How can I obtain favor from the Lord (Proverbs 8:35)?

264 When wisdom came addressing itself to responsibility it had only to complain. "Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer?" But the truth was, the Son was too perfect, too glorious, to be discerned by man. God "hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes." Blessed those who (in this gracious appeal to children, which puts God in grace, where nature stood in authority on His part - not my children indeed, but "children," sons, interested in them in that character) keep wisdom's ways, "hear instruction and refuse it not." The first we have in the Sermon on the Mount, keeping wisdom's ways: the second in Mary at Jesus' feet, and in principle in those who knew that the words of eternal life were to be found nowhere else. "For whoso finds me, findeth life and shall obtain favour of Jehovah." But there is more than pressing men to hear and keep the instruction of wisdom (compare Luke 11:28; Matt. 13:23) there is earnestness of heart on our part, waiting upon it, "watching daily at my gates, and waiting at the posts of my doors." It is not mental effort, the production of the human mind, but waiting on divine teaching as Mary did, "as new born babes desiring the sincere milk of the word." It is not here the proclamation of wisdom, but the desires of the heart towards it thus manifested. Here life is found, for it is the word of life, and that man finds the favour of Jehovah: the double aspect of divine blessing; in us life, divine life, and divine favour resting upon us. He that sins against it injures his own soul (v. 36). There is a path in which will walks to its own ruin. It is not God's path. Our own will hates the path of divine will, which is for us a subject path, but that ends in death. It is not the causes in grace which deliver which are spoken of, but the fact of what is found in result. As the apostle teaches us in Romans; "to them who, by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory and honour and incorruptibility," eternal life was to favour. "If a man love me, be will keep my word, and my Father will love him." "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love." It was no question surely whether Christ had life; He was life. But that was the path in which He walked in divine favour. It is not here grace saving sinners and giving them glory, but the path (including the state of the heart) in this world, in which life and favour are found - God bringing in testimony in grace of what He is pleased in, and wisdom shewing us how we are to walk and to please God. It is for us what we have heard of the word of life. We live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

When wisdom came addressing itself to responsibility it had only to complain. "Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer?" But the truth was, the Son was too perfect, too glorious, to be discerned by man. God "hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes." Blessed those who (in this gracious appeal to children, which puts God in grace, where nature stood in authority on His part - not my children indeed, but "children," sons, interested in them in that character) keep wisdom's ways, hear instruction and refuse it not. The first we have in the sermon on the mount, keeping wisdom's ways: the second in Mary at Jesus' feet, and in principle in those who knew that the words of eternal life were to be found nowhere else. For whoso findeth her' findeth life and Jehovah's favour. But there is more than pressing men to hear and keep the instruction of wisdom (compare Luke 11:28; Matt. 13:23); there is earnestness of heart on our part, waiting upon it, watching daily at her gates, and waiting at the posts of her doors. It is not mental effort, the production of the human mind, but waiting on divine teaching as Mary did, "as new born babes desiring the sincere milk of the word." It is not here the proclamation of wisdom, but the desires of the heart towards it thus manifested. Here life is found, for it is the word of life, and that man finds the favour of Jehovah: the double aspect of divine blessing in us, life, divine life, and divine favour resting upon us. He that sins against it injures his own soul. There is a path in which will walks to its own ruin. It is not God's path. Our own will hates the path of divine will, which is for us a subject path, but that ends in death. It is not the causes in grace which deliver which are spoken of, but the fact of what is found in result. As the apostle teaches us in Romans, him that by patient continuance in well-doing seeks for glory, honour, and incorruptibility, eternal life was to favour. "If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him." "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." It was no question surely whether Christ had life; He was life. But that was the path in which He walked in divine favour. It is not here grace saving sinners and giving them glory, but the path (including the state of the heart) in this world, in which life and favour are found, God bringing in testimony in grace of what He is pleased in, and wisdom shewing us how we are to walk and to please God. It is for us what we have heard of the word of life. We live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Here accordingly we are told that "blessed are those that keep my ways." The glory and grace of Him who deigns to point out the ways of wisdom act on living faith and make it energetic through love. Where faith is not, all else fails ere long. "Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not." How touchingly wisdom pleads while we only are the gainers! What can we add to divine majesty? The love of God delights in blessing; but blessing cannot be for sinful man, but in hearing instruction from Him who was made to us wisdom from above.

Again we have it applied to the individual. "Blessed is the man that hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors." Here we have the earnestness day by day and perseverance like a beggar in need that will not be denied, and waits in the face of what would discourage others less importunate. We find in the beginning of Luke 11 the value of prayer on His part who prayed as none else did, and led a disciple to seek of Him to teach them to pray. But the Spirit of God at the close of Luke 10 makes us know the need of His word antecedently — that we may not trust our own reasonings or imaginations, instead of all resting on the groundwork of divine truth received in faith. Of this the blessed sample is Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet and heard His word, and reaped endless and deep profit in comparison with her sister, Martha, who, loved of Him, and doubtless loving Him, was cumbered with much serving, and hence anxious and troubled about many things. Mary's part is the good one which shall be taken away from none who value it.

