdom is a person. What wisdom gives, and the power wisdom has, make it clear that wisdom is a divine person. Kings and princes rule by that person, as well as the nobles and judges of the earth. This wisdom appoints the powers that exist.

None need wisdom so much as those in authority, the king in particular. "By me princes rule and nobles, all the judges of the earth." But this very language fittingly marks the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. That is, it marks the entirely new state of things under the gospel compared with the law. For the New Testament instructs only in subjection to authority. The Old Testament instructs those who wield it as well. The Christian waits to reign with Christ, content meanwhile to suffer with Him and for Him.

We now come to wisdom's direct earthly side, in connection with God's government of the earth. Government, righteous judgment, the rule of the great, all depend on it. So we read of the wisdom of Solomon. Rulers have to represent God on the earth. They must tell good from evil and uphold what is right by their authority. They can do this only by divine wisdom.

"You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin." … "By Me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth"; so speaks Wisdom in the Old Testament (Prov. 8:15-16). Pilate had authority, but it was delegated authority. It was from above — that is, from God. To judge righteous judgment therefore became him.

It definitely asserts that the authority to govern has been given by God. It does not say that the particular individuals who exercise the authority are of God, or that the way they may use their authority is of God. Those who exercise authority may be, and often are, thoroughly wicked men, who may abuse the power for their own ends. The fact remains: God instituted the authority they wield.

Nor can we read His glory in the present state of government in the world, even though God Himself has set up the authorities that exist. There is government, and we have reason to be thankful for this. We know that all true justice comes from God's wisdom … In someone like Solomon, remarkable wisdom in government appeared. But it has been corrupted, like everything else committed to man's responsibility.

"COUNSELLOR." He will be the source of all counsel for those who share the government and its benefits in that day. All counsel that is good has already come from Him, for He it is who has said, "Counsel is Mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength … By Me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth" (Prov. 8:14-16). It is divinely fitting, indeed, that He should be called "Counsellor."

It is possible for a person to love a quality. A man may love truth, honesty, beauty, and so on. But a quality cannot love. Here Wisdom says, "I love those who love Me." Wisdom can love. Wisdom has a heart of affection. A quality is an abstract idea. It becomes real only when someone puts it into practice. A quality cannot love; a Person can. Thank God, we are not left here with a mere abstraction. We meet a real living Person.

Solomon traces it to a time when there was no beginning. He writes as if Wisdom personified were speaking: "I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth existed" (chap. 8:23). Only One who is God could say that. It is Deity who speaks here.

"I love those who love Me, and those who seek me diligently shall find Me" (v. 17). God's love is so great that "He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Yet the Lord Jesus shows a special character of love toward those who respond to His love. On the other hand, His very nature is to hate wickedness. So those who foolishly choose wickedness place themselves under the same hatred as their choice.

But there is another point that applies to all hearts: loving wisdom for its own sake, and seeking it with diligence of heart. That means real delight in God's wisdom itself, and the sense that we are bound to live it out. Wisdom is loved for its own sake, and diligence of heart seeks it as a duty laid on us.

But wisdom goes out far beyond rulers and the great, even to all that seek and prize it. "I love those who love me; and those who seek me earnestly will find me." This is always the way in divine pursuits. Those that are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. God has no blanks for the real.

Always remember that throughout your lives first things belong to God. Be out early in the morning, while the dew is still on the ground. Then you can gather your own daily portion of the fresh manna given for that day. Remember also that however early you rise to seek the meeting place, the Lord will be there first. His meal will be ready and waiting for you.

The Lord does not deny His own word. And Christ, the wisdom of God, said long ago, "I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me early shall find Me" (Prov. 8:17). He has further promised those that keep His commandments that He will manifest Himself to them as He does not to the world (John 14:21).

The wisdom of God is active. It cries aloud; it invites men... Kings and princes rule by wisdom. Strength, counsel, sound wisdom and durable riches are all found in it... But this leads us further, for Christ is the wisdom of God. He stands at the centre of all relations, according to the perfections of God. He Himself is the object of God's eternal delight.

The Wisdom is the Son of God. Wisdom is pictured here as a person, and that person is the Lord Jesus Christ. This wonderful passage is a great prelude to the coming of the Son of God as man, and to His later work of redemption.

Wisdom from Him secures riches and honour. For the Christian these are not material; they are far better — truly durable wealth, and righteousness... And only there is blessing enjoyed. For the Christian it is not found in the food basket and the storeroom, in the bank or in stocks, but higher and unchanging.

But those who choose Christ are blessed with "riches and honor" (v. 18). These are not merely temporary riches, which take wings and fly away. They are enduring riches, because they are tied to righteousness. For God has chosen "those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith" (James 2:5).

In Old Testament days riches were sometimes the evidence of God's blessing, as with Job, but it was not always so. Righteous men might have little of this world's goods, and wicked men might have riches (Ps. 37:16). Then, as now, a poor wise man might be looked down on (Ecc. 9:15), and "disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends" (Prov. 14:20). Whether in Old Testament times or now, Wisdom's word to men is "Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness" (Prov. 8:18). Only the riches that come from God are spiritual and lasting. Material riches can so easily take wings. If we do not lose them in life, death takes us from them.

