31 Days of Wisdom: Day 8 - Proverbs 8

Proverbs 8 Background
Proverbs 8 is a speech of self-praise given by personified Wisdom, and it is addressed to all of humanity. She tells mankind about her importance, power, value, old age, and warns that her enemies will be destroyed.

Proverbs 8 - The Excellence of Wisdom
1 Does not wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?
2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
4 “To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O you simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
7 For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
9 They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who 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 one may desire cannot be compared with her.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, I have strength.
15 By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All the judges of the earth.
17 I love those who love me,
And those who seek me diligently will find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
20 I traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.
22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
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, I was brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields,
Or the primal dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And my delight was with the sons of men.
32 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”

Pastor's Reflection
For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her. -Proverbs 8:11


There are some things which money literally cannot buy; godly wisdom and its benefits are among these.

Humanity places great value on rare gems and metals. Red beryl, a scarce mineral, has a market value more than 1,000 times that of gold. Gold, itself, is typically valued about fifteen times as much as silver. Rare objects or possessions, other than jewels, are also highly valued. If asked what he most wants to own, a typical person may respond by naming an extremely expensive car, a mansion, or a private island. However, none of these carries the value of wisdom.

Solomon was blessed when God asked him to make a request; rather than asking for wealth or power, Solomon asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3:5–12). Not only was he gifted with brilliance, Solomon also found worldly success and prosperity, in no small part due to that wisdom (1 Kings 3:13–14).

Jesus asks in Luke 9:25: "For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" A child of God in possession of God's Word may have only a modest income or even no income, but he is wealthier than all the billionaires combined who lack God's Word.

Reflections
1. What is Proverbs teaching us about the difference between the allurement of sin and the attractiveness of righteousness? What’s the result of each of these pursuits?

2. Everyone knows wisdom is valuable. But Proverbs 8 makes the bold claim that wisdom is more valuable than all the riches this world has to offer. Do you believe it?

3. How will Proverbs 8 become a part of your life?