“22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,
before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago,
at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
when there were no springs overflowing with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the world or its fields
or any of the dust of the earth.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,
when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30 Then I was constantly at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.
”
This is an incredible passage of scripture and I have struggled over this chapter and what to focus on. We read it as a family yesterday for our family bible study; a great new practice we have developed as a gift of the current pandemic. Here is what Brie, my twelve-year old daughter said of verses twenty-two to thirty-one, “it sounds like one of those riddles where they make all the ‘I am’ statements and you have to guess who it is. It’s talking about wisdom but it sure sounds like Jesus”. It sure does!
As I read and re-read this passage my mind was continually drawn to John Chapter one. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” There is a striking parallel here including the continuance of the language of life.
I also kept hearing Colossians 1:15-17 in my mind, “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
It seems clear in this chapter there is a strong correlation between wisdom and Jesus Christ. In fact, the apostle Paul makes this case many times. In 1 Corinthians 1:30 he writes, “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God” and Colossians 2:2-3 states, “ My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
I encourage you to read the entire chapter now and hear it as Jesus speaking. The punctuation to this is verse 35, “For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord.”
So, what do I take away from this chapter? In the words of Brie, “Wisdom sure sounds like Jesus!”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Where have you found wisdom in relationship with Jesus Christ? What accounts from his life and ministry have provided the greatest wisdom for you? Have you found the closer you have become to him the more wisdom has found you? Share your thoughts below.