"I have found my ALL in Christ; I want no more. I have found in Him 'unsearchable riches' — 'durable riches and righteousness.' In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. What do I want with this world's riches, its wisdom or its learning?"

Blessed be His name, Christ has all we can possibly want for time and eternity. Words of eternal life flow from His lips into our hearts. He causes those who follow Him to "inherit substance." He bestows on them "durable riches and righteousness." Compared with what Christ has to give, all the riches, honours, titles, and pleasures of this world are worthless.

That the one who calls is a female need not trouble us. When Scripture uses a female figure as a picture, it is to set out divine principles in their inward character. No honest mind taught by God can doubt that it is Christ who is set before us in this chapter... God has made divine wisdom available to us in Christ, as we read, "But of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who has been made to us wisdom from God." 1 Cor. 1:30.

Those who choose Christ are blessed with "riches and honor" (v. 18), not merely temporal riches, which take to themselves wings and fly away, but enduring riches, because they are connected with righteousness, for God has chosen "the poor of this world, rich in faith" (James 2:5). The fruit of wisdom is better than the finest gold or choice silver, things in which people generally put their confidence (v. 19).

But wisdom goes out far beyond rulers and the great, to all who seek and value it. "I love those who love me, and those who seek me earnestly will find me." That is always the way in the things of God. Those who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. God has no blanks for the real. Wisdom from Him secures riches and honour — not material riches for the Christian, but far better: durable wealth, truly, and righteousness. Its fruit really is better than pure gold or choice silver.

He causes those who follow Him to "inherit substance." He bestows upon them "durable riches and righteousness." We may truly say that, compared with what Christ has to give, all the riches, honours, positions and pleasures of this world are worthless waste. They pass away like the morning mist and leave only an aching emptiness behind... And more than that — you have to give it all up. If someone had all the wealth of Solomon, it lasts only a moment compared with the endless eternity that lies before every one of us. When death comes near, all the riches of the universe could not buy one moment's delay.

Durable riches and righteousness go with wisdom: her fruit is better than gold... This introduces Christ as the wisdom of God, from Prov. 8:22. He was there before creation began. His delights were with the sons of men (Prov. 8:31)... Wisdom says, "Blessed is the man that hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doorposts. For whoever finds me finds life."

Wisdom from Him secures riches and honour — for the Christian, not the material kind, but something far better: lasting wealth and righteousness. Its fruit is better than pure gold or choice silver. Wisdom walks in the way of righteousness. Not "leading" but "walking" is the point here. To reason, to common sense, it may look like sheer foolishness, because it often brings loss, sacrifice and suffering. But "whoever does the will of God abides forever." Christ to us is the way; and Him we follow whatever the case.

Nor does wisdom ever get out of these paths. She is found only in "the paths of judgment." In every situation where a person has to walk, a road built in righteousness is the only one wisdom can walk in. She is always found in the midst of them (that is, she cannot be outside the paths so formed and marked out). These are God's, these are wisdom's.

Wisdom walks in the path of righteousness. Through conscience and the word, it discerns how men are to walk and to please God. It discerns what is right in all the complicated scene of this world, and gives a sure path in it according to God. Seeking only to please Him, it gives motives above the circumstances and so a path through them. We do what is right in them. We walk in firmness and on a plain path where the circumstances would offer none. This is a great comfort... There is light, divine light, on the path, where all is dark around, for divine wisdom knows its path here by righteousness.

Thus wisdom, personified in Christ, walks in the way of righteousness (v. 20), and His whole life on earth showed it. He could say, "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment" (John 7:24), because He Himself did this perfectly, always keeping to the paths of justice. In doing so, He caused those who love Him to inherit wealth, spiritual wealth, to fill their treasuries (v. 21).

We have seen that the "strange woman" led to poverty, and that both she and the "foolish woman" led to death and destruction, but Wisdom leads into the path of righteousness and to a life filled with substance and treasure. The first two women cannot boast of substance, for they will lose everything they seem to own in the end. Death is stamped on everything here.

The One who ordered creation rightly for the pleasure of the Godhead presents that same wisdom to us. He gives it so that we might walk rightly in that creation, for the pleasure of the Godhead.

The speaker here is a woman, and that need not trouble us. Whenever Scripture uses a woman as a picture, it is to set out divine principles in their inward character. No honest mind taught by God can doubt that this chapter sets Christ before us. Some say we cannot apply abstract principles to Divine Persons, but Luke 11:49 clearly disproves this. "Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, I will send them prophets and apostles." Here we have a divine Person speaking... God has made divine wisdom available to us in Christ, as we read, "And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God." 1 Cor. 1:30.

So wisdom, personified in Christ, walks in the way of righteousness (v. 20), and His whole life on earth showed it. He could say, "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment" (John 7:24). He could say it because He did this perfectly Himself, always keeping to the paths of justice. In doing so, He caused those who love Him to inherit wealth, spiritual wealth, to fill their treasuries (v. 21).

