#proverbs 8

Steadfast desire for God

Every believer in the God of the Bible has a challenge to remain earnestly seeking God. In the Proverbs, the Wisdom of God is personified as a woman at the gates of the city, shouting to those who pass by and encouraging those who would seek the favor of God to come to her. Proverbs 8:34-35 – Happy is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For he who…

Does not wisdom call out?

    Does not understanding raise her voice?

2 At the highest point along the way,

    where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

3 beside the gate leading into the city,

    at the entrance, she cries aloud:

4 “To you, O people, I call out;

    I raise my voice to all mankind.

5 You who are simple, gain prudence;

    you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.[a]

6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;

    I open my lips to speak what is right.

7 My mouth speaks what is true,

    for my lips detest wickedness.

8 All the words of my mouth are just;

    none of them is crooked or perverse.

9 To the discerning all of them are right;

    they are upright to those who have found knowledge.

10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,

    knowledge rather than choice gold,

11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,

    and nothing you desire can compare with her.

12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;

    I possess knowledge and discretion.

13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil;

    I hate pride and arrogance,

    evil behavior and perverse speech.

14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;

    I have insight, I have power.

15 By me kings reign

    and rulers issue decrees that are just;

16 by me princes govern,

    and nobles—all who rule on earth.[b]

17 I love those who love me,

    and those who seek me find me.

18 With me are riches and honor,

    enduring wealth and prosperity.

19 My fruit is better than fine gold;

    what I yield surpasses choice silver.

20 I walk in the way of righteousness,

    along the paths of justice,

21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me

    and making their treasuries full.

22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,[c][d]

    before his deeds of old;

23 I was formed long ages ago,

    at the very beginning, when the world came to be.

24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,

    when there were no springs overflowing with water;

25 before the mountains were settled in place,

    before the hills, I was given birth,

26 before he made the world or its fields

    or any of the dust of the earth.

27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,

    when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,

28 when he established the clouds above

    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,

29 when he gave the sea its boundary

    so the waters would not overstep his command,

and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.

30     Then I was constantly[e] at his side.

I was filled with delight day after day,

    rejoicing always in his presence,

31 rejoicing in his whole world

    and delighting in mankind.

32 “Now then, my children, listen to me;

    blessed are those who keep my ways.

33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;

    do not disregard it.

34 Blessed are those who listen to me,

    watching daily at my doors,

    waiting at my doorway.

35 For those who find me find life

    and receive favor from the Lord.

36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;

    all who hate me love death.”

20241108 Photo by James Lee on Pexels.com falling for innovation Proverbs 8:1-36 (JDV). Proverbs 8:1 Doesn’t wisdom call out? Doesn’t understanding give her voice?Proverbs 8:2 At the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads, she is standing.Proverbs 8:3 Beside the gates leading into the city, at the main entrance, she is crying out:Proverbs 8:4 “People, I call out to you; my cry is to…

The Excellence of Wisdom

1 Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding give forth her voice?

2 On the top of high places by the way, at the cross-paths she taketh her stand.

3 Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud.

4 Unto you, men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man:

5 O ye simple, understand prudence; and ye foolish, understand sense.

6 Hear, for I will speak excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

7 For my palate shall meditate truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing tortuous or perverse in them.

9 They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold:

11 for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired are not equal to it.

12 I wisdom dwell [with] prudence, and find the knowledge [which cometh] of reflection.

13 The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil; pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate.

14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am intelligence; I have strength.

15 By me kings reign, and rulers make just decrees;

16 by me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.

17 I love those that love me; and they that seek me early shall find me.

18 Riches and honour are with me; durable wealth and righteousness.

19 My fruit is better than fine gold, yea, than pure gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

20 I walk in the path of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:

21 that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasuries.

22 Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.

23 I was set up from eternity, from the beginning, before the earth was.

24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth;

26 while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world.

27 When he prepared the heavens I was there; when he ordained the circle upon the face of the deep;

28 when he established the skies above, when the fountains of the deep became strong;

29 when he imposed on the sea his decree that the waters should not pass his commandment, when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

30 then I was by him [his] nursling, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;

31 rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and my delights [were] with the sons of men.

32 And now, sons, hearken unto me, and blessed are they that keep my ways:

33 hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.

34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and obtaineth favour of Jehovah;

Take my instruction instead of silver,     and knowledge rather than choice gold,  for wisdom is better than jewels,     and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. Proverb 8:10-11 We value things in our lives: our homes, cars, relationships, our church, and a host of other items that we probably could not list if we tried. We have unique items, of course, that have been passed down from…