Tuesday, August 6, 2013 GraceDoctrine.org The Book of Proverbs, Pt. 134, Chapter 8 Outline for Chapter 8. III. Second Exhortation: Choose Wisdom above all else, 8:10. 1. Reason: Wisdom is most valuable, vs. 11. 2. Reason: Wisdom has immediate benefits, vs. 12-21. 3. Reason: Wisdom’s origin, antiquity and work, vs. 22-31. 3. Reason Number 3, as to why we should choose wisdom above all else: Wisdom’s origin, antiquity and work, vs. 22-31. We begin the third and final reason for choosing “wisdom” above all else. Introduction: The relationship of “wisdom” to the creation stated in Prov 3:19-20 is further developed here as another reason why she should be our number one priority in life. Why we should be Occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ. In Prov 8:22-31 “wisdom” is exalted based on her antiquity, by the utilization of many temporal terms in these passages (e.g., “before, not yet, and beginning”). In Israel, old age (the elderly) deserved honor and respect, Prov 16:31; 20:29, and here we see that “wisdom” is older than creation itself, and is therefore worthy of our utmost respect. Likewise, her students should attend to all of her teachings most carefully. As Bruce Waltke quotes Kayatz, (Studien zu Proverbien 1-9, pp. 93-95.), “In other Egyptian texts one’s patent of nobility is based on a preexistence in comparison to creation. Therefore, Wisdom’s antiquity before creation bestows on her the highest rank, dignity, and authority. (New International Commentary.) As an eyewitness of the creation of all things, this parallels the earlier statement that “wisdom” was part of the process of creation, Prov 3:19-20. Therefore, “wisdom” understands the secrets of existence, so that her counsel is in line with the way things really are. She alone has the knowledge that makes her competent to counsel, because only one who has observed creation from its beginning knows the whole story and has the knowledge to counsel others. Van Leeuwen notes, “In the human realm, only long experience gives insight into human nature and knowledge of individuals,” cf. Prov 20:29. (Van Leeuwen, Proverbs, p. 92.) Therefore, this comprehensive knowledge makes her competent to speak dogmatically, and one who all of humanity should stop to listen to! Kidner stated: “You have to be godly to be wise; and this is not because godliness pays, but because the only wisdom by which you can handle everyday things in conformity with their nature is the wisdom by which they were divinely made and ordered.” (Kidner, Proverbs, p. 32) There are two main points regarding “wisdom” in this section: 1) Wisdom’s existence “before” creation of the heavens and the earth, vs. 22-26, 2) Wisdom’s existence “when” or “during” the creation of the heavens and earth, vs. 27-30a. This section is then completed with “wisdom’s” celebration, delight and joy, during and after creation, representing herself as an active worshiper, vs. 30b-31. In other words, the Son rejoiced in the creation of the world and man. These two halves are linked by a thematic chiasm: A, “Wisdom’s” antiquity, vs. 22-23; B, The negative state of the creation, vs. 24-26; B′, The positive presentation of the creation, vs. 27-29; A′, “Wisdom’s” celebration of humanity’s origins, vs. 30-31. Our outline for this section includes: 1. Wisdom existed before Creation, vs. 22-26. a. The negative state of the creation, vs. 24-26, (i.e. before things were created). 2. Wisdom existed during Creation, 27-30b. a. The positive presentation of the creation, vs. 27-29, (i.e. while things were being created). 3. Wisdom’s celebration of humanity’s origins, vs. 30c-31. 1. Wisdom existed before Creation, vs. 22-26. Here we are told of God’s creative act of the earth with four analogies in comparison to the existence of “wisdom”, indicating she existed before them all. Prov 8:22, “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old.” “Possessed” is the Verb QANAH, קָָנה that means, “to acquire, to get, possess, buy, or create.” Here it is the Qal Perfect form that means past completed action performed by the LORD – YHVH, יְהָוה. Throughout the OT this word is used in the commercial sense of buying things, yet Proverbs uses the noncommercial connotation of “to acquire, to obtain or to possess” wisdom, Prov 1:5, and knowledge, Prov 18:15. Remember that God is not man who gradually gains knowledge and wisdom over time. God is Omniscient, Eternal, Infinite and