Wisdom from Him secures riches and honour. For the Christian they are not material. They are far better: lasting wealth, and righteousness... Wisdom walks in the way of righteousness. Not "leading" but "walking" is the point here. To reason, to common sense, this may look foolish. It often brings loss, sacrifice and suffering. But "whoever does the will of God abides forever." Christ to us is the way; and Him we follow whatever the case... You enjoy blessing there and nowhere else. For the Christian it is not in the food basket or the storehouse, in the bank or in stocks. It is higher and unchanging.

We have seen that the "strange woman" led to poverty, and that both she and the "foolish woman" led to death and destruction, but Wisdom leads into the path of righteousness and to a life filled with substance and treasure. The first two women cannot boast of substance. In the end they will lose all they appear to own. Death is stamped on everything here, and the Lord told His disciples that nothing in this world was their own. Material riches on earth belong to Israel, and they will have them in the world to come. Our true riches are spiritual and heavenly. These our Lord said are "your own," Luke 16:10-12.

Turn where you will "under the sun" and you will not find anything on which the heart can rest. You must rise on the strong, steady wing of faith to the regions "above the sun." There you find "a better and an enduring substance." The One who sits at the right hand of God has said that He walks in the way of righteousness and in the paths of justice, so that those who love Him inherit substance, and He fills their treasuries... None but Jesus can give "substance." None but He can "fill." None but He can "satisfy."

Every step we take in real obedience to Christ is a victory over the flesh and the devil. Every fresh victory supplies fresh power for the fight that follows. That is how we grow... The man whose heart is truly devoted to the Lord will have power to teach and power to worship. He will increase in substance, for Christ causes those who love Him to inherit substance. (Prov. 8)

"As to Proverbs 8, one man was definite, and no one challenged him when he said: 'Wisdom is not Christ... I cannot love Wisdom, it is a quality.'"

Solomon traces wisdom back to a time when there was no beginning. He writes as if Wisdom were a person speaking: "I was set up [anointed] from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth was" (chap 8:23). Only One who is God could say this. It is Deity who speaks here. Again, "I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me early will find Me" (v. 17). You can admire a quality. You cannot love a quality. We can love a Person, and in this case rejoice that this wonderful Person loves us.

The word "possessed" has also the meaning of "formed". "This word has been a battleground of controversy since the days of the Arian heresy. But it is worth remembering this. Set all theological questions aside: whatever translation we choose, the word cannot mean that wisdom ever had a beginning, or that wisdom was ever created in the strict sense of that word. Wisdom is inseparable from any worthy conception of Him who is 'the only wise God' (1 Tim. 1:17), and therefore is like Him 'from everlasting to everlasting'" (Perowne).

"Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way." There was Wisdom, not simply in Him, but with Him. John 1:1 says the same of the Word: "the Word was with God" — and just as surely, He "is God"... "I was set up [lit. anointed] from everlasting, from the beginning before the earth was." He was not a creature God made; He existed before His works.

The point here is not that wisdom showed itself in creation (no doubt it did). The point is that wisdom had its place with God before the world existed... No doubt wisdom showed itself when He prepared the heavens and drew a circle on the face of the deep; but wisdom was there before it all.

Christ is set before us as the object of Jehovah's daily delight. Scripture presents to our faith, in language fitted to our spiritual understanding, One Divine Person Who finds His delight in Another Divine Person (verse 30).

Here is One who filled the thoughts of the Creator "in the beginning of His way." The way He was going to take, to carry out the thoughts of His gracious mind, had to do entirely with this Person whom the Lord possessed. So only those who have learned something of Him can trace His way, and no step of that glorious way was taken without Him... Nothing was done without Him. Everything was done with reference to Him.

The first statement is this: Jehovah already possessed this wisdom when His way began — the move to produce anything outside Himself, to reveal Himself.

Christ was the object of God the Father's delight, as the centre and fullness of all wisdom. In turn, men have been the delight of Christ, and so have the parts of Jehovah's earth where people live. We see Christ in connection with men when we consider Him as uniting and unfolding in Himself every feature of the wisdom and counsels of God.

Solomon traces it back to a time when there was no beginning. He writes as if Wisdom personified were speaking: "I was set up [anointed] from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth was" (chapter 8:23). This could only be said of One who is God — it is Deity who speaks here. Again, "I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me early shall find Me" (v. 17). You can admire a quality. You cannot love a quality. We can love a Person, and in this case rejoice that this wonderful Person loves us.

How could a mere attribute correct people, demand obedience, give counsel, rejoice before God, or be sinned against? Words like these strongly recall John 1: "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way before His works of old." "I was set up from everlasting, before the earth was." "When there were no depths I was brought forth!" (vv. 22, 25). Here we have twice the thought of "generation" — "I was brought forth," "I was brought forth." How can we avoid the conclusion that it is the Eternal Son who was then brought forth? Eternal sonship and eternal existence in the past clearly fit together, however much human reason may stumble.

The Anointed, or Christ, is more than a Jewish title. "Set up" is the same as anointed. He was anointed from everlasting. So He was the Christ in the mind of God in the past eternity. He was the Christ in God's purpose before incarnation. In history He was anointed as Christ at His baptism. And God made Him Lord and Christ, confirming Him as such, in resurrection.

