Divine Wisdom

Proverbs 8 paints a picture of wisdom as a person, even as a divine being. She was there at the beginning, the guiding principle behind creation. She saw it all and structured it all, forming the logic of the universe and the foundation of whatever God does. With echoes of the Holy Spirit hovering over the deep in Genesis, wisdom breathes and imparts life and understanding. Our world and our individual lives are designed to align with the mind of God and the wisdom of all His ways.

The first chapter of John picks up on this Hebrew theme and puts it in Greek terms. In the beginning was the Word—the logos, the logic, the guiding principle of creation— and the Word was with God. In fact, the Word was God. What a mystery: this divine Logos —“God,” but also “with God.” Theologians have struggled to explain this for thousands of years. But whether or not we understand the relationship between the personified logic or wisdom behind the universe and the God who created that universe through His “Word,” it’s there. Scripture makes it clear that Jesus—the personification of eternal wisdom—was there at the beginning and was thoroughly involved in how things were made. He is the author and beneficiary of its grand design.

What does that mean for us? Well, it means that any time we throw caution to the wind and choose foolishness over wisdom, we’re choosing to step out of alignment with our own purpose and out of sync with the universe. It means that when both wisdom and folly call to us from the streets, as they do in Proverbs (1:20; 8:1-3; 9:13-16), we really shouldn’t have a hard time deciding which voice to follow. One will lead us into life and beauty and meaning, the other into disappointment, frustration, and despair. It won’t look that way on the surface at first; folly is a master of false advertising. But we never lose out by aligning ourselves with the wisdom of God.

Jesus said the same thing, affirming Himself as the embodiment of God’s wisdom. Whoever listened to His words and followed them would be like a builder who built his house on a rock. Whoever didn’t would be like a builder building on the sand. One house survives storms, the other doesn’t (Matthew 7:24-27). Wisdom gives us peace in the present, security for the future, and fellowship with the mind of God forever.

This is an excerpt from our series JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. For the full free devotional study and video lessons, CLICK HERE.