Lady Wisdom – The Voice Of Understanding

The best place to begin for learning something new or engaging any endeavor is at the beginning.

the beginning of redemptive living

To grow in knowledge and understanding of the redemptive gifts for the purpose of redemptive living, let’s roll back our mental clock to when “we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world”.¹

The age-old question of humanity’s finite minds, “Did God begin or has He been forever?” remains a question for the masses. But, there are clues in Scripture that direct our attention to a point before time as we know it, when God in His fullness determined a course that would be His way (the road He would trod; the course of life and the mode of action He would take^H1870). Sounds a lot like the blueprint for our lives.²

It was in that time before Time that Lady Wisdom – the Voice of Understanding – was created. Proverbs 8 (shared in its entirety below) is Wisdom’s own story: her autobiography and declaration of identity. After heralded introduction, she recounts what is contained in the package of her design, out of which flows her passion and purpose. She answers of herself other age-old questions we are prone to ponder:

Who am I? Where did I come from?
Why was I born in this place and time? What is my purpose?

before

Before anything existed, the Eternal created Lady Wisdom – the Voice of Understanding. She was one of His first acts of creation. Chief Architect that He is, she was poured out and set up (consecrated like anointing oil poured out on a king and cast, like metal) to be who and what He purposed she would be: the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, present with Him before His forthcoming works of old. Wholly formed.

This is nearly incomprehensible, except for the fact that from eons before – faith, hope, and love were fashioned to be stabilizing factors within us who would believe thousands of generations downstream. Wisdom calls out to you and to me, knowing that each facet of her seven pillars of wisdom are beneficial and effective for the outworking of the seven redemptive gifts uniquely imprinted in us by God before …

the seven pillars of wisdom

In union with the Sevenfold Spirit of God (Revelation 1:4, the Lord³; the fullness of the spirit of Christ, with us in the Person of the Holy Spirit), Wisdom holds good counsel and strength for a full, satisfying life through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Wisdom is the pillars within, upon which we wisely build.

Far down the halls of Time and some two thousand years upstream from us, Jesus, in the flesh of humanity, exhorted ones who ‘have an ear, to hear what the Spirit is saying.’ At the appointed time, released into the visible outworking of His life purpose, His spirit drew deep from Wisdom’s pools.

And the Child grew, and became strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom.
And the grace of God was upon Him.
Luke 2:40 NASB

Now here we are. Already planned for before the foundation of the world, for such a time as this.

~ Nancy

¹ Ephesians 1:4 │ H1870 = Strong’s Concordance original Hebrew │² Psalm 139:1-18 │³ II Corinthians 3:17

Proverbs 8 The Voice

8 Isn’t Lady Wisdom calling?
Listen; don’t you hear the voice of understanding crying out?
2 She’s taken her stand at the highest place in the city,
at the crossroads where everyone can see her.
3 There, and at the gates, at the entrance to the city,
right in front of the city doors she cries out:

4 Lady Wisdom: O people! I am calling to you;
I have a message for all humanity.
5 You gullible people, acquire insight.
You naive ones, cultivate a heart that truly understands.
6 Listen, for I am about to tell you of unparalleled excellence and beauty;
what I am about to say will set things right.
7 I will only speak the truth;
I despise evil, so it will not pass through my lips.
8 Everything I say promotes justice;
not one word is crooked, and nothing is distorted.
9 Each and every word is straight talk to perceptive people,
upright and honest to knowledge-seekers.
10 Accept my correction as being more valuable than your prized possession,
authentic knowledge more valuable than pure gold.
11 You see, no gem is more precious than Lady Wisdom—
your most extravagant desire doesn’t come close to her.

12 Lady Wisdom: I make my home with prudence;
I obtain knowledge and sound judgment.
13 If you respect the Eternal, you will grow to despise evil.
I despise wretched, vile talk
and ways of pride and arrogance.
14 Good counsel is mine, and also true wisdom.
I am understanding, and strength belongs to me.
15 It’s because of me that kings wield power
and authorities decree what is right.
16 It’s because of me that leaders and their agents govern
and all judge according to what is right.
17 I love those who love me;
those who search hard for me will find me.
18 Riches and honor are the benefit of following me;
so are lasting wealth and justice.
19 My reward is better than gold, even the purest gold;
and my profit is greater than the highest quality silver.
20 I follow the way of right living.
Follow me along the path to find justice;
21 I’m ready to meet those who love me, bestow true riches upon them,
and fill up their lives until their treasuries overflow.

22 The Eternal created me; it happened when His work was beginning,
one of His first acts long ago.
23 Before time He established me,
before the earth saw its first sunrise.
24 I was born before the deep existed,
before any springs poured out their water,
25 Before the mountains were placed on their foundations,
before the hills rolled across the land—
yes, before all this, I was brought forth.
26 When the earth was yet unformed and the fields were not yet nestled beneath the wind—
even before the first dust of the earth—
27 When He created the heavens, I was there.
When He drew a circle in the deep, dividing the oceans and the sky, I was there.
28 I was there when He established the sky.
I was there when the springs in the deep were fortified;
29 I witnessed Him lay down the shore as a boundary
and put limits on the water
And determine the foundations of the earth.
30 All this time I was close beside Him, a master craftsman.
Every day I was His delightful companion,
celebrating every minute in His presence,
31 Elated by the world He was making and all its fine creatures;
I was especially pleased with humanity.
32 So now listen to me, my children:
those who live by my ways will find true happiness.
33 Pay attention to my guidance, dare to be wise,
and don’t disregard my teachings.
34 The one who listens to me,
who carefully seeks me in everyday things
and delays action until my way is apparent, that one will find true happiness.
35 For when he recognizes and follows me, he finds a peaceful and satisfying life
and receives favor from the Eternal.
36 But heed my warning: the one who goes against me will only hurt himself,
for all who despise me are playing with fire and courting death.

The Voice (VOICE)
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Click here for a printable PDF of this article: Lady Wisdom – The Voice of Understanding