Whatever rendering we adopt, the word cannot mean that wisdom ever had a beginning, or was, strictly speaking, ever created. Wisdom cannot be separated from any worthy thought of Him who is "the only wise God" (1 Tim. 1:17). So wisdom is like Him, "from everlasting to everlasting." Wisdom, the Son of God, was always with God from everlasting. Nothing had yet been created. The mountains did not yet stand, and the earth had not been made. He was. And when creation began He was there.

Wisdom was not simply in Him, but with Him. John 1:1 says the same of the Word: "the Word was with God" — and just as surely, He "is God." "I was set up [literally, anointed] from everlasting, from the beginning before the earth was." He was no creature of God. He already existed before His works.

People often take that passage as celebrating God's wisdom in creation, which every devout mind gladly owns. But that is not its object. It declares that wisdom was in God before creation, before His ways began. "I was set up from everlasting." The statement is that wisdom was there before the earth existed, when there was no creation. What was in the mind of Wisdom, of which the created earth was only the sphere? … Man occupied Wisdom's thought: Wisdom's delight was there.

In this wonderful chapter we see wisdom at work in the creation of the universe. It is this same wisdom that is available to us in the passage we are considering. The One who ordered creation rightly for the pleasure of the Godhead presents that same wisdom to us. So we may walk rightly in that creation, for the pleasure of the Godhead.

No honest mind taught by God can doubt that this chapter sets Christ before us. Some say we cannot apply abstract principles to Divine Persons, but Luke 11:49 clearly disproves this: "Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles.'" Here a divine Person is speaking. We can be sure that the voice which speaks as a woman in our passage in Proverbs is the same voice that speaks in Luke 11. God has made divine wisdom available to us in Christ, as we read, "And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God" (1 Cor. 1:30).

How could a mere attribute correct people, demand obedience, give counsel, rejoice before God, or be sinned against?

"I was set up [literally, anointed] from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth was." He was no creature of God. He already existed before His works. When there were no depths, and no fountains abounding with waters, He was brought forth. This was before the mountains or the hills were settled, and while He had not yet made the earth, or the fields, or the first dust of the world. He was there for the making and ordering of everything, just as He was there before anything.

Here we have the thought of "generation" twice: "I was brought forth," "I was brought forth" (Hebrew chul; see Job 15:7, "Were you brought forth before the hills?" and Psalm 51:5, "I was brought forth in iniquity"). How can we avoid the conclusion that it is the Eternal Son who was then brought forth? Eternal sonship and eternal existence in the past do not contradict each other, however much human reason may stumble.

This word has been a battleground of controversy since the days of the Arian heresy. But we should remember this, apart from all theological questions. Whichever translation we choose, the word cannot mean that wisdom ever had a beginning, or that wisdom was ever created in the strict sense. You cannot think worthily of Him who is "the only wise God" (1 Tim. 1:17) apart from His wisdom. So His wisdom is like Him, "from everlasting to everlasting."

To press the marvel of this, the passage brings in various works of creation, to show that they are lower than the One who is the wisdom of God and the power of God. So the earth came after Him, and so did "the depths" and "the fountains abounding with water."

Wisdom has brought light into this world of confusion — divine light. But wisdom existed before the world did, in the thoughts and counsels of God, with Christ as the centre of all these counsels and the object of God's delight. … The point here is not that wisdom was displayed in creation (no doubt it was). The point is that, before the world existed, wisdom had its place with God. We have to trace its path in creation, which is now ruined; but God's mind and thought came before it all.

In the first 11 verses the writer reports the actions and words of the woman wisdom. But from verse 12 it is not a report. A Person speaks directly, calling Himself "I Wisdom." This is not just a matter of how we feel; it is a matter of fact. So the emphasis is not on how people are affected, but on truth that is true no matter how it affects men.

How could a mere attribute reprove, demand obedience, counsel, rejoice before God, or be sinned against?... Here we have twice the thought of "generation" — "I was brought forth," "I was brought forth." How can we avoid the conclusion that it is the Eternal Son who was then brought forth? Eternal Sonship and eternal existence in the past clearly go together, however much human reason may stumble.

Wisdom was not simply in Him, but with Him, as John 1:1 says of the Word: "the Word was with God," and just as surely He is God. He was no creature of God. He already existed before His works. He was brought forth when there were no depths and no springs full of water. This was before the mountains or hills were set in place, and before God had made the earth, or the fields, or the first dust of the world. He was there for the making and ordering of everything, just as He was there before anything. And He did not come before the lower scene only, but before the heavens that contain all.

Some object to applying these verses to the Lord Jesus. In verses 24 and 25 Wisdom speaks of being "brought forth," and they suppose this must mean that wisdom did not always exist, while Christ always existed. But this view fails to consider verses 22-23, where Wisdom says that the Lord possessed Him in the beginning of His way, before the earth was. So we cannot take being "set up" or being "brought forth" as a point in time when this happened. Just as He was "set up from eternity," so He was brought forth from eternity.

The author seeks to defend (and rightly so) the truth that Christ was eternally the Son of God. However, the term "only-begotten" should not be taken to imply an idea of eternal generation (which would be a contradiction in terms).

