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BIBLE PROOF THAT CHRIST IS WISDOM IN PROVERBS 8 - SHOWING THAT CHRIST IS TRULY THE BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD FROM ETERNITY
There are many people who reject the truth that Proverbs 8 is speaking of Christ, due to the fact that Christ is not mentioned by name, and that 'wisdom' is spoken of. But if you read the chapter, you will see phrases like ... "I will speak"; "receive my instruction"; "by me princes rule"; "I lead in the way of righteousness", etc. So it is written as if wisdom is actually a PERSON. And that person we believe to be none other than Jesus Christ the begotten Son of God. But can we prove this from the Bible? Yes, I believe we can. Let us read the verses from Proverbs 8 first, telling of wisdom [Christ] being 'brought forth' from God before anything was made:
Proverbs 8:22-30 ...'The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there ... When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.'
Just look at the language ... "I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him." Does that really sound like just a 'quality' is being spoken of? No! It is clearly speaking of a PERSON. A person who was 'brought forth' from God before anything was created. And that person is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God the Father.
Now I hear people say ... "No! This cannot be Jesus because Proverbs 8 speaks of wisdom as a 'SHE'"
The fact that wisdom in the beginning of Proverbs 8 is spoken of as a 'HER' is a stumbling block for many. But we need to remember the way languages address certain things. In the Hebrew, the word 'wisdom' is grammatically feminine, which is why wisdom is addressed as 'she.' Look at how God addresses Jerusalem in the Bible. He always addresses Jerusalem as 'she' and 'her.' Does that mean Jerusalem is literally a woman? No. Every object, whether animate or inanimate, is designed as either masculine, feminine, or neuter. The gender of the word is often unrelated to whether the item is actually masculine or feminine. Although the nouns have gender, their gender does not refer to the actual item as being male or female. When we speak of a car or a ship in the English language, what do we tend to address them as? 'She' or 'her.' But obviously that does not mean the car or ship is a woman. The word for land in the Hebrew is also feminine, but does dirt have any biological gender? No. It is merely how it is written in the original language. So we should not get hung up on this point, for it stops people from seeing the truth. So let us look at the Biblical proof that wisdom is in fact referring to Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:30 ...'But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.'
1 Corinthians 1:24 ...'But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.'
Luke 11:49 ...'Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute.'
Matthew 23:1,34 ...'Then spake Jesus ... Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city.'
Do you see? WHO is the 'wisdom' of God? It is none other than Jesus Christ. Which is why proverbs 8 speaks of wisdom AS A PERSON, and yet the grammatical gender of the Hebrew word for wisdom [she] is completely unrelated to the actual gender of Christ Himself.
Just compare Luke 11:49 with Matthew 23:1,34. Wisdom is SPEAKING in Luke 11:49, and in Matthew 23 it explains WHO that wisdom of God is which is speaking - Jesus Christ. He is the wisdom of God, as Paul confirmed in 1 Corinthians 1:24. Christ is the one who is 'wisdom unto us' (1 Cor.1:30). He is the begotten Son of God from eternity, just as Proverbs 8 confirms.
"The decree that he should be King on the holy hill of Zion WAS BASED UPON HIS SONSHIP, as is shown by these words: 'I will tell of the decree: Jehovah said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.' And so the Son was 'appointed heir of all things,' because 'all things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.' And he, the eternal personal Wisdom of God, in the following language sets forth his own relationship to the Father of all, and to the things that are made: The Lord possessed me, the beginning of his way, Before his works of old. I was anointed from everlasting, From the first, from the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, was I brought forth." (Review and Herald, Dec.23, 1902, Vol.79, No.51, p.4)
"We turn to Prov. 8:22-31. Here wisdom is personified, which is Christ himself, who is the wisdom of God. 1 Cor.1:24,30. He says: [Proverbs 8:22-31 quoted]." (Review and Herald, April 6, 1897, Vol.74, No.14, p.212)
So it is clear from the Bible that the wisdom of God is Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who was 'brought forth' from the Father before anything was created. This is why the Bible says that "God SENT HIS SON" (Romans 8:3, John 3:16-17). It is because Jesus is the only begotten Son of God the Father. Begotten in eternity past as a true Son. And Jesus confirmed this Himself:
John 16:27-28 ...'For the Father himself loveth you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.'
John 17:7-8 ...'Now they have known that all things whatsoever you have given me are of you. For I have given unto them the words which you gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from you, and they have believed that you did send me.'
You will notice that this 'coming out from God' precedes the coming to earth. Which is why the Bible tells us that God SENT HIS SON. Jesus was the Son of God BEFORE He came to earth. Yes! Jesus truly is the literal Son of God the Father. For a further study on Jesus being the literal Son of God the Father, please see our page - IS JESUS THE LITERAL SON OF GOD?
"Truly this was the Son of God." (Matthew 27:54)