Come Thou Wisdom from On High

Wisdom says, “I love those who love me, and those who search for me find me” (v. 17; cf. Matt 7:7). So commit to the wisdom of Proverbs and commit to the Wisdom of Proverbs—the word and the Word (cf. John 1). In order for you to live out the word, you must first be in a personal relationship with Jesus.

Getting Wisdom is most important, but there are blessings that will be added to you if you do. The rewards of wisdom are lasting riches, a good name, and righteousness (v. 18). This is not teaching a prosperity gospel because, as Proverbs has already shown us, the rewards may not come immediately in a fallen world. But there will be eternal blessings for getting Wisdom—Jesus. Wisdom says that what she produces in you—wisdom and righteousness—is better than money. It is better than money because she will lead you down the right path (i.e., obedience to the law), which means a greater reward later. She will reward you with an inheritance if you love her, and she will fill your treasuries (v. 21). Again, these kinds of physical rewards may come now, especially the rewards of a good reputation and walking in righteousness, but they will surely come in the new creation.

Proverbs 8:22-31

This section is rich and complicated. We see a heightening of Wisdom’s description. Wisdom is presented here not just as Solomon’s wisdom but rather as Yahweh’s Wisdom. Wisdom is the only begotten child of God (v. 22). We see that this description of Wisdom can no longer be seen just as a poetic device. The description is too lofty, and it is too much like Jesus. After all, Revelation 3:14 calls Jesus “the originator of God’s creation” (Nestle, Novum Testamentum Graece, 788).^[15]This doesn’t mean that Jesus was created; it means that he is supreme over the creation.

Wisdom existed before the creation and is superior to the creation. Wisdom knows the created order because Wisdom was there, and Wisdom seems to have assisted in creating (vv. 22-30; cf. John 1; Col 1) (Goldsworthy, Tree of Life, 79–81). Before humanity was created from the dust, Wisdom was there. The mention of the “first soil” (v. 26) reveals the fragility of humanity. If humanity lives contrary to the wise design of the creation, we will return to our prior state (i.e., from dust to dust) (Garrett, Proverbs, 109). Wisdom knows the order of things and can share that order with humanity because Wisdom assisted Yahweh in creating the world. Wisdom builds the creation. Wisdom also built the tabernacle (Exod 31) and the temple (1 Kgs 7), which are patterned after creation. The wise Messiah will rebuild the cosmos (Isa 11). Wisdom builds her house in Proverbs 9, as we will see. Jesus created the world in the beginning, Jesus upholds the world now (Heb 1), and Jesus will make all things new at the end. So one must know him in order to perceive and live according to the pattern of the world. Because he made the world, he knows how it works.

Wisdom says in effect, “I delighted in God, his world, and humanity.” Wisdom is the mediator in the relationships of all three: (1) between man and God, (2) between man and man, and (3) between man and the world. Wisdom orders these three relationships as it was in Eden. So you must know Wisdom—Jesus—in order to live in harmony with God, with other people, and with the world around you.

There is a design in the way that the world works, and this order can be observed by anyone who is looking (e.g., at the ant in Prov 6). If you try to live against the grain of this order, it will injure you. Adultery will cause you to lose much of what you have. The famous golfer Tiger Woods can attest to this. Unchecked greed will lead to much debt. The American government can attest to this. Laziness will lead to inability to hold down a job and failure to provide for your family. There is a way that the world works. You see, it is not just that sin is wrong, although it is. Sin is also destructive.

Our big problem is that even if we can observe how things work, we so often fail to apply the knowledge we gain. We need Jesus. He is the one who can give us harmony with God, which will lead to harmony in our relationships and safe passage through daily life in the world around us. That leads to the final reason to marry Wisdom.

Proverbs 8:32-36

Wisdom finishes her sermon by saying, “Listen to me; those who keep my ways are happy” (v. 32). Following Wisdom is the path to blessing; neglecting Wisdom is the path to death (v. 36). Searching for and finding Wisdom is the path to life and a right relationship with God by grace (v. 35). This means that following after Wisdom—Jesus—is the path to a good life now and an eternal life later. And following after Folly will injure you now and cause you to perish later.

Who can speak like this? Who can say, if you find me, you will receive life and the grace of God? And who can say, if you fail to find me, you will die? Only Jesus could say these things. Jesus is saying you must choose. He’s saying, choosing me or not choosing me is the difference between life and death. That’s a massive claim, but then again Jesus is the Wisdom of God.

The old Christmas carol “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” says of Jesus,

O come Thou Wisdom from on high,

And order all things, far and nigh;

To us the path of knowledge show,

And cause us in her ways to go. (Henry Sloane Coffin)

Christianity has confessed for a long time in song what Proverbs 8 has taught us. The Wisdom of God, who ordered the cosmos and can teach us the right path, took on flesh in Bethlehem ( John 1:14). If you want to be wise in daily life—if you want to know how the world works—then you must be in a relationship with him. If you’re not walking in wisdom, it reveals an issue with Jesus in your life. Confess that to him, turn from it, and let him reorder your life like he orders the universe.