Proverbs Chapter 8 Continued

Proverbs 8:19 "My fruit [is] better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver."

In (verses 18-21), we learn that Solomon, who was given great wisdom, experienced its wealth of benefits firsthand as a young king.

James 3:17-18 "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." "And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."

Proverbs 8:20-21 "I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:" "That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures."

Isaiah shows how the Lord will lead His people.

Isaiah 30:21 "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This [is] the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left."

Ezekiel 37:24 "And David my servant [shall be] king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them."

In Romans, we see that we are sons of God and heirs with Jesus if we love Him.

Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

Romans 8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together."

Just as the Lord throughout Scripture has not only protected, but prospered His people, that is the promise here too. God protects and blesses His own, if they will walk in His path. There is a curse for those who do not walk in His ways.

Verses 22-31: “The Lord possessed me”: Wisdom personified claims credit for everything that God created, so that wisdom was first, as God was eternally first. Christ used His eternal wisdom in creation.

Proverbs 8:22 "The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old."

In Psalms 148:5 "Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created."

You see, we are His creation. We are also His because we have been purchased by His shed blood on the cross. We are not our own, He owns us. We are His possession, and we have been ever since He created us. So many believe that Wisdom is the second person of the trinity. Whether it is Him or whether He possesses all wisdom does not matter.

Proverbs 8:23-24 "I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was." "When [there were] no depths, I was brought forth; when [there were] no fountains abounding with water."

This is just saying that Wisdom was established even before the world began. By the wisdom of God, the universe was created. Just as the Word is Jesus, Wisdom in this sense, is too. This is the wisdom of God that we see here. This is wisdom far beyond our Comprehension.

In verse 24, it just goes in to detail saying that when all of the earth was created, Wisdom already existed.

Note how the verses (from 24-36), parallel the creation account. The earth (verse 23), with day one (in Gen. 1:1-5); water (verse 24), with day two (in Gen. 1:6-8); and land (verses 25-26), with day three (in Gen. 1:9-13).

Proverbs 8:25-26 "Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:" "While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world."

The very same thing said of wisdom here is spoken of God in Psalms.

Psalm 90:2 "Before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God."

You see wisdom and God seem to be overlapping. Elaborate descriptions of what had not been created when wisdom began just drive home the eternity of God and His wisdom.

Proverbs 8:27-28 "When he prepared the heavens, I [was] there: when he set a compass

upon the face of the depth:" "When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:"

Compass means He “drew a circle”. The Hebrew word for circle indicated that the earth is a globe; therefore, the horizon is circular. This “deep” that surrounds the earth was the original world ocean that covered the surface of the earth before it was fully formed and given life.

Proverbs 8:29-30 "When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:" "Then I was by him, [as] one brought up [with him]: and I was daily [his] delight, rejoicing always before him;"

“The sea His decree”: In creation, God limited the waters on the earth, commanding into existence shorelines beyond which the oceans cannot go. The foundations figuratively denote the solid structure of the earth.

Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

You just somehow think of it as a mass without details. In these verses, we have been reading in detail the things that God has created. When you list each in detail, the magnitude of God's mighty creation stands out very strongly. It is impossible, as I have said so many times before in this lesson, to separate God and His wisdom. It is part of Him and just as eternal.

My favorite scripture in the entire Bible does the best job of explaining this. Wisdom and the Word are eternal.

John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "The same was in the beginning with God." "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

In the NASB for (verse 30), this is described.

“Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; meaning as translated (in SOS 7:1 and Jer. 52:15), as a term describing wisdom as competent and experienced in the craft of creation.

Proverbs 8:31 "Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights [were] with the sons of men."

This is the promise to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, that the wisdom of God is available to us, also. We must pray and ask God, and He will give us wisdom. Mankind is made in the likeness of God. God's desire is that we live godly lives directed by His wisdom.

When God rejoiced over His creation, wisdom was also rejoicing, especially in the creation of mankind, who alone in the physical creation has the capacity to appreciate wisdom and truth.

Proverbs 8:32 "Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed [are they that] keep my ways."

The blessed of the Lord are the ones who walk in His ways. God promises great blessings throughout the Bible to all who keep His commandments. There is a curse spoken against those who continuously walk in sin. Those filled with the wisdom of God are wise unto their own salvation. Those who refuse God and His wisdom are children of the evil one.

Proverbs 8:33-34 "Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not." "Blessed [is] the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors."

The walk of a Christian is one day at a time. Our commitment to the Lord is for a lifetime, but we must live it one day at a time. God's instructions for living are found in the Bible. It is

impossible to live pleasing lives in Him without knowing what His Word (Bible), says. Our prayer each day should be, "Lord, help me live pleasing to you today".

Proverbs 8:35 "For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the LORD."

In John it tells how there is life in the Word. As we said before; Word, Wisdom, and God are not possible to separate.

John 1:4 "In him was life; and the life was the light of men."

Proverbs 8:36 "But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death."

Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

Since wisdom is the source of life, anyone hating wisdom, so as to spurn it, is acting as if he loves death.

Proverbs Chapter 8 Continued Questions

1.In James 3:17, we read that wisdom that is from above is first ______ then _______and full of

_______ _________.

2.In verse 20, we see wisdom leading in what?

3.We see those that love wisdom inherit what?

4.Isaiah 30:21, shows what?

5.In Ezekiel 37:24, what do we read about?

6.In chapter 8 of Romans, who are the sons of God?

7.There are blessings for those who obey God, but what is the fate of those unwise who do not obey?

8.In chapter 148 of Psalms, why should we praise the Lord?

9.In verse 23, who is the "I"?

10.When was wisdom established?

11.Who is the Word?

12.What Scripture in Psalms is the same as V-25 here?

13.Why is wisdom eternal?

14.Who is the "He" in V-27?

15.When you list so many wonderful things He created, what does it make you more aware of?

16.In John chapter 1 verse 1, who is the Word?

17.God's desire for His sons of men is what?

18.Who are the blessed in verse 32?

19.Those who refuse God and His wisdom are whose children?

20.Our commitment to the Lord is for a lifetime, but our walk is what?

21.For whoso findeth me findeth _____ _________ ________.

22.In him was life; and the life was the ___________ of men.

23.He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own ____________.

24.He that believeth not shall be _____________.