Here, as in John 1:3, the idea that matter is eternal is refuted. Our Lord, under the figure of Wisdom, comes before all created beings and all created things. God as God is Creator, but Wisdom exists together with Him... The "then" of verse 30 covers both the "before" of verses 22 to 26 and the "when" of verses 27 to 29. So within the uncreated Godhead, divine Persons are revealed to reverent faith. They can be told apart: the One and the Other, the One being the Object of the Other.

Here was a truth more wonderful even than creation. It tells of the divine Associate who brought His Father's plans into being and delighted in them. Yet His eyes were on other objects: "My delights were with the sons of men."

One mark of this book, and it fits its contents exactly, is that "wisdom" is spoken of as a person from the first chapter. That rises, as is well known, to the Person of Christ in Proverbs 8:22-31. Even in this first mention the form of the word is plural, as in Proverbs 9:1 and later on. Yet the cry does not fail. As it goes on, it takes on the seriousness of a divine warning of certain judgment. So it is hard to separate it from the voice of God Himself.

When there were no depths, and no springs abounding with water, He was brought forth. That was before the mountains or hills were settled in place, and before He had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. He was there for the making and ordering of everything, just as He was before anything. And He did not come before this lower scene only. He came before the heavens too, which contain it all.

To press home the wonder of this, the writer brings in various works of creation, to show that they are lower than Him who is the wisdom of God and the power of God. So the earth came after Him, and so did "the depths" and "the springs abounding with water," the mountains, the hills, the fields, and the first dust of the world (vv. 23-26).

Here, as in John 1:3, the idea that matter is eternal is disproved. Our Lord, under the figure of Wisdom, comes before all created beings and all created things. God as God is Creator, but Wisdom exists alongside Him, anointed from eternity (v. 23). This wonderful Scripture is worth studying closely. Christ is looked at as the daily delight of Jehovah… The "then" of that verse covers both the "before" of verses 22 to 26 and the "when" of verses 27 to 29.

This does not mean at all that He was created as the first and highest of God's creatures. Nor that He is something that flowed out from the Godhead. No!… The passage in Proverbs 8 speaks about God's wisdom. It cannot be used to suggest that Wisdom is God's work in creation. On the contrary, it was always there in God Himself, from the beginning (Prov. 8:23).

The aim of that passage is not to celebrate the wisdom of God in creation, as people often suppose — though every godly mind gladly owns that wisdom. It declares that wisdom was in God before creation, before His ways began… Before the earth existed, wisdom was there. That is the statement, made when there was no creation at all. What was in the mind of Wisdom, for which the created earth was only the setting?

Before the mountains, before the hills, before the earth, He was brought forth… "then I was beside Him." Nothing was done without Him. Everything was done with reference to Him. All wisdom centres in Him. This earth carries the stamp of the wisdom that lives in Him — and not this earth only. The whole universe, all the worlds, however many there are, were formed by His understanding.

And who speaks like this? Who is the One who can say, "I was there"? It is the voice of Wisdom in Proverbs 8 which speaks. It is concerning Jesus that the Spirit of God writes in John 1. What is true of Wisdom in Proverbs is true of Jesus in John. In 1 Corinthians 1:24 Jesus is specifically called the "Wisdom of God."

When God prepared the heavens, He was there. He was there too "when he drew a circle on the face of the deep," plainly making the sea keep to the limits God set (v. 27). He established the clouds. They may seem to have no set limits, but God keeps them within such limits. He also "strengthened the fountains of the deep," though we may understand little of what that involves (v. 28).

"I was set up [literally, anointed] from everlasting, from the beginning before the earth was." He was no creature of God. He existed before His works. When there were no depths and no springs full of water, He was brought forth, before mountains or hills were settled. He was there for the making and ordering of all, as He was before any. And He came before more than this lower scene. He came before the heavens that contain everything.

Scripture shows the Godhead at work in creation. We have Jehovah and an abstract quality. We may ask: did Jehovah make an abstract quality the cherished child of His love? How could an abstract quality rejoice before Him, and how could that abstract quality rejoice with the sons of men? Creation was for the Son. We see the power, wisdom and goodness of God planning, measuring and decreeing, but in holy love He is rejoicing. Love and joy suppose moral beings and not merely material things or abstract qualities.

How could a mere attribute reprove, demand obedience, counsel, rejoice before God, or be sinned against? Such words strongly recall the statements of John 1: "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way before His works of old." "I was set up from everlasting, before the earth was." "When there were no depths I was brought forth."

Before the mountains, before the hills, before the earth, He was brought forth. When He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep, when He gave to the sea His decree, when He appointed the foundations of the earth, "then I was by Him." Nothing was done without Him. Everything was done with reference to Him. All wisdom centres in Him.

This wonderful Scripture repays examination. Christ is seen as the daily delight of Jehovah, distinct from Him. In language fitted to our spiritual understanding, Holy Scripture sets before our faith One Divine Person who delights in Another Divine Person as a distinct Object. Take verse 30. Its "then" covers both the "before" of verses 22 to 26 and the "when" of verses 27 to 29.

The New Testament confirms who Wisdom is. "Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God" (1 Cor. 1:30). We have the key to Proverbs 8 in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus, the one great Mediator between God and men... "to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:24).

