O Wisdom, Come!

TEXT: Proverbs 8:12-26
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. 25Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth,26before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world.

In the Name of Wisdom. Amen.

Who is the wisest person you know? Is President Obama wise? Are the engineers who work for NASA wise? How about the generals commanding the war in Afghanistan? Are they wise? Or, maybe Donald Trump or Bill Gates, or some other multi-billionaire? Does the ability to make a lot of money make someone wise?

Often when we think of a wise person we think of someone who is smart or brainy. Someone who is successful or maybe even popular? But what does the Bible say about Wisdom?

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.” Godly wisdom is to fear, love and trust in God above all things. True wisdom is to hate all evil, pride, arrogance, and perverted speech. True wisdom comes from the God who made all things in heaven and on earth. God is the source of all wisdom. Not even the best of mankind’s “common sense” compares to Godly Wisdom.

In Proverbs 8:12 it is written, “I, Wisdom dwell with Prudence.” “I, a.k.a Wisdom.” In other words the One speaking calls Himself, “Wisdom,” with a capital “W.”

This One, called “Wisdom,” says, “I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength. By Me kings reign and rulers decree what is just. By me princes rule. I love those who love me. My fruit is better than gold. I walk in the way of righteousness, granting an inheritance to those who love me and filling their treasuries.”

Who can this be? Who is this One called, “Wisdom” that Proverbs 8 is talking about? Surely, none other than God Himself can claim to govern and rule all kings and princes. Only God can give all the riches of the world. Only God can truly walk in the way of righteousness. God is Wisdom.

But the text goes on…. “The Lord possessed Me at the beginning of His work. I was there before the beginning of the earth… before the mountains had been shaped, or before the first of the dust of the earth.”

This One called Wisdom can be none other than the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus – our Advent King. That’s Who Proverbs is talking about. This Great Wisdom is Jesus the King who rode into Jerusalem, sitting on a colt, the foal of a donkey, while the little children sang, “Hosanna, Hosanna, in the Highest.” This one called, “Wisdom,” is the One who was nailed to a tree and bore your sins on the cross, died at the hands of evil men, and rose again on the third day.

Jesus is true God. Jesus is Wisdom. He is the one of Whom the writer to the Hebrews says, “In these last days God has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed as the heir of all things, through Whom He also created the world. He is the radiancy of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on High.”

Someone once said that “Wisdom comes with age.” That’s true in a Biblical sense too. Before the Son of God became man and was named “Jesus,” some 2000 years ago when the virgin Mary gave birth to Him in the little town of Bethlehem, He has been true God from all eternity. Often times the second person of the Trinity has been referred to as “the preincarnate Christ” when we want to talk about Him before He became man. Also, the Apostle John called Him, “the Word” when He said, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. By Him all things were made.” The Word, the preincarnate Christ, Wisdom “was there before the beginning of the earth…. Before the mountains had been shaped, or before the first of the dust of the earth.” Jesus is truly an aged sage… even the Ancient of Days. Through Him the entire universe was made. If wisdom comes with age, then surely Son of God who is eternal is the wisest of all.

It is to this Wisdom, this preicarnate Christ, this One through Whom all things were made, the One who became Man and died to redeem us… yes, Jesus Christ, it is to Him that you and I pray to this Advent. We sing to the all-wise Jesus Christ. We implore Him to stir up our hearts, to convict us with His Law, to lead us to repent of our wickedness. We implore Him to forgive us, renew us, and to sanctify us in true wisdom.

“O Come Thou Wisdom from on High, Who ord’rest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in His ways to go.”

In the Name of Wisdom. Amen.