Proverbs 8:1-36--The Blessings of Wisdom

Proverbs 8
English Standard Version

The Blessings of Wisdom
8 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.”

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Solomon now contrasts Wisdom with the adulterous woman that he's been talking about.  Instead of walking the dark alleys and hanging out during the twilight hours right before dark like the woman wanting to catch young men in temptation, Wisdom is out at the city gate (the center of business) in broad daylight calling to men who are both young and old.  Her call is that they would have wisdom and understanding, that they would learn prudence, and that they would put away all foolishness.  If men listen to her, they will learn what is noble, right, and true.  Wisdom will lead men in the paths of righteousness, for wickedness is an abomination to the LORD.

Wisdom calls for men to seek and value her instruction over the finest of silver and the choicest of gold.  Solomon says that Wisdom is better than jewels, and there is nothing that you can desire that compares to her.  While Wisdom is being personified as a woman her to contrast her with the adulterous woman that we've been discussing, Wisdom really is revealed in God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit (see Luke 11:49-50 where Jesus calls the Holy Spirit who inspired Scripture, "The Wisdom of God," and 1 Corinthians 1:24 where Christ is called "The power of God and the wisdom of God.").

Wisdom and prudence are inseparable, and they are found with both knowledge and discretion.  Those who are wise will fear the LORD (for the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom) and they will hate evil.  To be wise is love the LORD and to walk in His ways.  Since the LORD hates pride and arrogance, the wise man will hate these things.  Since the LORD hates perverse speech, then the wise man will also hate perverse speech.  Wisdom has all the things that the world tries to promise but can never deliver--counsel, sound judgement, insight, and strength.  Wisdom is the basis on which the thrones of kings are established, and it is the foundation of their edicts, laws, and decrees.  All those in authority, whether great or small, who reign in righteousness start with Wisdom, for wisdom lets them judge with justice and equity.

Once again, we are told that Wisdom has to offer is better than silver and gold--better than any quantity of the finest silver and purest gold that we can imagine.  Wisdom helps men walk in the way of righteousness and the path of justice.  All those who love Wisdom will be rich in the eyes of God, even if they are poor in the eyes of men.  Wisdom will be like an inheritance that hopefully will be passed on from generations to generation (that is what Solomon wants when he writes so much to his son in this book, and he wants it for all the children of Israel).

Wisdom belongs to the LORD just like we talked about before.  Everything that the LORD does is wise, but everything that is done in rebellion against the LORD is foolish.  Since Wisdom describes the very nature and character of God and God is eternal, Wisdom has existed before "in the beginning" of Genesis 1:1.  It is more like the "In the beginning" of John 1:1 because in the beginning, God and His attributes were already there, therefore, Wisdom already existed.  By, through, and for the Wisdom of God, the universe was brought into existence--both things seen and things unseen.  We see Wisdom not only involved in the act of creation, but filling the heavens and the earth, working alongside the LORD to accomplish His good plans and purposes, and praising the LORD for His handiwork and delighting in the children of men who were made in the image of God.

​Wisdom wants things to be the way they were before the Fall.  Therefore, Wisdom cries out for men to turn to the LORD, to repent of their sins, and to fear the LORD and obey His commandments.  We should treat the instruction given by Wisdom even better than the instruction given by our parents (though hopefully their instruction is based on the wisdom of God, the Word of God will always be based on the Wisdom of God).  Therefore, be wise and memorize and meditate on the Word of God.  "I have hidden your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."  Seek wisdom in righteousness instead of seeking to fulfill your sinful lusts.  Sin seems to make you happy for the moment but leads to death.  Wisdom may call you to sacrifice temporary pleasure, but it has great rewards (like salvation and eternal life) that cannot be measured in value and can never be taken away.  The LORD will deliver what the world doesn't even have to offer (though it tries to make you think that it has some perverted form of it to offer).  Whoever finds Wisdom finds life and the favor of the LORD.  Everyone should want that!  Those who refuse the call of Wisdom only do self-harm.  They are on the wide road that leads to destruction, and in the end, they will be lovers of death (which is the end for the fool and all those who love wickedness).