I wonder how much time has been spent by man thinking about where everything came from. For many of us as Christians it is simple. We know God created everything and we leave it at that. Some of us still want to know more, we search for the unattainable, we try an figure out how things work and we marvel at our amazing creator and his work. I personally have always been amazed by how God’s Truth simply runs through the fabric of everything. Let’s take the law for example, God gave it to us so that we would have a clear understanding of the things we should not take part in. He did it, not to keep us from having fun but to protect us from harm. It is awesome to see how things the world calls fun, which we know are sin destroy. I don’t mean awesome like it’s cool and fun, I mean awesome as in a fearful respect which then puts you in a state of awe. It’s the fabric of Truth which he wove through all of creation. It is in everything, it’s why there is a right and a wrong; a good and an evil. I think I finally figured out why… not on my own, I went to the source.
I have always had a love for the book of Proverbs. It is a book on wisdom, it’s a book on the fabric of Truth God wove into everything. I often read chapters 10 – 31 the Proverbs of Solomon. I seem to skip over the first 10 chapters because they seem to talk a lot about the same few topics. Then the other day I opened it up and jumped right to chapter 10 and then thought if I am going to seek wisdom I should probably attempt to nail down the reasons why and read more of the first 10 chapters. Wouldn’t you know it, something hit me. It was small at first then I read more and started connecting a few things.
Proverbs 8 talks about wisdom’s call. In verses 22 – 31 wisdom proclaims that it was the first work of God, that it was created or appointed at eternity. Take some time and read those verses right now; all of them in Proverbs 8. Slow down and absorb them, if you are going to glance don’t even bother. Read it a few times. You will find that Wisdom was here before creation, it was the craftsman at the side of the Almighty. It was rejoicing in all that was being created.
Take the next step and read on through the end of Proverbs 9. Chapter 9 is the invitations of wisdom and folly. This is where I see a clear comparison of opposites; as much of Proverbs does. Wisdom is contrasted against folly. Much about the call of folly has to do with sin.
Let’s take a look at two sets of verses found in chapter 9. In verses 4 – 6 Wisdom says this; “ “Let all who are simple come I here!” she says to those who lack judgment. Come eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.” Now the contrast verses 16 – 18, Folly says; “ “ Let all who are simple come in here!” She says to those who lack judgment. “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.” Wisdom offers life through understanding. Folly invites people to their death through sin. There is a clear pictures of opposites painted here. Wisdom versus Sin; Life versus Death.
Proverbs 9:10 says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Wisdom who offers life begins with the fear of the Lord and knowledge of the Holy One is the understanding we are to walk in to gain life. If there is anything that should keep man from sin it should be the fear of the Lord. The one thing which gives us life though we are sinners is the knowledge of the Holy One; I speak of the death and resurrection of Christ. So then, wisdom is having the ability to successfully apply our fear of the Lord, knowledge of the Holy One and understanding to avoid sin and death.
A while back I coined my definition of wisdom like this. “Wisdom is the art of applying knowledge.” I don’t think I was far off, just a bit incomplete. It may work well enough on it’s own but something should be added to include the avoidance of death or obtaining of life. Perhaps we can contrast wisdom and sin like this. Wisdom is the ability to apply our knowledge to avoid sin and sin is simply our inability to demonstrate wisdom. We will keep working on this.
The following verse in 8:12 says “I, wisdom dwell together with prudence; I posses knowledge and discretion.” I think it could be said simply as the following “I wisdom allow you to avoid sin”
At this point something hits me about what we read in chapter 8. Wisdom was here before creation. That means it was present before sin. I wondered if that worked with what I just connected, then I realized it absolutely proves it all to be true. Follow me through a quick recount of creation and the fall of man.
In Proverbs 8:23 wisdom tells us this; “I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.”
In Genesis Chapter 2; we see more on the creation of man in verse 7. Then in verse 9 we see the first mention of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. After we finish walking through wisdom and the fall of man we will see what made the tree of knowledge of good and evil just that. Next in Genesis 2 we see God give Adam a command in verse 17 when he says “…but you must not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for if you eat from it you will surely die.” Then in Chapter 3 the serpent tests the Fear of the Lord, knowledge and understanding of the woman. Her knowledge and understanding was correct, she quoted back to the serpent what the Lord had commanded of them and the consequences of not following the command. You see it all here in verses 2 & 3. “The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat from the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘you must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.” ” She knew that they were not supposed to eat of the tree and that they would die. She simply chose not to demonstrate Fear of the Lord and not to respect his command. She allowed her self to be deceived into sin. She had knowledge and understanding and chose not to correctly apply it. She failed to demonstrate wisdom. Then Adam jumped right into the pit of death known as sin and separation from God with her. He too had the same knowledge and understanding. In fact his was first hand knowledge; it was he who first heard the Lord’s command not to eat of the tree. He heard it back in chapter 2 verse 17; before Eve was even created in verse 22. From there the fall was quick and hard. Adam and Eve failed to demonstrate wisdom and they paid the price; they were cast from the garden forced to live in a world which contains both good and evil; wisdom and sin.
It also says in Chapter 3 verse 6 that the fruit which they eat was “…desirable for gaining wisdom.” I struggled with this at first, that the original sin could help man gain wisdom. It was obvious that man did not have wisdom before then; if he did they would not have eaten the stupid fruit and we would still be living in paradise on earth; running around naked everywhere. Even so if this is true then how can we gain wisdom from our sin today? Proverbs is clear that a wise man listens to instruction and gains wisdom from it. We learn from our mistakes. Proverbs 12:1 says; “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” 13:1 adds “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to a rebuke.” 13:18 give us more with “He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.”
The trail goes like this. Wisdom is present before and woven into all creation. God creates Man and gives him knowledge and a command. Man fails to demonstrate wisdom and falls into sin. To have wisdom you must first have the fear of the Lord. You must then have knowledge and understanding. Then you have the opportunity to demonstrate wisdom by correctly applying the three. If you do you will live a life free of sin. Not that we can all do this 100% of the time but shouldn’t we try? Proverbs 8:10-11 says this of that effort; “Chose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies and nothing you desire can compare to her.” I can go with that. Nothing I can desire can compare to a life lived with wise choices, a life lived with less sin, a life lived closer to God, free from guilt through the knowledge and understanding of the Holy One who is Christ Jesus. That is the truth which runs through the fabric of all creation. There is nothing better than wisdom for it is the degree to which we can follow God.
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