"For (on the one hand) whoso finds me finds life and obtains favour of Jehovah." So the prince of prophets writes: "Wherefore do ye weigh money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfies not? Hearken diligently to me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, and your soul shall live." What better was known than "life" above that of nature through the faith of the divine Word, and Jehovah's favour enjoyed also? It was not blessing in the city and in the field, or in the kine and in the flock, in the bucket and in the kneading-trough, nor even in being made the head rather than the tail. Old Testament believers knew and possessed by grace the blessing, though far from that fullness which we have now through and in Christ.

On the other hand, the way of self-will is ruinous for the life that now is, and for that which is 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, nor ever was, true living, living to God but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Therefore it is that the just shall live by his faith. For faith comes of hearing, and hearing by the divine Word. Outside the path of faith on either side are the ways of death, and many are those who take them in the pursuit of man's thoughts or present objects, of human religion or human irreligion, apart from the true God and Him in whom He reveals Himself by His Word and Spirit.

Before this, Solomon, speaking for God, had said, "Now therefore, listen to me, my children" (ch. 7:24). Now Wisdom, personified in Christ, speaks similarly (v. 25). Yet Solomon had added, "attention to the words of my mouth," while Wisdom adds, "For blessed are those who keep My ways;" and in this we hear the Lord Jesus speaking to us. "Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it" (v. 33). One who hears the Lord will become wise, and this will give blessedness, or true happiness, imparting that willing diligence to watch daily at Wisdom's gates in a spirit of patience — waiting at the posts of Wisdom's doors (v. 34). For finding wisdom in Christ is truly finding life and obtaining favor (or grace) from the Lord. On the other hand, one who sins against Christ as He is now fully revealed, sins against his own soul, for he exposes himself as hating Christ and loving death.

Who is it that says, “Blessed is the man that heareth Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at the posts of My doors. For whoso findeth Me findeth life,” in Proverbs 8:35? The same One who in the New Testament says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that beareth My words and believes on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life” (John 5:24), and again, “He that believes on the Son has life” (John 3), and again, “In Him (the Word) was life” (John 1). It is Wisdom, the Son, the Word. As to creation we are told, “The Lord by wisdom has founded the earth.” Wisdom and the Word are identical, for all things were made by Him, the Word (John 1), and the Word is the Son of the Father’s love, for “all things were created by Him and for Him” (Col. 1:16). In Jehovah’s challenge to Job, He asks, “Where wast thou when I founded the earth, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7)? We are taught that, in all things in creation, reconciliation and in every other sphere, the Son of the Father’s love must have the pre-eminence—the first place. Surely there would be no exception in the joy of “the sons of God” when the earth was founded! God’s sons shouted for joy then! Surely THE SON, by Whom and for Whom all was created, the Causer of that joy, was there! As to that we are not left in doubt, for we read, “Then was I by Him … daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him” (Prov. 8:30)—the loved Object of Jehovah’s pleasure,—His glorious Companion, in that scene of creation wonders and divine joys.

He died and lived again: He ascended on high in glory, and all now was removed which could frustrate that" will" of God. All was settled for ever that established it. The "good pleasure" of the "will" could now be made known to the "sons of men." We hear the exponent of it, now by the Spirit, unfold it in our calling on high of God. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Eph. 1:3-5.) How sweet those words, "accepted," "taken into divine favour," "in the beloved." "Whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord." (Prov. 8)

When He who was afterward to become flesh and dwell among us was brought (so distinctly for the Old Testament) before the hearer of the written Word, we can understand that His grace makes itself deeply felt and calls special heed to communications meant to deal with the inner man. They rise far above ordinary obligation; they are not clothed with the thunder and lightning of Sinai, nor do they consist of typical pictures which illustrated the provision of divine mercy, when men failed and would own their sins suitably, the shadows of the good things to come. A divine personality (the daily delight to Jehovah, whose delights were with the sons of men who calls Himself, though set up from eternity, Wisdom dwelling with prudence) appeals peculiarly 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 render Himself acceptable to them.

Verses 32-36. Then follows the renewed appeal. Wisdom says, "Whosoever findeth me findeth life." How true of our Lord; in Him we find and have life. note the two occurrences of "blessed" in this paragraph.

So we see in our perfect pattern. Our Lord assuredly found in His unequalled path of subjection "favour" with God and man, as we are told. Whether the word often rendered "good understanding" is not modified here, as sometimes elsewhere, may be questioned. But as it stands, it was a good and welcome stamp of divine approval through devotedness to God's will, without either self-seeking or men-pleasing. Happy, when as here, it comes as the answer without as well as on high, to grace and truth written on the heart! Now too one word, Christ, expresses all; and the Spirit of the living God is given to us who believe, that He may be written truly and deeply on those tablets of flesh, our hearts. How rich the grace wherein we stand! For we all, contemplating with unveiled face the glory of the Lord, are being changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Lord the Spirit.

Clearly connected with a nation's blessing is that of an individual who is wise, for the favor of the king is toward him (v. 35). This will be fully manifest at the time of the millennium, when Israel will have learned wisdom by receiving the Lord Jesus. Those who refuse to learn, however, will solemnly incur the wrath of the King, for they have chosen the way of shame.