Connect Proverbs 8:23 with John 1:1-3 regarding the preexistence of wisdom. Wisdom’s Ancient Voice - “From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, before the earth began.” (Proverbs 8:23) - Proverbs 8 personifies Wisdom as speaking before the creation of the world. - The language is explicit: Wisdom existed “from everlasting,” outside the bounds of created time. - This claim is presented not as poetry alone but as factual testimony embedded in Scripture’s historical record. The Eternal Word - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:1-3) - John traces the “Word” (Greek logos) back to the same timeless “beginning.” - The Word is both distinct (“with God”) and divine (“was God”), active in creating everything that exists. Seeing the Unbroken Line - Same time frame: Proverbs speaks of “before the earth,” John of “the beginning.” Both point to eternity past. - Same role in creation: Proverbs 8 continues, “I was beside Him as a master craftsman” (8:30). John states, “Through Him all things were made.” - Same divine identity: Wisdom is not a mere attribute; John identifies the preexistent Word as fully God. - Scripture’s harmony reveals Wisdom and the Word as one and the same Person—Christ. Christ: Wisdom Made Flesh - “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:24) - “In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3) - The incarnate Son embodies the eternal Wisdom that spoke in Proverbs and created in Genesis. - The cradle in Bethlehem holds the same One who stood with the Father before time. Living in the Light of Eternal Wisdom - Because Christ is eternal Wisdom, His words are not suggestions but timeless truth. - Trust His creative authority: the One who formed the universe can reorder any chaos in our lives. - Walk in His counsel: embracing Scripture is aligning with the wisdom that predates the ages. |