All authority comes from Yahweh. Get understanding! I also have two grown children. Instead of understanding this as also being symbolic, Christians have since early on interpreted this as God talking to Jesus. (Joel 2:28-29), Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them! Not surprisingly, the passing of Wisdom is done in the same manner the apostles filled believers with the Holy Spirit: When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 8:35-36), Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength. (Deut. Happy is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For myself, when I first read the book of Proverbs, the one book in the Bible set aside to teach wisdom, I certainly didn’t assume the “she” was literal. She is the divine Mother of Israel. (Prov. The Holy Mother Spirit and Mary “The Comforter” In modern Catholic tradition, Mary is still a big deal. Thus, if churches want to produce godly and mature leaders who have the marks of maturity they must return to teaching what could be called the ABCs of Christian Growth (see 1 Cor. Wisdom (God’s wisdom), when spoken of in scripture, is nearly always personified as a woman. At one point, in verses 22-25 (all quotes from RSV), she says, “The LORD created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. He asks God for wisdom. Wisdom, the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of truth are all feminine and though there are many spirits, including evil ones, there is only one Holy Spirit of God. These gifts are present in their fullness in Jesus Christ, Whom Isaiah foretold (Isaiah 11:1).From the Catholic perspective, the faithful receive the seven gifts from God—who is within each of us. If Wisdom is only one of God’s virtues, what metaphor is implied when she is by Yahweh’s side at the creation of the world? Men and women of good character are needed for the church to do its work. Jesus is not introducing a new Spirit here. In verses 1-3 it says, “Wisdom will praise herself, and will glory in the midst of her people. He did not ask out of humility: Are there two spirits that indwell followers of Jesus? Graham concluded his series on the holy spirit last week. But, the word for “one” can also mean “first.” Although He is eternal with no beginning or end, He created time. Here wisdom is more than knowledge; it's a prerequisite for a successful life. The fruit the Holy Spirit produces in your life is gentleness. Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. (Prov. She is a personified heavenly female power. But, because I love him and he always “brighten” up my day, so his name is metaphorical for me. 11:29). Wisdom addresses humans as her “sons” who should listen to her instructions and those who do will find favor with “the LORD.” In other words, she is contrasting herself with Yahweh by speaking of Him in the third person saying that if you follow her you will find favor with Him. If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.” (1 Kings 3:10-14). My part was to seek her. However, my main point here is that Jesus described the Spirit as not speaking on her own authority. But here in Proverbs I read, “The Fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom.”  I had never heard this before. (1 Cor. Or is wisdom the Spirit of God? Turn at my reproof; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.” (Prov. The instruction of wisdom? The main reason for all this might be because Lady Wisdom’s femininity impugns the all-male Trinity. New Israeli drug cured 29 of 30 moderate and serious COVID cases in days — hospital, Netanyahu vows to appoint Likud’s Muslim candidate as minister in next coalition, US Senate okays keeping embassy in Jerusalem permanently, in vote of 97 to 3, As the Arab Joint List falls apart, the biggest winner is Netanyahu, In rare case against a woman, Berlin charges Nazi camp aide with role in murders, IDF: Palestinian tries to break into settlement home, is shot dead during tussle. This is the core of Creation. It is older and accepted as canonical by all Christians, as well as Jews. Foundational Teachings. Allegory: Using symbolic fictional figures to represent abstract concepts 1. Here Jesus describes what heaven is like: Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. (1 Kings 3:9-12), And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. A few verses down in Ben Sirach 24:8-11 it reads, “Then the Creator of all things gave me a commandment, and the one who created me assigned a place for my tent. I was a bit confused at this point because I had been taught at church that “the fear of the Lord” was a very real understanding that God is alive and that he sees and hears everything—the fear of the Lord was taking God seriously, which I thought I did. It was written in Hebrew in the late second, or early third century, B.C. ***** Hail, Lady of Light. Some believe (Jews, Christians, and Muslims) that study of God's word in Scripture also allows them to know and be known by God. She embodies Wisdom… 5:14). I, therefore, thought wisdom was “smarts” or “good judgment” and I saw the book of Proverbs as a list of proven suggestions that, if followed, would make me wise: “don’t mix with evil people, don’t speak profanely, don’t be lazy”—all good suggestions for living life as wisely as possible, right? And he said, `Make your dwelling in Jacob, and in Israel receive your inheritance.’ From eternity, in the beginning, he created me, and for eternity I shall not cease to exist. This brings me to shema Yisrael where Moses states that the “Yahweh our God is one Yahweh” (Dt 6:4). I immediately returned to the book of Proverbs for a closer look: Wisdom calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open squares. For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD; but he who misses me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”. How can wisdom instruct? Wisdom is pure. Jesus said that “Wisdom is justified by her children” (Lk 7:35). I needed to find Wisdom! There were seven men of such exemplary character in the early church at Jerusalem. However, they did eat thereby attaining “the knowledge of good and evil.” However, they did not obtain “wisdom.” The knowledge of good and evil was not wisdom, but simply the awareness and the acceptance of good and evil into their lives. Wisdom, the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of truth are all feminine and though there are many spirits, including evil ones, there is only one Holy Spirit of God. But if eating from the tree did not produce wisdom, how can we know what wisdom truly is? So the questions we must ask ourselves after all this is (1) Why all this hub-bub over wisdom? In other words, wisdom here is praising itself by making claims that only belong to God. We see through these verses that wisdom is not the awareness and acceptance of good and evil, but rather wisdom is the God-given ability to discern between good and evil (Jesus is the one person who perfectly discerned between good and evil). Therefore, most ordinary believers do not know that Wisdom is more than a godly attribute. Early Protestants generally followed the patristic understanding, and argue that Jesus's divinity should not be doubted on the basis of this passage. God has now reached out to everyone with His promised free gift, bringing to life the words of the prophet Joel as well as the words of Moses: And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 2:4-5). In this sense He is the first. (Eph. (Ezek. Consequently, she is not part of any Sunday sermons, Bible studies, and so forth. He was accustomed to dealing with ordinary spirits and not the Holy Wisdom of God. His companion. She is the one who fills God’s people with Wisdom, the same way the Holy Spirit does. Holy Spirit Is The Lord Within 5. Please contact us in case of abuse. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will keep you. In this line of thinking there is no actual personality, but rather, evil (the bad things people do) are “personified” into an evil, pointy-tailed man. The Book of Wisdom, often attributed to King Solomon, characterizes Sophia as "the breath of the power of God, a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty, a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God and an image of [God's] goodness. Holy Spirit Is The Helper 7. in Religion & International Politics and M.A. To find out let’s look at the one man who knew wisdom well… Solomon. (Prov. 5:5). Holy Spirit Descends On Jesus 6. No, the scriptures are clear—there is one Spirit: We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, and we were all given the one spirit to drink. If it is considered heretical for Wisdom to be a divine being, we should remember that angels and cherubim are present in the Bible as heavenly entities. After all, far too many of us want the Holy Spirit’s power; not enough of us desire her friendship. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. When Yahweh had Wisdom by His side it may mirror His creation of Eve from Adam’s side. 3:16-17). And where is the place of understanding? 34:9), She [wisdom] entered the soul of a servant of the Lord, and withstood dread kings with wonders and signs. So the fullness of the spirit refer to the completeness of these 7 spirits that characterize the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Is wisdom good judgement? (Num. We can know him through His Spirit that He gives to those who choose to follow Him. The Bible reveals a wisdom that speaks, teaches, and leads her children. Wisdom is an important concept in the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures. I know a cat who lives where I work whose name is “Sunshine.” He is, obviously, not literally one of the sun’s rays. This changed things immensely. I believe the woman in Prov 1 & 8 and Wisdom of Solomon 7:22 is the feminine Holy Spirit who occurs 40 times in the OT as the (Holy) Spirit of YHWH. How can all these examples be explained away as metaphorical? Consequently, if Wisdom is “created” or “acquired” by Yahweh “in the beginning” this might indicate her secondary rank. As mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, outpourings of the Holy Spirit can include healing, prophecy, exorcism, and speaking in tongues. Remember that Genesis 1:3 opens with “The Spirit of God moving over the face of the waters.” The word “Spirit” can also mean “breath.” Breath can only be seen in the cold air because it comes from a warm body and condensates when it comes out. I read the book as a sort of guide on how to act and make wise decisions. 