The
Wisdom of God – The Seed of the Woman
Proverbs 3:13 -18
“The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7) – God’s introduction to the
Proverbs. The purpose of the Proverbs is
to evoke a reverential awe of Jehovah and to give instruction in righteousness
and true judgment. A proverb is a
discourse or saying of a poetic nature. Like the Psalms, the book of Proverbs is in lyrical
form to express or convey a message.
While a psalm or hymn
may move the reader emotionally, a proverb is
an emotional expression in its design, yet without a strict adherence to the
subject of the proverb. In short, a
proverb is an adage – a wise saying.
The Old Testament Book
of Proverbs is a collection of adages compiled from different sources with the
majority of the sayings attributed to Solomon the son of King David. Proverbs is commonly known as The Book of
Wisdom and wisdom is the primary subject of the book.
The scriptures
describe two different kinds of wisdom –
the wisdom from above and the wisdom of this world. God’s Wisdom “is first pure, then peaceable,
gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality, and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17). The wisdom of this world is earthly, sensual,
and devilish - sourced in the evil one (James 3:15).
The scripture for
this lesson is Proverbs 3:13-18: “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and
the man that getteth understanding. For
the merchandise of it (wisdom) is better than the merchandise of silver, and
the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies (or coral as the word would be
more accurately translated): and all the things thou canst desire are not
to be compared unto her. Length of days
is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor. Her
ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon
her: and happy is everyone that retaineth
her.”
The two proverbs in
verses 13 and 14 are the contemplation of buying wisdom and gaining
understanding in terms of a commodity with the emphasis on the value of obtaining
them. Wisdom is compared in price to the
three earthly treasures of silver, fine gold and rubies. When coupled, verses 13 and 14 are a
comparison and contrast to one another.
On the one hand,
“buying” the immaterial eternal merchandise of the Wisdom of God and gaining
understanding of wisdom is contrasted to the merchandise that silver and gold
buys. On the other hand, the value of
the skill of gaining wisdom and understanding is compared with the value of the
silver and gold; the adage of the proverb is that both treasures require labor
and toil; however, only one is eternally profitable.
Verses 15-18 speak of
the knowledge of the Wisdom of God as seen in His works of Wisdom. In the design of God, His plan, His Wisdom is
seen in His works. The “why” of His
works – His ways - is understood in one’s understanding and not in the knowledge
of His works.
In this portion of
the proverbs, the Wisdom of God is personified as a living power, female in
gender, with emphasis placed upon her greatness and beauty. The Wisdom of God is the Seed of the
Woman. She is contrasted with the
“strange woman,” the “foreigner,” the “harlot or adulteress” who in type pictures
the wisdom of the world whose allurement is perilous to the soul of man and is sourced
in the evil one.
Proverbs 3:13-14: “Happy
is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it (wisdom) is better
than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.”
The definition of the
word happy in this context means to be desirous of, wishes for, covet or long
for. The word findeth in this verse
indicates the active searching or seeking out of Wisdom. Thus in this passage, happy is the man who is
desirous of and finds Wisdom and gets understanding – in understanding is the why of such Wisdom. The end of such searching is blessedness -
another meaning for the word happy.
Proverbs 3:14: “For
the merchandise of it (wisdom) is better than the merchandise of silver, and
the gain thereof than fine gold.”
The treasures of
silver and gold were mined in Old Testament times and were used as a form of
currency. Mining requires labor and
toil. Thinking – reasoning with God for
the understanding of His wisdom requires labor and toil.
“Buying” the
merchandise of the Wisdom of God is more valuable than anything one can buy
with silver or gold. The merchandise is
the Wisdom of God, the knowledge of who He is, the things that He has done and the
words of His mouth. The buying, the benefits,
and the diligence required to attain that merchandise is esteemed more valuable
than merchandising with silver.
The word merchandise
in this verse has two meanings. The
merchandise of the Wisdom of God is used in a figurative sense. The benefits gained through the diligent
seeking (labor and toil) of the Wisdom of God exceed any merchandise bought
with silver.
The merchandise of silver
refers to the monetary gain from the trade associated with it. Merchandising with silver pales in comparison
to the transaction of merchandising - “buying” the Wisdom of God. The word silver in this context is a pale
metal and the merchandise of silver is a word play. Silver pales in comparison to the yearning
for or the buying of the Wisdom of God.