"The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way." Wisdom was not simply in Him, but with Him. John 1:1 says the same of the Word: "the Word was with God." And He "is God" just as surely... "I was set up [literally, anointed] from everlasting, from the beginning before the earth was." He was no creature of God, but was in being before His works.

When God appointed the foundations of the earth, the verse says, "Then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him." This means "the nursling of His love" (J.N.D.). Divine tenderness and deep affection were there even before God appointed the strong and solid foundations of the earth. There is a parallel to this expression in the New Testament — "the Son of His love" (Col. 1:13).

Come to the truth about the greatness of the Son of Man, and we find that He is the Creator Himself. He made all things (John 1; Col. 1; Heb. 1). And yet this passage sets Him "by" the Creator, when He made the heavens and the earth. The reason for this, I have no doubt, is that here He is viewed only as the Man of God's purposes... "As one brought up with Him" appears in the Revised Version as "a master workman" (v. 30), and elsewhere as "His artificer." I am persuaded the meaning is this: everything was created with a view to Christ taking it under His control as Man, on the ground of redemption.

Here we read of two Persons — one is Wisdom — who enjoy an eternal and mutual flow of affection. It must be so. Never in all the searching of philosophy did men like Socrates or Plato reach such a height. Then a simple fisherman, called from his boat and nets by the Sea of Galilee, wrote three words. The greatest philosopher never dreamed of them: "God is love" (1 John 4:16).

Creation's many amazing wonders came about while Christ, the Wisdom of God, was with the Father. He was there as a "Master Craftsman," bringing all things into being (v. 30). He was daily God's delight, rejoicing always before Him. God's words from heaven confirmed this on two occasions: when John the Baptist baptized the Lord Jesus, and when He was transfigured on the holy mountain.

There was divine delight in this wisdom, seen here fully as a person. And He too was ever rejoicing before God at all times. This object of God's delight was rejoicing before Him. In a lesser way, and by grace, we are "holy and blameless before Him in love." But here it was an eternal and divine object — what was in the Godhead itself, yet with God as a distinct object before Him.

The fact that the speaker is a woman need not trouble us. When Scripture pictures truth through a woman, it is to present divine principles in their inward character. No honest mind taught by God can doubt that this chapter sets Christ before us. Some have argued that we cannot apply abstract principles to Divine Persons, but Luke 11:49 disproves it: "Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles.'" Here a divine Person is speaking.

HIS earth! Whose? Evidently the One who speaks. Who can call the earth HIS earth, but the Creator Himself? And who has shown His delight in the sons of men but the Lord Jesus? Who has died that men might live? Christ! So we read, "because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God" (1 Cor. 1:30).

A wise God did order the creation, yet wisdom was fixed on something else — man was the object in view. That wisdom, whose joy was before God, and who was God's delight and joy, did not delight in the earth but in the parts of it where people would live. There was purpose in this. Man is a poor, trivial part of creation if he is only a creature — small against the vast scene he moves in. Yet he is the centre of all God's purposes, the object of His thought before creation.

We are carried back into the past eternity, where infinitely sufficing to each other, Wisdom was with Jehovah, the Son with the Father… What perfect mutuality of divine joy, but in which the Son was absolutely alone with the Father, none else to know, much less to enter into it. Yet we are given to understand what occupied their thoughts in this communion. "Before him, rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth" — while as yet He had not made the earth — "and my delights were with the sons of men." Who could have conceived it, that in the ineffable joy of such divine communion, we should find the intimation of our place in the comprehension of the purposes of God as the objects of His delight.

Before the second verse of Genesis 1, or even the first, God's heart was going out to the parts of the earth where people would live. What a word for us! It passes all we can understand — His delights with the sons of men! Where shall we look for these thoughts to be carried out? Not in the history of the first man. It is in the second Man, already before Him in His eternal counsels.

This is not Christ glorified on high, and so it is not our union with Him as His body. Still, it is an expression of divine love in man and toward man, far beyond anything Israel ever knew. It will be seen in the days of the kingdom here below, when He reigns and all the families of the earth are blessed in Him. For it is divine delight in Him whose delights were, and will be, with the sons of men. So the praise of the heavenly hosts at His birth is beautiful, heard at night by the lowly shepherds. It is beautiful in itself, and beautiful in their delight, free of jealousy, in the ways of Him who made men, not angels, the special object of His pleasure.

The love between the Father and the Son is divine, and so completely happy and satisfied, if we may say so. The Son was daily His Father's delight, and rejoiced always before Him. Yet that divine love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit wanted to go beyond itself, and to show itself outside itself… But the vast range into which that love had spread was to hold, as its special objects, children of disobedience, enemies of God. This is what makes that love so truly divine, and is its highest glory.

The written Word set Him so clearly before its hearers — the One who would later become flesh and live among us. So we can understand how His grace makes itself deeply felt. It calls special attention to words meant to deal with the inner man. Such words rise far above ordinary duty. They do not come with the thunder and lightning of Sinai... A divine Person appeals in a special way to heart and conscience. He is the daily delight of Jehovah, and His delights were with the sons of men. Though set up from eternity, He calls Himself Wisdom dwelling with prudence. For who does not feel the need of such guidance?

