The Wisdom of Creation
חוכמת הבריאה
מעולם נסכתי מראשׁ מקדמי־ארץ׃
I was appointed before the world, before the start, before the earth’s beginnings.
(Proverbs 8:23 CJB)
THE WISDOM CREATION
MESSIAH IN THE SCROLL
King David said:
So then I said, “Here I am! I’m coming! In the scroll of a book it is written about me. Doing your will, my God, is my joy; your Torah is in my inmost being.
(Psalms 40:7-8 CJB)
The author of the book of Hebrews identifies this passage as being about Yeshua.
Then I said, ‘Look! In the scroll of the book it is written about me. I have come to do your will.’
(Hebrews 10:7 CJB)
Where in the scroll of the Torah is it written about Yeshua? Let’s look at a few passages.
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH IN ONE STORY
The whole history of humanity is written in the Book of Beresheet.
Through Yochanan, we know that HaShem formed the world through the Word—in Aramaic, “the Memra,” in Greek, “Logos,”—usually translated as “the Word.”
Right there it tells us about Yeshua. HaShem creates humankind with free-will, but then, he who is defined as the serpent, the craftiest of all the animals, comes to exert temptation. Humanity sins through disobedience and right then, we learn about He who will eventually defeat the devil.
I will put animosity between you and the woman, and between your descendant and her descendant; he will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.
(Genesis 3:15 CJB)
We understand that the “descendant of the woman” is He who wins domination over the Adversary.
CREATION: A WORK OF WISDOM
King David proclaims:
What variety there is in your works, Adonai! How many [of them there are]! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creations.
(Psalms 104:24 CJB)
HaShem did his work in “Wisdom.” King Solomon confirms that very idea. Just as John gives names to Yeshua that define His attributes, like “Bread of Life”, “Lamb of God”, and “the Word”, Solomon speaks of the foreman Who created the world by calling Him “Wisdom.” He says that it calls to people:
Wisdom is calling! Understanding is raising her voice!
(Proverbs 8:1 CJB)
That it helps people when they must make difficult choices:
On the heights along the road, where the paths meet, she is standing…
(Proverbs 8:2 CJB)
It warns people of the dangers and temptations in the city:
…by the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud:
(Proverbs 8:3 CJB)
“Wisdom” addresses all mankind:
People, I am calling you, raising my voice to all mankind…
(Proverbs 8:4 CJB)
Unlike many who speak not from truth but from personal interest, His words are truth:
My mouth says what is true, because my lips detest evil. All the words from my mouth are righteous; nothing false or crooked is in them.
(Proverbs 8:7-8 CJB)
And His words are clear to those who have knowledge:
They are all clear to those who understand and straightforward to those who gain knowledge.
(Proverbs 8:9 CJB)
Wisdom is better than all the shiny stuff around in the city:
Riches and honor are with me…
(Proverbs 8:18a CJB)
It is the riches that last; the “food that stays on” (John 6:27):
…lasting wealth and righteousness…to endow with wealth those who love me and fill their treasuries.
(Proverbs 8:18b, 21CJB)
As Yeshua reminds us:
Seek and you shall find…
(Matthew 7:7)
Wisdom is found by those who seek Him;
I love those who love me;
and those who seek me will find me.
(Proverbs 8:17 CJB)
THE PERSON OF WISDOM
Solomon continues his prophetic oracle with Wisdom taking on the language of a person:
Adonai made me as the beginning of his way, the first of his ancient works. I was appointed before the world, before the start, before the earth’s beginnings. When I was brought forth, there were no ocean depths, no springs brimming with water. I was brought forth before the hills, before the mountains had settled in place; he had not yet made the earth, the fields, or even the earth’s first grains of dust…
(Proverbs 8:22-26 CJB)
This “Wisdom” seems to have been the first of HaShem’s works (see Revelation 22:13). Then the oracle goes into the second day of the formation of the earth (see Genesis 1:6-8):
When he established the heavens, I was there. When he drew the horizon’s circle on the deep, when he set the skies above in place, when the fountains of the deep poured forth…
(Proverbs 8:27-28 CJB)
Now, onto the third day(see Genesis 1:9-10).
When he prescribed boundaries for the sea, so that its water would not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master workman [HEBREW אמון: architect; foreman], and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always…
(Proverbs 8:29-30 ESV)
Solomon describes this “Wisdom” as enjoying the company of human beings created in the image of HaShem (see Genesis 3:8-9).
…playing everywhere on his earth, and delighting to be with humankind.
(Proverbs 8:31 CJB)
Judaism considers this oracle in Proverbs 8 to be a prophecy about Messiah, the Agent of Creation, HaShem’s Master workman. This idea compares with Yochanan, who introduces Messiah to his readers by saying:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing made had being.
(John 1:1-3 CJB)
Paul also refers to the Messiah as HaShem’s wisdom:
…but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, this same Messiah is God’s power and God’s wisdom!
(1 Corinthians 1:24 CJB)
As His disciples, we should also exemplify wisdom, which, as King Solomon says:
The fear of Adonai is the beginning of wisdom…
(Proverbs 9:10 CJB)
Thus, we see by comparing the Genesis creation story with Proverbs 8, just how Messiah is written about in the scroll of the Book.
MAY WE LEARN TO LIVE OUR LIVES
N THE WISDOM OF THE FEAR OF HASHEM.
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