The Call of Wisdom and the Call of Christ
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October 17, 2021
October 17, 2021
Introduction
Today we will see how the call of wisdom is a precursor to the call of Christ. Really, today we will see how you could use the book of Proverbs to point someone to Jesus. Wisdom is so elevated in these chapters that the only possible comparison you could make is to Jesus. What’s more the only person who offers such sweeping promises of blessing and hope the Messiah Jesus.
Ok let’s get to work here.
OK we're in kind of the last two chapters before we dive into the proverbs part of the proverbs if you will. We're going to transition from heavily thematic chapters to a lot more of what we traditionally think of as proverbs. And in these last two chapters before we dive into the rest of the book we will see the final case where we truly see the beauty of wisdom.
Who is Wisdom?
OK this may seem like an odd question but who is wisdom? In English and in the way we think about wisdom normally we might ask the question what is wisdom. But to the proverbs writer wisdom is personified as a woman. No, ladies this is not a statement about the intellectual superiority of women.
Wisdom is an attribute of God
The Bible reveals to us that wisdom is a fundamental attribute of God's character.
13 “With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding.
12 It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.
And what's exciting is the reality that not only does God possessed wisdom as a fundamental attribute of his character he also gives wisdom to those who are faithful to him. That is a profoundly exciting aspect of the nature and character of God.
OK I don't just want to make the case today that wisdom is part of God's character I want to make the case that Jesus is the very Incarnate in the flesh version Of what wisdom is.
Jesus is Wisdom in the flesh.
I love these verses:
Isaiah looks ahead speaking of the Messiah (Jesus) and he says:
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
And then Paul comes along and writes:
30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
Did you catch that Paul writes that Jesus became to us wisdom from God... Jesus wasn't just the Messiah who came to do a job of dying on the cross. Jesus lived the very wisdom of God in front of us and for us. That's exciting!
I like how one commentator puts it:
‘She [wisdom] emerges as a unique personality whose only peer is Jesus Christ.’[1]
The truth is that all of scripture points to Jesus explanation point from the beginning to the end the Bible point to the work and ministry that God brought through Jesus.
Remember what Jesus explained to the two men on the road to emmaus?
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Jesus,... I so very much wish I was there at this moment!... Jesus explained how the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms were fulfilled in his words.
Think about this, when the book of proverbs speaks about wisdom it is speaking about Jesus!
The Messiah and wisdom cry out to you
1 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.
Wisdom is portrayed as this woman shouting on the street corners walking around crying out for you to pay attention and listen. Wisdom is crying out for simple ones to learn prudence and fools to learn sense.
Remember how Jesus cried out to sinners:
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Wisdom is great and has the power to bring health and wealth and life and yet wisdom condescends, She lowers herself to bring life and health to those who would even reject her. In the same way Jesus is the king of kings and yet he cried out to a world of sinners to believe in him. Jesus is the king of kings and yet he still cries out in a world hellbent on rejecting him.
And isn't this interesting that not only does Jesus cry out like wisdom he also sends his servants out like wisdom sends out her maidens.
3 She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town,
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
I'm so thankful that God pursues us because so many times and so many days I feel extraordinarily unworthy of his pursuit. I feel unworthy of his love. And yet he pursues and loves you and I.
But what we must remember about wisdom, what we must remember about Christ, is that wisdom and Jesus must be treasured.
Treasure Jesus, treasure wisdom.
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.
Don't we treasure money and gold and jewels? And while you may not have a jewelry fetish, you certainly realize that having financial stability is about as important as breathing.
I've enjoyed watching the TV show gold rush in my spare time. And in these TV shows we watch miners travel to the Klondike in Canada, the Yukon in Alaska and throughout South America and Australia going to the ends of the earth and the ends of themselves to strike it rich
If you and I want to experience the blessings that both wisdom and Jesus offer then we need to expend the same energy to treasure wisdom and Jesus.
Jesus is the very power and wisdom of God
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Jesus is the very truth of God in the flesh
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you want to receive wisdom from Jesus you need to have the heart of a child. You need to humble yourself to find the treasure he holds out.
Wisdom, the wisdom that Jesus holds out is the most precious thing in the world. And the reality is that if we pursue anything other than wisdom: fame, power, money, pleasure... We won't find wisdom.
On the other hand if we pursue wisdom we may find many of these things. Well that's a slippery slope to get onto so let's continue.
The greatest treasure that we can pursue and find is Jesus.
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,
46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
As one commentator puts it:
“You cannot have Wisdom as your bride while keeping Folly as your mistress.[2]”
Think about it, that wouldn't work in your marriage for you to have a bride and to keep mistress on the side. In the same way we must treasure wisdom like a bride. And run from folly like a mistress.
Jesus and Wisdom teach a humble fear of God.
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.
The reality is that wisdom hides herself from those who are wise in their own eyes.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
Jesus was humble and he taught his followers to imitate his humility.
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Isn’t it true that God is chosen the humble in the world to shame the powerful
Jesus and Wisdom offer success
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.
Under the old covenant kings and leaders ruled with wisdom. Jesus rules with wisdom. He succeeded perfectly in what he set out to do in obedience to God. And in the end he will 16. He will crush his followers and rule forever.
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
Jesus and Wisdom both offer us rewards.
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.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Creation displays both the glory of Christ and that of Wisdom
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.
‘
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
If God needed wisdom to create the world, how much more do you and I need wisdom to succeed in life?
Jesus and Wisdom bless us with life.
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.”
Jesus and Wisdom invite us to a feast
1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says,
5 “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
Also a heavenly feast
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
How will you respond to Wisdom and to Jesus?
Don’t scoff
Stay humble
Do hunger for God.
23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,
24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
Conclusion
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[1] Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 87.
[2] Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 89.