The Personification of Wisdom Part I.

Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?  She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.  She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.  Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.  O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.  Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.  For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.  All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.  They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. (Proverbs 8:1-9)

 

Here we find out more about what wisdom looks like practically.  As we have seen previously, wisdom is from God, and His intention is to give it liberally to mankind when requested out of a prayer of faith.  When wisdom speaks it is not meaningless or of no value, but it is excellent (very good).  It is also right; wisdom will never speak something that is not in accordance with the Scriptures.  It is always truthful.  Since its giver is God, it never lies even if its end is noble and just.  “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19) Wickedness is an abomination to wisdom; by its virtue it hates evil.  We see later in verse 13, The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”  Wisdom is from God, and because God is good He hates sin.  If we truly fear (reverence) God we will hate sin also.  This is not in a self-righteous sense that looks down on others’ faults as a means of making ourselves look better, but a sincere hatred of sin because of what it does to us and to others.  This can also be said of our love for the Lord.  Many people will say they love the Lord, but have no intentions of obeying Him.  Jesus told His disciples, “If ye love me, keep my commandments,” and “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.” (John 14:15, 15:10) So to the degree that we hate evil and walk in obedience to the Lord is the degree that we fear and love God.  Again, when wisdom speaks, it is always in righteousness; it will always direct us to and instruct us in what is right.  To those who already possess understanding and knowledge, more wisdom will be plain and right to them.  It will not be mysterious or difficult to understand, but it will just make sense.  In closing of this section I wanted to include the New Testament compliment of this passage: “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:17-18)

Are we walking in wisdom today?  Are the things we think and talk about excellent and right?  Are we truthful with the Lord, with ourselves and with others?  Do we fear and love God by hating evil and purposing to walk in obedience to the Scriptures?  None of us are where we ought to be, but Jesus again told His disciples, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5) If we abide in Him by faith, He produces the much good fruit of righteousness in us.