Immutable, which means He knows everything, always has known everything, His knowledge is without limit and He is unchanging (He never gains or loses knowledge). Therefore, God did not gradually gain knowledge in eternity past, but he “possessed” that knowledge from eternity past. So these verses are figurative means of describing “wisdom’s” existence. In context here, the Lord possessed the “wisdom” of His Word “at the beginning of His way” (RESHITH DEREK), which means when he began to create the heavens and the earth, “before His works of old.” “Before” is the Masculine Singular Noun QEDEM, קֶדֶם that literally means, “east, in front of, that which is before, formerly, antiquity, etc.” This is where we gain our title, (i.e., “Wisdom” is exalted based on her antiquity.) So here QEDEM means wisdom existed before “the earliest” of God’s creative works. “His Works” is the verb MIPHAL, מִפְעָל, especially referring to the “works” of God. In its three OT occurrences, Psa 46:8; 66:5; and here, it occurs in the plural and is only used of God’s works. “Of old” is the Preposition MIN, “of, from, out of, or more than’, with the Adverb AZ that means, “then, at that time, since.” Therefore, “wisdom” was with God well before He began His creative acts. In the next four verses 23-26 we see the negative state of the creation, (i.e. before things were created), which emphasizes the “before” factor of “wisdom’s” existence. These verses list foundational events in the history of creation. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, nor is it designed to correspond directly with other Biblical statements of creation, (e.g., Gen 1:1-2:3; Psa 104:5-9. The emphasis is on the elements of the physical world, earth, water, sea, where the creation of humanity is implied in vs. 31b. Prov 8:23, “From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.” Our first analogy speaks of a time before the creation of the earth, yet “wisdom” existed. “From everlasting” is the Preposition MIN with the Noun OLAM, עוֹלָם that means, “forever, eternity, perpetual, something everlasting, long duration, antiquity, etc.” It often refers to undefined time, such as the distant past of an ancient boundary marker. Therefore, the Word of God existed in eternity past, before the creation of the heavens and the earth. “I was established” is the Verb NASAK, נָסַךְ that typically means, “to pour out, to anoint, to cast, set or install.” The main meaning is to pour out as a libation or drink offering. That is what the Word of God has been to you and I, an offering of God to anoint us as His children. NASAK can also mean “to cast” from metal, such as the goldsmith who casts silver chains, an analogy of the Creator and Ruler God, in Isa 40:19. Here it is in the Niphal Perfect (passive - completed action) where “wisdom” has received the action of the verb. “Wisdom’s” role is entirely passive, having already been established. Typically in the Niphal, the verb means “to be anointed, to be consecrated or to be exalted”, all of which wisdom has been for our benefit. She was anointed by God from everlasting, from the beginning of creation. Finally, NASAK can mean the covering that will protect the people as a picture of material woven or intertwined that would keep out rain, sun or other harmful things. As such it connotes “wisdom’s” close proximity and relationship to the Lord, being His very mind. In our verse it indicates a picture of God’s Word having been woven together from before the creation of the heavens and the earth, from before the beginning of time, having been anointed as our protector from sin and evil. “From the beginning” MIN with ROSH for “first or head”, indicates the creative act. “From the earliest times of the earth” is MIN QEDEM ERETS, once again to indicate creation or just after creation. Therefore we could say that, God’s Word has been ordained by Him to guide and protect since before the creation or beginning of the world. Prov 8:24, “When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.” The second analogy speaks of a time before water existed on the earth, both oceans and fresh water, yet “wisdom” existed. This continues the negative connotation of no earth being created at this time. “When there were no depths” is literally, “when there was not in existence ocean depths (TEHOM, תְּהוֹם).” TEHOM may refer to the primeval abyss or to the present oceans and/or floods that reside below