Series in Proverbs - In The Very Beginning

        

“In the Very Beginning”

Proverbs 8:22-31

Here are some of the most fundamental verses in the scripture discussing the creation of all there is in the universe. God, the triune God, describes through Solomon to his children, the personification of Wisdom, her eternal state, and as an attribute of God before all that was created. So let’s begin with the reading of the first portion of the text. “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; I was formed long ages ago, at the very beginning, when the world came to be.” (v.22-23 NLT)

Scripture tells us that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” “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; without him nothing was made that has been made.”  (Gen. 1:1-2; John 1:1-3 NIV)

Solomon had studied the Torah probably since his youth. And now he is explaining the beginning and the origin of creation and how God was the source of its creation to his children. Lady Wisdom, as Solomon’s personified wisdom, was the first of God’s work in creation. Before all the ages and time, God created wisdom for the designing, structure, and the exact placement of every element to the smallest detail; even the sub-particles, quarks, and leptons (these are not elements because they don’t have both an electron and proton).

Solomon was given wisdom from God to even be able to process this level in the creation of the Universe by God. Job, believed to be the oldest book in the Scripture, posed the question of creation in the conversation between God and Job in Job 38. God questioned Job with every possible interrogative: how, who, where, what, and why. 

In the New Testament, Jesus is ascribed in the role of creation as being with God and as the second-person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit as the third.  

Application - It would be mind-numbing to even ponder the precept of even one interrogative question, yet Solomon gives us at least the answer to part of God’s designed plans for creation, and God created wisdom as part of the creation team, per se. The New Testament reveals that Jesus was also there at the very beginning. “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; without him nothing was made that has been made.” “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-18; Acts 17:24-25 NIV)

In our scientific world today and its various theories on creation, we have only scratched the universal surface of creation. But the triune God created everything with precision and design, and this for His pleasure, as well as for Wisdom’s. Man has received and achieved a minute and partial understanding and knowledge of creation’s origin, how it works, and its makeup. But just as God stopped mankind from completing the Tower of Babel, or Adam and Eve from eating of the Tree of Life and extending the life of man to infinity. God will only let man advance so far in knowledge before He will again restrain mankind. Just as the knowledge of good is where man has developed his ability to reason and discern the elements of the universe, but he cannot create without using the God designed and perfected elements that make up the universe. And this proverb establishes how Wisdom fills in the void in the creation process. And the knowledge of evil keeps man from being God, just as Satan and the third of the angels fell because they cannot be God, He is the creator, they are the created. He is perfect, infinite, and beyond man’s finite mind.

Next, Solomon examines a short list of the creations created by God. So let’s read the last portion of the text. “When there were no watery depths, I was given birth, when there were no springs overflowing with water; before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, before he made the world or its fields or any of the dust of the earth. I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, 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. Then I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.” 

Solomon now focuses on the creation of the planet, earth, that we call our world. He was given wisdom by God to understand and know many things, and in his inquisitive mind, he tried and pondered as much as he possibly could for God gave him all the wisdom he needed for the tasks of ruling a nation, and understanding the nature of God’s creation.

He begins with water, the compound of life, without it there would be no life. For Wisdom was there with God as He determined the depths, width, and length of the vastness of the orb we call the world that was covered completely with this life giving chemical compound. “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Gen.1:2 NLT)

Second, land, the complex compound that again allowed life to be sustained. God created the mountain, hills, and valleys with all of its dusty compounds that it is made of. Before all of this was contemplated by God, Wisdom was born and there at God’s side.

Third, Wisdom was with God in the establishing of the atmospheres and the infinity of the heavens. Wisdom was there in the creation of air, clouds, and the complexity of the solar and lunar placements. In each of these God used Wisdom to establish the boundaries of the foundations of the earth and its position in God’s creation.

It was to Wisdom’s delight and God’s as He called each part of His creation “good”. The Godhead rejoiced always when each portion of the creation came together and Wisdom rejoiced with God as He delighted in  mankind, His magnum opus.

Application - Oh how we have muddled and confounded the minds of mankind with the denial of  creator God in the perfect design and the precision of how and why everything syncs. All the universe calls out to evidence of its creator God. “Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:19-20 NIV)

God created the oceans, the seas, and other water ways with great precision and order. Each body of water holds to its creator’s plan and design. The land as well speaks of its design and purpose to sustain life and to give life from its complex chemical compounds. 

Then God’s creation of the levels of atmospheres with their different temperatures, densities, and compositions and marking out of the horizons as the sun, moon, and clouds all march in perfect order and timing to the master designer and creator God.

But it is amazing that the Godhead rejoiced and delighted in the goodness of creation. For He declared all things good in the beginning, and how wisdom was part of the creation team.

In conclusion many volumes have been written on the origin of the universe, but the infallible, immutable, and inerrancy of God’s Word the Holy Scripture emanate with Wisdom, Truth, Knowledge, and of the Word’s Eternal Divine Efficacy as Jesus spoke, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Matt. 24:35 ESV) And the Psalmist’s declaration, “Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89 NIV) AMEN

As always, I want to conclude by presenting the gospel in the form of the basic principles of salvation for all those who have not yet received Jesus Christ. For Jesus, God the Son, came into this world to save all who believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you; he is the light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. He will answer you if you truly believe. If you haven't yet asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

First, A: Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a just God, and a change of heart takes place: we change our minds, and God changes our hearts and regenerates us inside and out. Romans 3:10: As it is written, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners, so we must be born spiritually to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.) Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death; in other words, our sin means we have been sentenced to death—we have the death penalty hanging over our heads; that’s the bad news. But here’s the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, lest anyone should boast. Secondly,

B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised him from the dead. This is trusting with all your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Third,

C - Invoke the name of the Lord. Every person who sees those who have lived since Adam will kneel and will confess with his mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, Lord of lords and King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess to God.” Don’t wait, do it now. Romans 10:13 - For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” “O God, I am a sinner. I repent of my sin. I want to turn away from it. I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son; I believe that he died on the cross for my sins, that he was buried, and that you raised him from the dead. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting in his shed blood alone as sufficient to save my soul and take me to heaven. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen.”

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please visithttp://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I've reviewed my website on spiritual warfare. Please take a look. Thank you.

http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com