So wisdom calls on us to listen to her, for it is grace — it is because God delights in us. "Blessed are those who keep my ways." This is the activity of God's goodness. It calls to the only path that leads to rest and the peaceful favour of God... It is not the warnings of natural authority, the appointed channel of wisdom in a relationship God formed. It is the direct call of wisdom. It is the call in grace of the divine Word itself, to people simply as people, because His delight is in them.

Blessed are those who keep wisdom's ways, who hear instruction and do not refuse it. This is a gracious appeal to children. It puts God in grace where nature stood in authority on His part. He does not say "my children," but "children," sons — He is interested in them in that character.

But such words, like those of our Lord on the mount, are meant to be done as well as heard. Anyone who hears them and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. Great is the fall when it comes — worse than if he had built no house at all.

Before this, Solomon, speaking for God, had said, "Now therefore, listen to me, my children" (ch. 7:24). Now Wisdom, personified in Christ, speaks in the same way. Yet Solomon had added, "pay attention to the words of my mouth." Wisdom adds, "For blessed are those who keep My ways." In this we hear the Lord Jesus speaking to us. One who hears the Lord will become wise, and this gives blessedness, or true happiness.

So we are told that "blessed are those who keep my ways." He kindly points out the ways of wisdom. His glory and grace act on living faith and make it active through love. Where faith is missing, everything else soon fails... How touchingly wisdom pleads, while we alone are the gainers! What can we add to divine majesty? The love of God delights in blessing. But blessing cannot come to sinful man except by hearing instruction from Him who was made wisdom to us from above.

Then follows the renewed appeal. Wisdom says, "Whoever finds me finds life." How true of our Lord; in Him we find and have life.

This is the voice of divine wisdom which calls to us daily. That the one who calls is female need not trouble us. When the types use a female, it is to set out divine principles in their inward character. No honest mind taught of God can doubt that it is Christ who is set before us in this chapter. Some claim that we cannot apply abstract principles to Divine Persons. Luke 11:49 disproves this: "Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles.'" Here a divine Person is speaking. So we can be sure that the voice which speaks in female character in Proverbs is the same voice which speaks in Luke 11. God has made divine wisdom available to us in Christ, as we read, "because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God" (1 Cor. 1:30).

A divine Person, who calls Himself Wisdom, appeals in a special way to heart and conscience. For who does not feel the need of such guidance? So here we read, "blessed are those who keep my ways." The glory and grace of Him who stoops to point out the ways of wisdom act on living faith and make it energetic through love. Where faith is absent, everything else fails before long. "Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it." How movingly wisdom pleads, while we alone are the ones who gain! What can we add to divine majesty? The love of God delights in blessing. But blessing comes to sinful man only one way — by hearing instruction from Him who became to us wisdom from above.

Yet such words, like those of our Lord on the mountain, are meant to be done as well as heard. Indeed, anyone who hears them and does not do them is like the foolish man who built his house on sand. Great is the fall when it comes — worse than building no house at all.

Blessed are those who keep wisdom's ways, who hear instruction and do not neglect it. The first — keeping wisdom's ways — we see in the Sermon on the Mount. The second we see in Mary at Jesus' feet, and in principle in all who knew that the words of eternal life were found nowhere else. "For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD." But there is more here than urging people to hear and keep wisdom's instruction. There is earnestness of heart on our part: waiting on it, watching daily at her gates, waiting at the posts of her doors. It is not mental effort, the product of the human mind. It is waiting on divine teaching as Mary did, like newborn infants longing for the pure spiritual milk of the word.

Solomon continually urges his son to listen to the voice of wisdom and refuse the voice of folly. Many young men on early deathbeds have regretted the folly of living fast, forgetting God and paying no attention to the voice of wisdom. We are always listening either to the voice of wisdom or to the voice of folly, and we surely reap what we sow.

"Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it" (v. 33). One who hears the Lord will become wise, and this will give blessedness, or true happiness. Finding wisdom in Christ is truly finding life and obtaining favour (or grace) from the Lord. But one who sins against Christ, now fully revealed, sins against his own soul. He shows himself to be hating Christ and loving death.

Who is it that says, "Blessed is the one who listens to Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting beside My doors. For whoever finds Me finds life," in Proverbs 8:35? The same One who in the New Testament says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life" (John 5:24)... It is Wisdom, the Son, the Word.

These words rise far above ordinary duty. They are not clothed with the thunder and lightning of Sinai. Here is a divine Person. He was Jehovah's daily delight, and His delights were with the sons of men. Though set up from eternity, He calls Himself Wisdom dwelling with prudence. He appeals in a special way to heart and conscience. For who does not feel the need of such guidance? Sons of men must be welcome to Him; and He, because He is divine, must be able to make Himself acceptable to them.

Solomon asks the Lord for "an understanding heart," because hearing is the door to discernment and intelligence. To be wise, you must begin by listening to wisdom: "Blessed is the one who listens to me" (Prov. 8:34). All true service starts with hearing... Whoever does not begin by enrolling himself in the school of wisdom will never be a true servant.