17:16), Acquire wisdom for yourselves without money. 1:20). 1:20-23), In the above, we have “the spirit of Wisdom” crying aloud saying if you would “turn at my reproof” which means “if only you would repent when rebuked.”  If you repent then, “I will pour out my spirit on you.”. We can already detect that he understood her to be more than a virtue in some passages (see Mt 11:19, Lk 7:35, 11:49). 2:29). Now skipping forward to the New Testament, we read the parable of the Wise Virgins. 1. The warm Holy Spirit emanates from within and goes out into a cold world, where she fills believers with her warmth and Wisdom. This, yet again, confirms what was written in Proverbs and expounds on it. In the New Testament, she appears as the Holy Spirit. US, 2019) and “God is not Alone: Our Mother – the Holy Spirit” (Avalon publishing, UK, 2015) developed out of a thesis that was published 2005 in the late Professor Noel Freedman’s journal “the Biblical Historian” and called “God’s Wife.” On a personal note I love animals and work on a private horse-farm, and have many other interests such as dancing, judo, ping-pong, running, swimming and skiing. Proverbs 9:10 tells us that to gain wisdom, there is a starting point we can't ignore. These books are the Wisdom of Solomon, Ben Sirach and, to a lesser extent, Baruch, which were all written before the birth of Jesus. Besides the historical narrative of straight storytelling, the Bible also includes various literary devices, including the following: 1. The very same method (the laying on of hands) is used to pass on both Wisdom and the Holy Spirit and in both instances the Spirit is passed to other submitted Godly persons–this is further illustrated through the story of Simon: Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Christ is the staircase and the vehicle, like the throne of mercy over the Ark of the Covenant, and the mystery hidden from the ages. In the creation of humans, it is more than just being beside Him because Yahweh says, “Let us make man in our image…” (Gn 1:26). John 17:17; 1 Thess. In the holy tabernacle I ministered before him, and so I was established in Zion. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. The Spirit of Wisdom longs to be our best friend. In the beloved city likewise he gave me a resting place, and in Jerusalem was my dominion.”. (Rom. Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. What if wisdom is a someone? I'll provide a sampling of arguments… Through studying the Bible it becomes clear, Wisdom is not merely “prudent actions” or even “Godly knowledge.” Wisdom is someone—the Spirit of the living God. 25:1-4, 8-10). Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. It does not mean they are minor gods, contesting monotheism, although one could argue that this is a matter of semantics. But what if the “she” in wisdom isn’t a literary device? Learn more about the importance of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. 8:14). In the assembly of the Most High she will open her mouth, and in the presence of his host she will glory: “I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a mist.”. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money! Such prophets included Saul: “the spirit of God rushed upon him and put him in a prophetic state” (1 Sam. The typical patristic understanding of this passage was that Wisdom refers to the Word of God: that is, the Son of God, Jesus. She dwells with all flesh according to his gift, and he supplied her to those who love him.” (verse 9-10). Obviously they are. Even the Old Testament Apocrypha exhorts wisdom: For she [Wisdom] is to human beings an inexhaustible treasure, and those who acquire this win God’s friendship, commended to him by the gifts of instruction. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. For example, from Proverbs 4: “Get wisdom, get understanding, do not forget or … 1. Topaz from Cush is worthless in comparison, and gold, even refined, is valueless. Wisdom is gentle. If Eve had acted with wisdom that day in the garden, she would have rightly judged the serpent’s words and identified his lies. Acts 6:1-6. This request so greatly pleases God that Solomon ends up with a jackpot of blessings: It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. Christians believe that God's Holy Spirit helps them to know God, as does Jesus. Today’s Christian teaching tells us “wisdom,” as found in the Old Testament, is referred to as a “she” simply because it’s a personified metaphor: She [Wisdom] calls out to the crowds along Main Street, and to the judges in their courts, and to everyone in all the land: ‘You simpletons!’ she cries. 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