It is better to yearn for God’s Wisdom than silver and the gain of
understanding is better than gold.
Men expend great
effort in acquiring these material and temporary earthly treasures – silver and
gold that moth and rust corrupt, and thieves break in and steal (Matthew 6:19).
Yet greater still is the
immense worth that man places on the buying of the wisdom of his own thinking. Thinking it to be his greatest commodity, the
deceitfulness of his heart places great value on it.
Man expends little
energy and only slightly desires the finding
of the Wisdom of God and the getting of understanding. Why is that? Why would man rather labor and toil for that
which perishes when they could labor and toil for that which is eternal? Perhaps the truth is that man prefers the
knowledge of information above the Wisdom of God. He thinks it is in knowledge that he will find
heart satisfaction – peace. That is the
not so subtle wise saying of these two proverbs.
Of the three commodities
of silver, gold and rubies, rubies are the most
precious and wisdom is more precious than rubies.
Proverbs
3:15-18: “She is more precious than rubies
(or coral as the word would be more accurately translated): and all the things thou canst
desire are not to be compared unto her.
Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and
honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon
her: and happy is everyone that
retaineth her.”
Precious is a
powerful, weighty word. That which is
treasured as precious is always held close to the heart. The Wisdom of God is precious. The Wisdom of God is the Seed of the woman. In verses 15-18, the heart of God is revealed
in His Wisdom - the Son of His Love.
The knowledge of God - His plan from
eternity past is making known His purpose to have man in His image. Beginning in time, God shared the light of His knowledge – God declares
His glory in the gospel in the stars and in His written Word - the light of His knowledge is the gospel of
the Covenant Son and the hope of life everlasting.
The word of Christ in the gospel is the how of the covenant purpose. He is the propitiation – the meeting place –
the place where God and man are reconciled.
The Wisdom of God is the way of the tree of life – the way is a family tree for the seed of the
woman. The understanding of Wisdom is the why
of the way and the how.
In His symmetrical
design and imagery of symbolism, God uses the same pattern over and over as a
pictorial revelation of His Wisdom. First
was the man, then the woman - then man is of
a woman.
Following this pattern
of God’s design, we see the Wisdom of God in the seed of the woman. First, the personal being of God is willing
to become flesh - in the likeness of man – male,
and then the woman, the nation Israel, is female. Then man is of the woman – her seed; there is
no man-child to rule all nations without the woman. This is the way of the tree of life and the how
of Wisdom, and now the why of the
Wisdom of God.
Wisdom is personified
as a woman because of her seed. The seed
of this woman is the only man to come
from the seed of a woman; man comes from man’s seed.
In Psalm 22:9, the
literal Hebrew reads, “You are My Taker from the womb” – referring to living
cells of flesh – the living cells of flesh are the seed of the virgin for seed
coat of the Seed of the woman; the man-child from the seed of a woman begotten
from the dead is the Son to rule all nations.
The Wisdom of God is
that a woman has seed (living cells of flesh) so that God has a human body for
His son. The son of man cannot come from
man’s seed as the body of man is consigned to dust and, therefore, needs a
redeemer. The Wisdom of God takes the
living flesh of the woman and prepares a body in the likeness of man, a seed
coat which houses eternal life; God in the flesh – is the seed germ of life for
another Seed to come out of that body. The
Wisdom of God bypasses the sin and the consigning of the body to dust in the
seed of the woman. This is the why of the Wisdom of God.
Wisdom is more
precious than coral. Coral was
considered the most precious form of currency because of the great personal
expense involved in the “harvesting” of it from the sea. Coral is a living organic organism created of
the skeletal remains of marine animals called coral polyps.
The
poetic understanding pictured in the coral is the expression of the Wisdom of
God seen in the beauty of the coral
as the “Branch” - the Seed of the Woman.
Pictured in the coral is "Life” out from the dead and the
preciousness of the cost involved is understood. A living “Branch” of the sea (of humanity) has
the ability to harvest others into living organisms like it - the original.
All things – which one can ask for or think of -
anything that can be desired is not to be compared to the Wisdom of God. The exchange rate is incomparable.
