Christ in Proverbs: The Wisdom of God

The third book of Poetry in the Bible is the book of Proverbs, written for the most part by Solomon.  King Solomon was said to have been the wisest of all men:  “Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.” (1 Kings 3:12)  Solomon understood the importance of wisdom, since that is what he had asked God for, above and before anything else, before fame, before riches, before power.  According for 1 Kings 4, Solomon wrote 3,000 proverbs, and he became famous for his wisdom and his generosity.  So if we desire wisdom today, it would be prudent to study the words Solomon wrote.  In doing so, we can see wisdom personified in Jesus Christ. 

• First of all, we see in Proverbs the need for salvation.  We are shown the need for merciful cleansing from iniquity and wickedness to be replaced with the righteousness of Christ:

By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. (Proverbs 16:6)

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:4-5)

A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved. (Proverbs 12:3)

Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. (1 Peter 1:12)

The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit. (Proverbs 12:12)

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:18-20)

• We are also shown in Proverbs the only One with power over all creation.

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? (Proverbs 30:4)

And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! (Matthew 8:26-27)

We are shown that our only means of salvation is Jesus Christ.

Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death. (Proverbs 8:34-36)
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. (Matthew 10:38-39)

• The overriding theme in Proverbs is that Christ is the personification of Wisdom.  The fact that Christ is the source of all wisdom is validated by His own words and the words of His apostles, echoing what we read in Proverbs.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. (Proverbs 9:10-11)
Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: (Luke 11:49)
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23-24)

Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. (Proverbs 1:20-23)
In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:3)

• We are reminded of Adam’s exile from Eden, how he was prevented from eating of the tree of life.  But we are also assured that, through Jesus and His righteousness, we are made righteous.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. (Proverbs 11:30)
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30)

• We can also see in Proverbs how Christ would build the kingdom of God.

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: (Proverbs 24:3)
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. (Matthew 4:23)
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36)
I don’t usually like to quote from any book but the Bible.  However, here I am going to make an exception because I liked what David Murray said in his book about Proverbs:

Like the Law, Proverbs not only demonstrates the need for Jesus’ death but also explains the nature of it.  Proverbs vividly describes the typical kind of human scheming and plotting that characterized Jesus’ crucifiers.  The proverbs deepen our understanding of the Law’s curse that was heaped upon Jesus, and they demonstrate the divine principle of penal justice that He would experience in His body and soul. (Jesus on Every Page, David Murray, Thomas Nelson Publishing, 2013)

My prayer for you and for me this week is from Ephesians 1:17:

I ask that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you (and me) the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.  Amen.

All Scripture is from the King James Version of the Bible