CHAPTER 8

(1000 B.C.)

WISDOM IS PERSONIFIED

¹Does not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? (The entirety of this Chapter is devoted to Wisdom, which is the Word of God. So, the True Gospel makes its appeal to men exactly as the false.)

²She stands in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.

³She cries at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. (This emphasizes the truth that the Holy Spirit is seeking at every intersection of life to put forth the Word of God.)

⁴Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. (This means the old and young alike.)

⁵O you simple, understand wisdom: and, you fools, be you of an understanding heart. (The implication is that men are simple because they do not understand the Bible; they are fools simply because they do not have a heart that seeks after the Word of God.)

⁶Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. (This means that if its not truly Biblical, then its not truly right!)

⁷For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. (The only revealed Truth in the world is the Bible. It alone sets the standard for morality and righteousness.)

⁸All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. (The only Righteousness that God will recognize is taught in the Bible.)

⁹They are all plain to him who understands, and right to them who find knowledge. (Gods Word is plain and clear concerning understanding, to those who truly desire Biblical Knowledge.)

¹⁰Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.

¹¹For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. (How many Christians place the Bible and the knowledge of it superior to gold and silver?)

¹²I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. (The phrase, witty inventions, refers to the great questions of life that seem to have no answers, but, in fact, are given to us in the Bible, namely, Where did man come from? Where is man now? and Where is man going in the future?)

¹³The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. (The evil way is all that is not truly of the Bible.)

¹⁴Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. (In this Passage, the Lord is saying that He really doesnt have Counsel, but, in fact, He is Counsel, etc.)

¹⁵By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

¹⁶By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the Earth. (The spirit of the world proclaims that only those of simple mind would believe and peruse the Bible. The Holy Spirit here says otherwise.)

¹⁷I love them who love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. (The Lord promises here that if anyone seeks to know and understand His Word, thereby finding Wisdom, He guarantees that it will be found.)

¹⁸Riches and honour are with me; yes, durable riches and righteousness. (The riches given by the Word of God are durable and do not flee away as gold and silver.)

¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. (Once again, the Holy Spirit emphasizes the fact that if we place the seeking of silver and gold ahead of the Bible, we have made a very poor choice.)

²⁰I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment (the Bible, and the Bible alone, tells us of the way of righteousness; it also shows us [and it alone] the paths of judgment):

²¹That I may cause those who love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. (And so the proclamation is to all that the path to success, honor, durable riches, Righteousness, and judgment is found in the treasure house of the Bible.)

WISDOM IS EVERLASTING

²²The LORD possessed me in the beginning of His Way, before His Works of old. (This speaks of the beginning of His Creation, which was all carried out by His Word [Heb. 11:3].)

²³I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the Earth was. (These Passages illustrate the Truth that the Word of God did not come about as a result of Gods Creation, but, in fact, is the cause of His Creation.)

²⁴When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

²⁵Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth (the Lord, with His Word, brought forth all these things):

²⁶While as yet He had not made the Earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. (The highest part of the dust refers to the first particle of matter the primitive atom.)

²⁷When He prepared the heavens, I was there: when He set a compass upon the face of the depth (Christ, Who is the Word, Who is Wisdom, was with the Father in preparation of the Creation, and, in fact, created all things [Jn. 1:1-3]):

²⁸When He established the clouds above: when He strengthened the fountains of the deep:

²⁹When He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His Commandment: when He appointed the foundations of the Earth (it was all done by the Word of God!):

³⁰Then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him;

³¹Rejoicing in the habitable part of His Earth; and my delights were with the sons of men. (This speaks of Christ, Who is Wisdom, Who is the Word, and Who was with God, i.e., Him [Jn. 1:1-3].)

INVITATION TO SEEK WISDOM

³²Now therefore hearken unto me, O you children: for blessed are they who keep my ways. (Man has the choice of his own ways, which really are Satans ways, or Gods Ways. Gods Ways are ensconced in His Word.)

³³Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. (The wise accept this instruction; the unwise refuse it.)

³⁴Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. (Wisdom will not come uninvited to any man.)

³⁵For whoso finds me finds life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. (Any life promised by anything other than what we find in the Bible is a lie.)

³⁶But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul: all they who hate me love death. (If we sin against the Bible, which is disobeying or ignoring its instructions, we have sinned against our souls.)