Read Proverbs 3:13-35; Proverbs 8:22-31.

Introduction⤒🔗

What do you value most in your life? If you were told that you must give up everything you have, except for one thing, what would you choose to retain?

Following another one of those major California earthquakes, a resident of southern California was interviewed. She was asked the question, “When the earthquake struck, did you protect anything special to you?” “Yes,” she responded, “I protected my son. When faced with danger and the threat of death, one cares little about material things.”¹

What do you value most in your life?

This next passage of Proverbs tells us that our relationship with God and His divine wisdom should be at the very top of our list of the things we value most.

Value Divine Wisdom, because of What It Has to Offer←⤒🔗

Verse thirteen declares, “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom.” Here divine wisdom is portrayed as a hidden treasure you should seek after with the same dedication as men seek for the treasures of the earth. By way of illustration: How would you react if you knew the location of a sunken Spanish galleon and had access to the equipment to retrieve its treasure of Spanish gold? We should have far more enthusiasm for securing and cherishing the divine wisdom of God.

Living in a world in which men are often times engaged in the all-absorbing pursuit of material riches, we are instructed to seek after divine wisdom, because 1) divine wisdom is more profitable than silver or gold (vs. 14); 2) divine wisdom is more precious than rubies (vs. 15a); 3) indeed, nothing can compare in value to divine wisdom (vs. 15b).

How is it that divine wisdom is more precious and more valuable than all the riches of the world? Reasons are given in verses 16-18.

“Long life is in her right hand.” You cannot buy life with all the money in the world, but the divine wisdom of God offers you long life. Note: Long life in the Promised Land of Canaan was the Old Testament form of the covenant blessing; namely, eternal life in fellowship with the LORD.

“In her left hand are riches and honor.” According to the Scriptures, when you make riches your number one priority, you do so at the peril of your soul:

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some men, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with much grief 1 Tim. 6:9-10

But when you value the wisdom of God above all else, you shall eventually gain the whole world:

The LORD God is a sun and a shield. The LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. ¹²O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in you. Psl. 84:11-12

[God] gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to the man who pleases him; but to the sinner God gives the arduous task of gathering and storing up wealth so that he may give it to the one that pleases him. Eccl. 2:26

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.Eph. 1:3

Proverbs goes on to say of divine wisdom, “her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peaceful.” The riches of the world cannot buy you peace of mind and peace of soul; often times they are sought after and secured at the expense of those priceless spiritual commodities, (note, again, 1 Timothy 6:9-10 referred to above). But divine wisdom will lead you into the pleasant blessings of God and cause you to walk with God in peace:

Great peace have they that love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. Psl. 119:165

If only you had paid attention to my commandments, your peace would have been like a river and your righteousness would have been like the waves of the sea.Isa. 48:18

Then, again, divine wisdom is described as “a tree of life to those who embrace her.” The Lord Jesus makes the promise: “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life that is the paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7b). The promise made here is that of the fullness of life, spiritual life lived in fellowship with God, and that for all eternity.

Verses 22-26 enumerate further benefits and blessings to be gained from divine wisdom. You shall gain “life to your soul and an ornament to grace your neck.” The wisdom of God will be a source of spiritual life to you and will adorn your life with the beauty of godliness, which is precious in the sight of God: “the inner beauty of the heart, consisting in the imperishable beauty of a humble and quiet spirit...is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Pet. 3:4).

“You will walk in your way securely and your foot will not stumble.” The wisdom of God will guide you throughout your life and lead you in the way that leads to eternal life. Note the promise, and the caution, the LORD makes in Psalm 32:9b-10, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. ⁹Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding... ¹⁰Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.” Note: The horse is known for being head strong, and the mule for being stubborn.

“When you lie down you will not be afraid...and your sleep will be sweet.” The promise here is that of the protective presence of the LORD; a promise reiterated in such passage as the following:

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psl. 91:4

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psl. 46:1

But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me...and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. ¹⁸The Lord will deliver me out of every evil work and will save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.2 Tim. 4:17a, 18

When you cherish and heed divine wisdom, you will have “no fear of sudden disaster, nor of the storm that will sweep away the wicked, ²⁶for the LORD will be your confidence and he will keep your foot from the snare.” Here is the assurance that the LORD will protect you and cause you to stand on the Judgment Day. On that Day, the ungodly will say to the mountains and to the rocks,

Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, ¹⁷for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand? Rev. 6:16-17

But in contrast to the ungodly, the redeemed are enabled to stand in the presence of their Lord on the day of Final Judgment:

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation and from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were dressed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands... ¹⁴They are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white by the blood of the Lamb. Rev. 7:9,14

You should value divine wisdom—the revelation of the mind and will of God as it is made known in the Scriptures and in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ—because of what it has to offer.

