THE THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Start your day by asking God for His wisdom
“32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for 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.”
Proverbs 8:32-34 (KJV)
Proverbs 8
Proverbs 8 is a specific type of poem called an encomium—a poem of praise
1828 Webster’s Dictionary ENCO’MIUM, noun plural encomiums. Praise; panegyric; commendation.
When we read that Wisdom is a “she,” understand that Proverbs is heavily artistic; therefore, we are not reading a technical definition of wisdom
Proverbs 8:1-3 (KJV), “Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? 2 She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. 3 She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.”
The feminine word ‘wisdom’
Strong’s Concordance (2451) – chokmah: wisdom. Part of speech: Noun Feminine.
Godly wisdom is crying out for every young man who is about to embark in his daily routine
Proverbs 8:6-7 (KJV), “6 Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. 7 For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.”
With the fear of the Lord, godly wisdom will make perfect sense
Proverbs 8:9 (KJV), “They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.”
Solomon could not be more specific than to say that better than anything else in the world, nothing could compare to godly wisdom
Proverbs 8:11 (KJV), “For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.”
Proverbs 8:11 (NASM1995), “For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.”
God promises enduring wealth to those who diligently search and seek for God’s pure wisdom
Proverbs 8:17-18 (KJV), “17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. 18 Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.”
Riches and honour
Strong’s Concordance (3519) – kabowd: glorious. Brown-Driver-Briggs – 2. honour, splendour, glory, of external condition and circumstances: a. of men.
Durable riches
Brown-Driver-Briggs – valuable; < advanced, eminent, surpassing; eminent wealth.
Righteousness
Strong’s Concordance (6666) – tsedaqah: righteousness. Brown-Driver-Briggs – 6. righteousness as vindicated, justification, salvation, etc. b. of people, = prosperity.
The next two verses do not directly link to monetary riches but that God will always supply your needs
Proverbs 8:20-21 (KJV), “20 I lead in the way 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 treasures.”
Proverbs 8:20-21 (NASB1995), 20 “I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice, 21 To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.”
Substance/Wealth
Strong’s Concordance (3426) – yesh: being, substance, existence, is. Brown-Driver-Briggs – 1. substance, only.
Treasures
Strong’s Concordance (214) – otsar: treasure, store, a treasury, storehouse. Brown-Driver-Briggs – b. storehouse.
The emphasis of God’s wisdom from the beginning of creation
Proverbs 8:23-30 (KJV), “23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever 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 highest part of the dust of the world. 27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: 28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: 29 When he gave to 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, as one brought up with him. ”
Stop and listen to wisdom
Proverbs 8:32-34 (KJV), “32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for 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.”
More wisdom from Solomon
Ecclesiastes 9
We are all inherently evil
Ecclesiastes 9:1-3 (KJV), “For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. 2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. 3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun.”
Go through life with Jesus and see the difference
Ecclesiastes 9:4-5 (KJV), “4 For to him that is joined [through Jesus] to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.”
Do on earth everything to the best of your ability for the time you have on this earth
Ecclesiastes 9:10 (KJV), “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”
Solomon finally realized, and we should take this to heart, that no matter how hard we try for gain and glory, everybody’s odds are the same. When it’s time to go, it’s is time to go.
Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 (KJV), “11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. 12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.”
Wisdom Superior to Folly
Ecclesiastes 9:16-18 (KJV), “16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.”
Wisdom wins out in the end
Grow in the Word of the Lord 