There is more here than urging people to hear and keep the instruction of wisdom. There is earnestness of heart on our part, waiting on it: "watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors." This is not mental effort, the product of the human mind. It is waiting on divine teaching, as Mary did at Jesus' feet, like "newborn infants" who "long for the pure spiritual milk" of the word. This is not the proclamation of wisdom. It is the desire of the heart towards it, shown in this way.

She doesn't know it all; that is impossible... She is like Mary at the Lord's feet, to listen and be subject to whatever He communicates. His Word as a whole is before her. Not limiting the Holy Spirit, she is willing to be led on. Her ear is open.

Take the Word as our guide. How commonly — almost always — do people accept it just as those around them interpret it! How few dare to differ from the fashion in which their circle reads it! And what about personal guidance day by day, in the details of life? How little of this, I fear, is found by "watching daily at the gates" of infinite Wisdom, "waiting beside her doors"! Yet the verse calls that person "blessed." God has individual guidance for each of us. He loves to have us apart with Himself like this. To each one of us the Lord says, "Follow Me!" Real communion with the Lord means this.

Wisdom cries "at the coming in at the doors." Here the household is in view. We are fully instructed about our responsibilities at home, just as we are about our responsibilities in the city. Am I a wife? Then subjection ought to mark me toward my husband. Am I a husband? Then love should mark me toward my wife... It is in keeping these things that the practical marks of the children of Wisdom come to light in the world... Following this counsel will keep us from the "strange woman" on one side and the "foolish woman" on the other. But unless we are watching daily at the gates of Wisdom, we are in danger from both.

Such words, like those our Lord spoke in the Sermon on the Mount, we are meant to do as well as hear. Indeed, anyone who hears them and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. Great is the fall when it comes — worse than if he had built no house at all.

Who is it that says, "Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life," in Proverbs 8:35? The same One who in the New Testament says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life" (John 5:24). He also says, "Whoever believes in the Son has life" (John 3), and, "In Him (the Word) was life" (John 1). It is Wisdom, the Son, the Word.

Here a divine Person appeals to heart and conscience in a special way. He is the daily delight of Jehovah. His delights were with the sons of men. And though He was set up from eternity, He calls Himself Wisdom dwelling with prudence. For who does not feel the need of such guidance? Sons of men must be welcome to Him; and He, because He is divine, must be able to make Himself acceptable to them.

"For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD." So Isaiah, the prince of prophets, writes: "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live." What better did they know than "life" above the life of nature, through faith in the divine Word, with Jehovah's favour enjoyed as well? This was not blessing in the city and in the field, or in the cattle and in the flock, in the bucket and in the kneading-trough. It was not even being made the head rather than the tail.

There is earnestness of heart on our part, waiting on it, "watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors." It is not mental effort, the product of the human mind. It is waiting on divine teaching, as Mary did at Jesus' feet, "like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk." This is not the proclamation of wisdom, but the desires of the heart towards it, shown in this way. Here life is found, for it is the word of life, and that person finds the favour of Jehovah: the double aspect of divine blessing.

Here we have earnestness day by day. There is perseverance like a beggar in need who will not take no for an answer, and who keeps waiting when others less persistent would give up.

All was settled for ever that established God's will. The "good pleasure" of that "will" could now be made known to the "sons of men."… "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him." God "has blessed us in the Beloved" — older translations read, "made us accepted in the beloved." How sweet those words: "accepted," "taken into divine favour," "in the beloved."

On the other hand, the way of self-will is ruinous for the life that now is, and for the life to come. It is simply the path of sin. "And he who sins against me (Wisdom) does violence to his own soul: all who hate me love death." There is not, and never was, true living, living to God, except by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Wisdom now speaks, and wisdom in this first section of Proverbs is a person, a divine person. The eighth chapter gives us a wonderful vision of that Person, the Son of God, who is the Wisdom. First stands the call of Wisdom. The call may be answered or rejected.

The way of self-will is ruinous for this life and for the life to come. It is just the path of sin. "And he that sins against me (Wisdom) does violence to his own soul: all they that hate me love death." There is not, and never was, any true living — living to God — except by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. That is why the righteous shall live by his faith... On both sides of the path of faith lie the ways of death. Many take them, chasing man's own ideas or present objects, human religion or human irreligion, apart from the true God.

He is separated from the prophet of God now. It was not famine, however, but covetousness that did this... But he had wronged his own soul, as we all do in our own way and measure.

How deeply this drives home the question, so necessary and so healthy — where are we, and what are we? How well it assures us of this: if we are dishonest with our own souls in anything, we can strike no bargain with the deceit we have invited. Deceit will deceive all round! How fitting that the voice of Truth cries to the sons of men: "All who hate Me love death!"

Christ died for the world. That is God's testimony of love to people at large, and it is not empty just because in fact not all are saved by it. It shows us the infinite goodness that men have to break away from. This is the goodness He has sworn about: "As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?" Men die because of their own will, not of God's will; yet they die.

All who hate Him love death: but whoever finds Him finds life. He is now found, thank God, by those who did not seek Him, as Isaiah foretold (Rom. 10:20). He sought and saved us while we were wandering in the wild wastes of sin and folly. He is now our salvation: He is our life: and He makes us hear the words of life.