Value Divine Wisdom, because of What It Is←⤒🔗

There is a fascinating connection between the presentation of wisdom in the opening chapters of Proverbs and the Second Person of the Godhead, the Lord Jesus Christ. Note, for instance, that just as wisdom promises, “I will pour out my Spirit upon you; I will make known my words to you” (Prov. 1:23), so does Christ make the same promise (Jn. 14:26 and Jn. 20:21-22):

...the Counselor whom the Father will send in my name—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you all things and remind you of everything that I said to you. Jn. 14:26

Again, Jesus said to them, Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, so [now] I am sending you. ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. Jn. 20:21-22

The wisdom of Proverbs appears to be an Old Testament manifestation of Christ presented in poetic form. Consider the following comparisons between Proverbs 8:22-31 and what the New Testament reveals to us about the Son of God.

In Proverbs 8:22, divine wisdom declares of itself, “the LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work.” The Old Testament commentator C.F. Keil asserts that this statement should be interpreted in conjunction with Proverbs 8:24, “When there were no oceans, I was brought forth.” The point being made is that wisdom was “brought forth” by God before the creation. Consider such New Testament passages as John 16:27b, where Jesus declares, “I came forth from the Father;” John 16:28, “I came out from the Father;” John 8:42, “I came forth and have come from God;” and John 1:18, where Jesus is identified as being “the one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father.”

In Proverbs 8:23, divine wisdom declares, “I was appointed from eternity...before the world began.” The Hebrew word, 7b], translated, “appointed” has the meaning, “to appoint to a royal position.” In Hebrew usage, the term passes over from the meaning of “pouring out” to that of “placing and appointing.” The Jewish interpreters asserted that what was meant by the term was a placing of someone into a position of princely dignity.² What Proverbs 8:23 is telling us is that wisdom always occupied an exalted, royal position with the LORD. In the New Testament, note what is said about Christ Jesus:

In John 17:5, which forms part of Jesus’ prayer prior to His going to the cross, our Lord requests of the Father, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory that I had with you before the world was [created].”

Speaking of Christ Jesus, the Apostle Paul declares, “existing in the form of God, he did not regard his being on an equality with God as a thing to be exploited” (Phil. 2:6). The Greek phrase, αρπαγμοs ηγεομαι, translated, “to regard something as a thing to be exploited,” has the meaning of possessing something that may be exploited for one’s own benefit. Philippians 2:6 is telling us that Christ Jesus always possessed a position of equality with God the Father but, despite His divine rights, He willingly underwent the incarnation for our salvation.

In Proverbs 8:27 divine wisdom declares, “When [the LORD] set the heavens in place, I was there.” Wisdom was present with God at the time of creation, or what the Bible calls “the beginning.” Once again, note what the New Testament Scriptures say about Christ Jesus:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. Jn. 1:1-2

Note: “The Word” is a title for the incarnate Son of God.

In Proverbs 8:27-30a wisdom declares, “When the LORD set the heavens in place...when he marked out the foundations of the earth, ³⁰at that time I was with him, [as] a master craftsman.” Wisdom is portrayed as being actively involved with the LORD in His work of creation. Once more, note such New Testament passages as John 1:3, referring to Christ Jesus, we are told, “all things were made through Him;” and Colossians 1:16, “by [Christ] were all things made;” and Hebrews 1:2, “he has spoken to us by his Son...through whom he made the universe.”

Wisdom is an appropriate representation of the Son, for just as wisdom is the revelation of the mind of God, so the Son, as the Word of God, brings to man the ultimate revelation of the mind of God. We read of the incarnate Son of God in John 1:18, “No man has seen God at any time; the one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” Jesus testifies to His disciples, “He who has seen me, has seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9).

Describing wisdom’s relation to mankind, C.F. Keil writes, “...in [Prov. 8:31] there is set forth the intimate relation wisdom sustains with regard to the earth and to mankind...to whom she can disclose her heart, [which is nothing other than the mind of God], and whom, if [a man] receives her, she can bring back to God.”³ Keil is referring to wisdom’s testimony, “[I was] rejoicing in his inhabited earth and my delight was in the sons of men.”

What Keil writes of divine wisdom as “she” is presented in Proverbs 8:31 is all the more true of the Lord Jesus Christ,

⁴⁶I have come [to be] a light for the world, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness...⁴⁹I did not speak of my own accord; on the contrary, the Father who sent me, he has commanded me what to say and how to speak. ⁵⁰And I know that his commandment is eternal life. Therefore, what I say is just what the Father has spoken to me.Jn. 12:46,49-50

Note: In Proverbs eight and nine divine wisdom is personified in feminine terms because the Hebrew word for wisdom occurs in the feminine gender. A further reason why wisdom is personified in feminine terms is in order to carry out the contrast between wisdom and folly. The Hebrew word for “folly” also occurs in the feminine gender and folly is personified as a seductive woman or prostitute who leads men to destruction. To portray Wisdom as a noble woman who invites men to a banquet of good things is a natural contrast to Folly.)

