“The Lord brought me forth as the first of His works, before His deeds of old; I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water, before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth....”
Don't Google this before you answer this question, Who is this that the Lord brought forth before the creation of the world?
For me, My world of faith has always begun in Genesis. I have studied the scriptures knowing that “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth....” And in John's gospel, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God...”
I have also understood that Triune God has always been and always will be because Triune is eternal. As an eternal living entity Triune has no beginning or end. So here in Proverbs (Ok, I narrowed your search down to Proverbs) there is one who speaks and says “I am the first of the Lord's works.” “I was appointed in eternity and brought forth before anything else.” These are powerful, get-your-attention, claims. This is not an eternal being because, she was “given birth”. Then after she was given birth she partnered with Triune in the creation! Not only that, she is still alive after all these years. Born before this world's creation and living today among us.
Who is this? This is Wisdom. This is exciting news. I celebrate the Birth of Christ. I celebrated the birth of our children, my own birthday is celebrated. I am in awe over the birth of the world through creation. Today as I meditate on the birth of Wisdom and the most amazing life from birth she has I must celebrate her birth. I must celebrate her and the One who gave her birth.
Now I want to think outside the box.
My understanding is that Triune is the most relational living being ever. The three persons of Triune (father, son, holy spirit) have been in intimate relationship with each other for eternity. It is clear here that he birthed forth Wisdom to help with the creation he was about to embark on. (I know in eternity there is no time as we understand it so when using our limited terms, all that is also was. The eternal realm is more spherical than linear. But for me to understand creation Triune has provided understandable truths that hold up in the somewhat linear time I live in.) Since wisdom was birthed she is not eternal. She is not God. She is a helper. (Rabbit trail- Triune knew that it was not good for man to be alone because he has experiential knowledge about having relationship with Wisdom, the one who helps. In this terminology “helps” is not subservient, it is fully partnering. Did he birth her out of himself and is she a forerunner of Ishah coming forth from Ish?)
Triune appointing Wisdom to partner with Him is the first mention of anyone partnering with God in this specific way. In Proverbs 3:19 wisdom is the way that the Lord laid the earth's foundations. But in Proverbs 8 the account as a very full description of who she is. I'm not going to invoke The Law of First Mention and say that this is the foundation for understanding all of wisdom, but it might be. For me understanding Wisdom as a created-by-Triune personage has expanded the role that she must play in my life. It has also brought this statement to mind;
Since Triune partnered with Wisdom, whom he created and birthed before the world was formed, then, it makes sense to me that as a completed covenant believer he asks me to partner with Him in the formation and maturing of the Church, who is the Bride of Christ.
He appoints me (appoint is the word used in Proverbs 8:23) to partner with Him. To partner like Wisdom did, and always has done.
Wisdom was “the craftsman at his side”, she was “filled with delight day after day”, “rejoicing always in his presence”, and, a tough one for me and many of us, “rejoicing in His whole world and in mankind”. If I am partnering like wisdom then My fruit can be better than gold. When pressed what pours out of me is better than silver. Could it be that I can even walk in the path way of righteousness, the paths of justice? If so, then I can bestow wealth on those who I am in loving relationship with so that they are filled.
I desire to be a craftsman at His side, to be filled with delight day after day, rejoicing in his presence always. Hey, I even desire to rejoice in his whole world and in mankind! I pray this same desire may be in your life. I pray this over myself and over you. That who you are is redeemed daily to be the person who Triune created you to be. That we are filled with delight day after day. Rejoicing in the presence of God, His whole world, and mankind! And out of this we live as "the craftsman at His side"!
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