“The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world.
When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.
“And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.
Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.
For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”
Comment: Is this saying simply that The Creator had to be wise before He created the very complex world and Universe in which we live? In the book of Job God certainly makes it plain that even the wisest and good-living man is nowhere near as wise as He the Creator is. And remember that John writing his gospel states that the baby Jesus, whom He calls God’s Word to mankind was in existence before the World (Universe) was created! Also remember that Rabbinical scholars linked ‘wisdom’ with the coming Messiah, and most Christian theologians do the same! I, by removing commas and numbers have made 15 verses into six thoughts, and if we accept that it is a Messianic Proverb then we have at least 6 thoughts about Jesus. i) Jesus was on the scene before anything else. ii) He (Jesus) was involved in the creation of the world in all its complexities. iii) His involvement extends from the highest heaven to the children of mankind (you and me?) iv) She, Wisdom, and He, Jesus, call for their voice to be heard – it leads to blessing. v) Blessing falls upon those who wait daily for His words. vi) There are different results to listening attentively to them and disregarding them!
Prayer: I gladly listen to You, my Saviour. Help me to live consistently for You now that You have made me in a second birth thing into a child of God, unworthy as I am!
As I read it! 