Value Divine Wisdom, by Obeying Its Counsel←⤒🔗

In John 14, the Lord Jesus speaks these words:

^21aThe one who has my commandments and obeys them, he is the one who loves me... ^23aIf a man loves me, he will obey my teaching vs. 21a, 23a

We demonstrate that we value divine wisdom when we heed its commandments and obey its counsel. In the closing verses of chapter three (vs. 27-32), we are provided with a sampling of the commandments and counsel of divine wisdom:

• practice generosity, kindness and mercy (vs. 27)
• practice integrity and honor, by making prompt payment of debts, wages, and other obligations (vs. 28)
• practice love towards your neighbor, by refraining from taking unscrupulous advantage of him (vs. 29)
• as much as possible, seek to live in peace and do not be the instigator of strife or contention (vs. 30)
• do not envy or imitate the ruthless, remember that the upright enjoy the friendship of God (vs. 31-32)

We show that we value divine wisdom by taking heed to its counsel and obeying its commands. The Apostle James counsels us,

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says... ²⁵ the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does. Jas. 1:22,25

Conclusion←⤒🔗

This passage concludes by telling us that if we desire the friendship of the LORD (vs. 32), the blessing of the LORD (vs. 33), and the grace of the LORD (vs. 34), and if we desire to inherit the glory of the LORD (vs. 35), we need to value divine wisdom.

This divine wisdom is nothing other than the revelation of the mind and will of God as it is made known to us in the Scriptures, and exemplified in the very Person of God as He reveals Himself to us in His one and only Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. To what is the value of divine wisdom compared? See Prov. 3:14-15 Why is wisdom (i.e. the spiritual treasures of God and His kingdom), more valuable than all earthly treasure? See 1 Jn. 2:15, 17; Matt. 16:26; Col. 3:1-4 In what, or in whom, are you investing your life?

...gaining wisdom is better than gaining silver, and it is more profitable than fine gold. ¹⁵She is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare to her. Prov. 3:14-15

In these opening chapters of Proverbs, divine wisdom is poetically personified as a “virtuous woman;” as the biblical scholar, E.C. Lucas, points out, “the fact that the word for ‘wisdom’ in Hebrew is a feminine noun meant that when personified, wisdom was naturally depicted as a woman." (Ernest C. Lucas, Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Psalms and Wisdom Literature, 108.)

Do not love the world or the things in the world...¹⁷...the world is passing away...1 Jn. 2:15, 17

...what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange of his soul? Matt. 16:26

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your mind on things above, not on things on earth; ³for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Col. 3:1-4

2. What benefits are derived from the possession of divine wisdom? See Prov. 3:16-18 What are the far greater blessings the LORD bestows upon His redeemed people of all generations? See Eph. 1:3; 1 Jn. 3:2; 2 Thess. 2:14,

Long life is in her right hand, in her left hand are riches and honor. ¹⁷Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peaceful. ¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; blessed is everyone who holds on to her. Prov. 3:16-18

Long life and material prosperity in the Promised Land of Canaan were the earthly blessings the LORD bestowed upon His people during the O.T. age.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ Eph. 1:3

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 Jn. 3:2

...[God] called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 2:14

3. As noted, in the opening chapters of Proverbs divine wisdom is poetically personified as a “virtuous woman,” but who is really being represented in these passages? Compare Prov. 8:23 with Jn. 17:5; Prov. 8:24-25 with Jn. 16:27b; Prov. 8:27a, 29b-30a with Jn. 1:1-3a,

I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.Prov. 8:23

And now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory I had with you before the world was [created]. Jn. 17:5

When there were no oceans, I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water; ²⁵before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was brought forth... Prov. 8:24-25

... for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. Jn. 16:27

²⁷When he set the heavens in place, I was there... ²⁹when he marked out the foundations of the earth. ³⁰At that time I was with him, [as] a master craftsman. I was filled with delight day after day, always rejoicing in his presence... Prov. 8:27, 29-30

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made through him... Jn. 1:1-3

“The Word” is a title for the Second Person of the Godhead, the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ.

4. Compare Proverbs 3:13 with Matthew 13:45-46. What do these passages tell you about the rarity of acquiring these spiritual treasures, namely, Christ and the kingdom of God? Why do you think this is the case? Note Phil. 2:21 and Phil.3:18-19 To whom, and to what, have you given your heart and life?

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who acquires understanding... Prov. 3:13

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,⁴⁶who, when he found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.Matt. 13:45-46

All seek their own interests, not the interests of Jesus Christ. Phil. 2:21

As I have often told you, and even now tell you with tears, many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹Their destiny is perdition, their god is their own appetites, and they glory in their shameful conduct. They set their minds on earthly things. Phil. 3:18-19

5. If you are seeking the spiritual treasures of Christ and the kingdom of God, what assurance does the LORD give you? See Jer. 29:13-14a If you have found Christ, and have received Him as your Lord and Savior, to whom must you ultimately give thanks? See Lk. 19:10,

And you will seek me and find [me], when you search for me with all your heart. ^14'I will be found by you,' says the LORD, 'and I will bring you back from your captivity...'Jer. 29:13-14

...the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Lk. 19:10