As has been stated, the
son of man could not come from man’s seed as the body of man is consigned to
dust and, therefore, needs a redeemer, which is why the Wisdom of God is the
seed of a woman. Listed are seven
attributes that describe the “total package” of this virtuous and righteous
woman, the woman Israel. In the description
of her attributes, the Wisdom of God seen in the sign of Virgo with her Seed is
clearly recognized.
Laying the definition
of wisdom from James 3:17 alongside the description of the seven attributes of
wisdom in Proverbs 3 gives a vivid portrayal of the Otherness of God and the
beauty of His Holiness.
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Comparison of Wisdom in Proverbs and James
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|
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Wisdom in Proverbs 3:15-18
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Wisdom in James 3:17
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She is more precious than coral
|
Pure
|
|
All things to be desired cannot be compared
to her
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Peaceable
|
|
Length of days is in her right hand
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Gentle
|
|
Riches and honor are in her left hand
|
Easy to be Entreated
|
|
Her ways are ways of Pleasantness
|
Full of Mercy and Good Fruits
|
|
All her paths are peace
|
Without Partiality
|
|
She is a tree of Life to them that lay hold
of her
|
Without Hypocrisy
|
Not wishing to sound
redundant but desiring to make a point, the Wisdom of God is the seed of the Woman,
more precious than coral. The Wisdom of
God to bring forth a body from seed, the seed of a woman, is beyond
understanding if we do not reason along with God.
All things desired
are not to be compared to her. What
compares with the Otherness of God and the beauty of His Holiness? The Wisdom of God provides length of days and
riches and honor for His creation of sons of God in the seed of the woman.
In
the sign Virgo the length of days in her “right” hand is seen in the message of
the star name “The Son” – picturing man
in the image of God who is the King heir of the kingdom of God and the High
Priest of the royal priesthood. In “The
Son”
the invitation of fellowship is extended.
The right hand is the hand of power and authority. Have you heard of extending the right hand of
fellowship? “The Son” Given, the
Begotten Son from the dead is the power and authority behind the offer of
fellowship - the invitation to length of days – no end of living.
The
riches and honor in the left hand of Virgo is seen in “The Branch” - the son of
humanity “Who, being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took
upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He
humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians
2:6-8).
Love
being Love, counted the “Price of Conflict” (Libra) and for the joy set before
Him endured the cross, despising the shame for the end – length of days and
riches and honor for a kingdom of sons of God. He willingly took the path of unpleasantness -
the experience of death that His sons of God might experience all the paths of peace.
The Wisdom of God –
is a tree of life to them that lay hold of her. To lay hold of something is to make it your
own, to claim it a personal possession.
Seven attributes
describe the woman’s wisdom with the eighth being a new beginning “Happy is everyone that retaineth her.” To lay hold of the Wisdom of God - Life
everlasting - and apprehend that for
which we have been laid hold of is to gain understanding and it brings
substance to our faith and satisfies the heart.
Understanding
the Wisdom of God – the “why” He did what He did and what the “why” means to
Him is the gain of understanding that is far greater than any earthly treasure.
Next week the lesson will
be about the virtuous woman, Israel (Proverbs 31). The Wisdom of God brought her forth and the
kingdom of peace and righteousness comes from her seed.
Glossary for The Wisdom of God – The Seed of the Woman
Wisdom of God – is the Seed of the Woman – the way of the tree of life. Wisdom is personified as a woman because of
her seed – not the seed of man.
|
Comparison of Wisdom in Proverbs and James
|
|
|
Wisdom in Proverbs 3:15-18
|
Wisdom in James 3:17
|
|
She is more precious than coral
|
Pure
|
|
All things to be desired cannot be compared
to her
|
Peaceable
|
|
Length of days is in her right hand
|
Gentle
|
|
Riches and honor are in her left hand
|
Easy to be Entreated
|
|
Her ways are ways of Pleasantness
|
Full of Mercy and Good Fruits
|
|
All her paths are peace
|
Without Partiality
|
|
She is a tree of Life to them that lay hold
of her
|
Without Hypocrisy
|
The knowledge of
God –
is His purpose and plan to have man in His image.
The light of His knowledge – is the Covenant Son and the hope of life
everlasting.
The understanding of Wisdom – is the why of the way and the how.
The word of Christ – is the how of God.
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