Dylan569
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In the first chapter of Proverbs we find this key verse:
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Pro 1:7)
I began a new read of the book of Proverbs and two words I found important to have understanding of as I read the book, “fear” and “wisdom”. How am I to understand the word “fear”? I found the definition in the Webster’s 1828 to be a very good definition –
“FEAR, in scripture, fear is used to express a filial or a slavish passion. In good men, the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun everything that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience. This is filial fear.” - Filial love is such an affection as a child naturally bears to his parents. Filial duty or obedience is such duty or obedience as the child owes to his parents.
A healthy understanding of “fear” as it pertains to Yahweh, and our daily life on earth, can do much to help us keep on the straight road. It is healthy psychologically as well as spiritually to read Proverbs carefully with prayer to the Almighty. There seems a mysterious or mystical way the wisdom of this book can enter our life as we read carefully:
“Then you will understand what is right and just and only to the good man’s path; for wisdom will sink into your mind, and knowledge will be your heart’s delight.” (Pro 2:9-10, New English Bible)
The personification of wisdom, has historically been seen to be the Son of God, Jesus. I disagree with that for two reasons:
1, Wisdom is always referred to in the feminine gender, she and her. There is NO scriptural basis to think that the personification is to be understood of the Son, Jesus Christ! The Son is always referred to as the male gender in Scripture, Father, Son. There are verses where Jesus expresses such love and care of his own, that are expressed in terms of mother's love, etc. But no verses state the Son of God to be anything other than a male.
2, Wisdom cannot be a personification of the Son, Jesus Christ, because wisdom is CREATED, and most current translations use the word “created”:
“The LORD created me the beginning of his works, before all else that he made, long ago. Alone, I was fashioned in times long past, at the beginning, long before earth itself” (Pro 8:22-23 NEB)
Wisdom, personified in the feminine, was created as the first creative concepts in laws of physics in the universe as well as the spirit of man. Reading wisdom in Proverbs it appears in connection with man’s relationship to GOD, and then his understanding of the creation around us in which we live. The laws of this universe are from God’s wisdom. It is the whole package deal called wisdom that we find personified in Proverbs. If we obey God’s laws spiritually, as well as fits the laws of creation all around us, it does us good.
A personal note: many years ago, I had gotten into a very dark period in my life to where I seemed to be a mess in all areas. The Spirit must have prompted me to read the book of Proverbs, and I did so, prayerfully. As in Pro 2:9-10 quoted above, God’s wisdom seemed to “sink” into my mind. Life began to come together for me, even in ways I could not understand. The proverbs may seem to be just as the wisdom proverbs stated in sources other than the word of God, but it seems that since these are inspired words of God they do have great power when read prayerfully. I am beginning again to read Proverbs because again in my elderly years, because of the various things of life in this time period have been getting me down. Even though Proverbs is especially addressed to the young man, it also applies to the elderly, so I will prayerfully have hope in my Savior. I view “hope” as an earnest expectation, not a mere wish.
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Pro 1:7)
I began a new read of the book of Proverbs and two words I found important to have understanding of as I read the book, “fear” and “wisdom”. How am I to understand the word “fear”? I found the definition in the Webster’s 1828 to be a very good definition –
“FEAR, in scripture, fear is used to express a filial or a slavish passion. In good men, the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun everything that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience. This is filial fear.” - Filial love is such an affection as a child naturally bears to his parents. Filial duty or obedience is such duty or obedience as the child owes to his parents.
A healthy understanding of “fear” as it pertains to Yahweh, and our daily life on earth, can do much to help us keep on the straight road. It is healthy psychologically as well as spiritually to read Proverbs carefully with prayer to the Almighty. There seems a mysterious or mystical way the wisdom of this book can enter our life as we read carefully:
“Then you will understand what is right and just and only to the good man’s path; for wisdom will sink into your mind, and knowledge will be your heart’s delight.” (Pro 2:9-10, New English Bible)
The personification of wisdom, has historically been seen to be the Son of God, Jesus. I disagree with that for two reasons:
1, Wisdom is always referred to in the feminine gender, she and her. There is NO scriptural basis to think that the personification is to be understood of the Son, Jesus Christ! The Son is always referred to as the male gender in Scripture, Father, Son. There are verses where Jesus expresses such love and care of his own, that are expressed in terms of mother's love, etc. But no verses state the Son of God to be anything other than a male.
2, Wisdom cannot be a personification of the Son, Jesus Christ, because wisdom is CREATED, and most current translations use the word “created”:
“The LORD created me the beginning of his works, before all else that he made, long ago. Alone, I was fashioned in times long past, at the beginning, long before earth itself” (Pro 8:22-23 NEB)
Wisdom, personified in the feminine, was created as the first creative concepts in laws of physics in the universe as well as the spirit of man. Reading wisdom in Proverbs it appears in connection with man’s relationship to GOD, and then his understanding of the creation around us in which we live. The laws of this universe are from God’s wisdom. It is the whole package deal called wisdom that we find personified in Proverbs. If we obey God’s laws spiritually, as well as fits the laws of creation all around us, it does us good.
A personal note: many years ago, I had gotten into a very dark period in my life to where I seemed to be a mess in all areas. The Spirit must have prompted me to read the book of Proverbs, and I did so, prayerfully. As in Pro 2:9-10 quoted above, God’s wisdom seemed to “sink” into my mind. Life began to come together for me, even in ways I could not understand. The proverbs may seem to be just as the wisdom proverbs stated in sources other than the word of God, but it seems that since these are inspired words of God they do have great power when read prayerfully. I am beginning again to read Proverbs because again in my elderly years, because of the various things of life in this time period have been getting me down. Even though Proverbs is especially addressed to the young man, it also applies to the elderly, so I will prayerfully have hope in my Savior. I view “hope” as an earnest expectation, not a mere wish.
