Proverbs 8 spells out the role of Wisdom as a active agent in Creation, the passage makes Wisdom female, but the didn’t stop first century Jewish Philosopher Philo refering to Wisdom as “The Word” and calling it/her/him “the first-born Son of God”.
The early Church recognised Jesus in Wisdom because Proverbs 8:24 presents this agent, “Wisdom” as “begotten” rather than “created”.
A
nd Jesus connects himself with Wisdom in Matt 11:19 by quoting from the inter-testamental book of Ecclesiasticus: “Wisdom is vindicated by all her children”.
Interestingly many of the moral principles taught by Jesus as a teacher come from the 5 Wisdom books in the middle of the Old Testament. The table below highlights the idea embodied by the Beatitudes in Psalms and Proverbs.
Beatitude | Comment | Wisdom |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit! For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. " | In Isaiah, God had already declared he would dwell with the crushed and humble spirited. Moving in the Wisdom books he reaffirms this closeness. | Psalm 34:18 "The LORD is near those with a broken heart; and saves those with a crushed spirit" Psalm 51:17 "A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." |
| Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are those that mourn! For they shall be comforted " | Jesus lived this truth of course, a man of sorrow who endured the cross for the Joy ahead of hi,. | Psalm 30:10-11 "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing: you have put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness" |
| Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek! For they shall inherit the earth" | The meek inheriting the Earth is an idea appears explicitly in the Wisdom books. | Psalm 37:9-11 "Those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth... But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace" |
| Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness! For they shall be filled. " | Jesus takes the idea of God rewarding those that want to be righteous to its logical conclusion. | Proverbs 21:21 "The person who pursues righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honour" |
| Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful! For they shall obtain mercy." | Mercy is regularly presented in the Wisdom books as a divine quality and as a attitude of which God approves and rewards. | Proverbs 11:17 "The merciful man does his own soul good" |
| Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart! For they shall see God " | Psalms links the idea of a pure heart with seeking God's face and implies that they will be rewarded in their seeking. | Psalm 24:4-6 "He that has clean hands, and a pure heart... he shall receive the blessing from the LORD... This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek your face" |
| Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers! For they shall be called the sons of God " | God's approval of those that seek peace is peppered through Psalms and Proverbs. | Psalm 34:14 "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it" Psalm 37:37 "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace" Proverbs 16:7 "When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him" |
| Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are they who have been persecuted for righteousness sake! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven" | 2 Chronicles 36:16 acknowledges that God's messengers get persecuted, then inPsalm 119:161 we read about the man who awes Gods word but is persecuted unfairly. Elsewhere God promises security and closeness to the righteous. See right... | Prov 10:25 "When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more; but the righteous stand firm forever" Proverbs 12:3 "The root of the righteous shall not be moved" Proverbs 12:7 "The house of the righteous shall stand. " |
© 2023
Christen Forster
Christen Forster is widely recognised as an original Bible teacher who brings people into a love of and confidence in scripture.
Christen has planted churches, been a youth worker, mission administrator and church leaders. The author of several books, Christen is now an itinerant minister, helping churches to step into a more deliberately spiritual experience of the Christian life while at the same time firmly rooting their practice in scripture.
© 2000 - 2023 Christen Forster
Christen has planted churches, been a youth worker, mission administrator and church leaders. The author of several books, Christen is now an itinerant minister, helping churches to step into a more deliberately spiritual experience of the Christian life while at the same time firmly rooting their practice in scripture.
© 2000 - 2023 Christen Forster
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