the earth. Cf. Gen 1:2 and Psa 104:6 in reference to the deep or primeval ocean as a pre-creation element. In Gen 1:1-3 the primeval depth was part of the earth before God’s creative word intervened and transformed the chaos into the cosmos. Wisdom, however, preexisted this primordial depth and its remnants as indicated by the next phrase. “I was brought forth” is CHUL or CHYIL, חִיל, in the Polal Perfect. The Polal if of the Pual stem for intensive Passive action. CHYIL literally means “to have labor pains.” So in the Polal it means, “to receive intense labor pains.” Figuratively, the term refers to the birth of the earth and the world, cf. Psa 90:2, with Isa 66:8 and is personified “wisdom” in our verse. This phrase also assumes that the Lord is the agent, as can be deduced from its parallel, “He possessed me,” in vs. 22. “No springs abounding with water” once again signifies no creation of water at some point in the past, yet wisdom existed. Waltke quoting Baumann noted, “Since Job was not yet present when the mountains were in labor and when the first man was born (Job 15:7), his status is low and he should keep silent. Since wisdom, contrariwise, was already present before the depths and the springs, before the mountains and hills (Prov 8:24f), she ranks above the rest of creation and is close to God.” (New International Commentary, [Baumann, TDOT 4:347, s.v. ḥûl]) Prov 8:25, “Before the mountains were settled, before the hills I was brought forth.” The third analogy speaks of a time before land masses were created, yet wisdom existed. “Mountains” HAR refers to the foundations of the earth in the midst of the ocean depths. Cf. Psa 104:6-8. The mountains connote the oldest aspects of the earth, cf. Psa 90:1-2; Micah 6:2, as the “depths” represented primeval times. “Were settled” is the Verb TABA, טָבַע that means, “to sink, sink into, sink down, pierce, settle down, drown, be settled, or be planted.” God’s creative actions are described as “sinking a foundation”, Job 38:6 and “settling the mountains” as here. Here it is in the Hophal Perfect, which is the causative passive, (i.e., God caused them to be settled.) Hopefully, you are taking away the fact and laws of creation by God here, as opposed to the false theories and doctrines of evolution. “Hills” is the noun GIBAH that parallels mountains and underscores their height, towering over the earth. “I was brought forth” is CHUL or CHYIL once again, “wisdom” existed before water was created. Mountains and Hills represent the foundation of the earth, its pillars. Wisdom is yet greater. Prov 8:26, “While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, nor the first dust of the world.” Our fourth and final analogy in this list of negation regarding creation speaks of the overall action of creating earth from the perspective of its topsoil that is so vital for life to exist on planet earth. Wisdom existed prior to the creation of top spoil, prior to the creation of the first speck of dust needed to form the world. The negation “not yet” is the Hebrew negative LO. “Made” is the Verb ASAH, עָשָׂה that means “to do or make.” It has the concept of building something out of something that already is in existence, cf. Gen 1:7, 16, 25-26, 31; 2:2-4. “Field” is the Noun CHUTS that actually means “outside, streets or open places” and represents outside the city, Job 5:10, where the flocks graze, Psa 144:13, i.e., fields. “Or the first dust” ROSH, referring to the beginning of time in this creation account, with APHAR, עָפָר, that means “dust, or loose soil.” It indicates that part of the ground from which man was made, which he cultivates, and to which he will return. It is his cradle, home, and grave. More finitely it indicates the first elements created, (BARAed = to create something out of nothing), that our Lord then used to ASAH the earth and fields. Conclusion In this list of four comparisons to creation, (the earth, water, land and topsoil (elements)), wisdom existed well before the creation of them all. The Bible predates the creation of this world. It was present before God’s creative acts and therefore is wiser than the oldest sages and writings of this world. It is older than the world as we know it, (created 6,000 years ago), and therefore garners our utmost respect and attention. Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard
Posted on: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 12:18:13 +0000