Proverbs (Part 096) - Pro 8:21-22

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21. Pro 8:21 - "That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures." A. That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; i. "I" in this passage is wisdom personified (Pro 8:1, 12). ii. This verse begins with the conjunction "that" which links it to the previous verse which is part of the same sentence (Pro 8:20). iii. That conj. - II. 2. a. Introducing a clause expressing the cause, ground, or reason of what is stated in the principal clause. 4. Introducing a clause expressing the result or consequence of what is stated in the principal clause: with verb usually in indicative. a. Therefore, wisdom leads in the way of righteousness in the midst of the paths of judgment in order to cause those that love her to inherit substance. b. In others words, if those who love wisdom follow her in the midst of the paths of judgment in the way of righteousness, they will inherit substance. iv. Inherit v. - 1. trans. To make heir, put in possession, cause to inherit (lit. and fig.). Obs. (Cf. disinherit.) 2. trans. To take or receive (property, esp. real property, or a right, privilege, rank, or title) as the heir of the former possessor (usually an ancestor), at his decease; to get, or come into possession of, by legal descent or succession. 3. transf. To come into possession of, as one's right or divinely assigned portion; to receive, obtain, have, or hold as one's portion. (Chiefly in biblical and derived uses: see inheritance 4, heir 2.) v. Substance n. - 16. a. Possessions, goods, estate; means, wealth. arch. (chiefly as a reminiscence of biblical language). vi. Substance is wealth, goods, or possessions (Pro 3:9; Luk 15:13). vii. Those who love wisdom inherit substance from God who owns all things and gives it to whomever He chooses (Psa 24:1). a. God makes those rich whom He chooses to (1Sa 2:7; Pro 10:22). b. God gives His children power to get wealth (Deut 8:18). c. One of the ways He does so is by teaching them in His word how to acquire and retain wealth. d. To cause His children who love Him to inherit substance God teaches them to: (i) Give the firstfruits of all their income to God (Pro 3:9-10). (ii) Work hard (Pro 10:4; Pro 13:4; Pro 14:23). (iii) Don't waste (Pro 12:27). (iv) Under-consume and save money (Pro 21:17, 20). (v) Stay out of debt (Pro 22:7). (vi) Don't make foolish investments (Pro 28:19). (vii) Put their money to work through trading and investing wisely (Mat 25:16, 20-21; Luk 19:15-17). B. and I will fill their treasures. i. When God's children love wisdom and follow her lead which she shows them in the word of God, she will fill their treasures (Pro 21:20; Pro 15:6). ii. When God fills your treasures, make sure you are rich toward Him, or He will take it away (Luk 12:16-21). iii. While it is true that God will give wealth to His wise and faithful people when He chooses to, remember the following. a. God's faithful children are sometimes poor (Jam 2:5). (i) Being poor is fine if it is due to no fault of your own. (ii) Being poor is shameful if it is due to foolish living. b. Don't make it your goal in life to get rich (1Ti 6:9). c. If we are wise we will ask for neither poverty nor riches, but only enough to have our needs met so that we can live comfortably (Pro 30:7-9). d. It's more important to lay up treasures in heaven than on earth (Luk 12:33-34). e. It's more important to make a difference than a fortune. 22. Pro 8:22 - "The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old." A. In verses 22-31 wisdom details her relationship with God which began before the foundation of the world. i. Many people erroneously assume that this passage is refers to the preincarnate Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. ii. They think that the supposed "eternal generation" of the so-called "eternally begotten" Son of God is being described in this passage. iii. They believe that wisdom being "set up from everlasting" (Pro 8:23), "brought forth" (Pro 8:24-25), and "brought up" (Pro 8:30) refers to the "eternal generation" of the Son of God. iv. This is a faulty interpretation for the following reasons. a. The Son of God did not exist until the Word was made flesh in the womb of the virgin Mary (Joh 1:1, 14). (i) The Word is the second person of the Trinity (1Jo 5:7). (ii) The Word is God and was never begotten, generated, created, or made (Joh 1:1-3). (iii) The Son of God, not the Word, was made of a woman (Gal 4:4). (iv) Jesus Christ is the Son of God because God the Father and the Holy Ghost caused His conception in Mary's womb (Luk 1:35). (v) See sermons on "The Sonship of Jesus Christ" for proof of the incarnational sonship of Christ and for a refutation of the theory of eternal sonship: pastorwagner.com/sonship. b. Wisdom is being spoken of in Proverbs 8 and is personified as a woman (Pro 8:1-3). (i) Jesus Christ is a man, not a woman. (ii) Therefore, Proverbs 8:22-31 is not referring to Jesus Christ. (iii) Christ is called the wisdom of God (1Co 1:24), because God's wisdom dwells in Him (Col 2:3, 9). (iv) God's wisdom was manifested in Jesus Christ when God was manifest in the flesh in the person of Christ (1Ti 3:16). (v) The scriptures are also a manifestation of God's wisdom (Ezr 7:14 c/w 25). (vi) Pro 8:22-31 is referring to God's wisdom, not Jesus Christ or the scriptures specifically, even though His wisdom would in due time be manifest in both of them. B. The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, i. "Me" in this passage is wisdom personified (Pro 8:1, 12). ii. God possessed wisdom from the beginning. iii. Possess v. - 1. a. trans. Of a person or body of persons: To hold, occupy (a place or territory); to reside or be stationed in; to inhabit (with or without ownership). Obs. (or merged in 2). 2. a. To hold as property; to have belonging to one, as wealth or material objects; to own. iv. God created the heaven and the earth in the beginning (Gen 1:1). a. The LORD founded the earth by wisdom and the heavens by understanding (Pro 3:19). b. God established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His discretion (Jer 10:12). c. Wisdom n. - The quality or character of being wise, or something in which this is exhibited. 1. a. Capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct; soundness of judgement in the choice of means and ends; sometimes, less strictly, sound sense, esp. in practical affairs: opp. to folly. d. Therefore, the LORD possessed wisdom in the beginning of His way which He used to create the heaven and the earth. e. To create our incredibly vast and complex universe would require sound judgment in the choice of means and ends, would it not? C. before his works of old. i. God possessed wisdom prior to doing His work of creation. ii. By the word of God the heavens were of old (2Pe 3:5). iii. The LORD made His works in wisdom (Psa 104:24), so therefore He possessed wisdom before His works of old. iv. Of old the LORD created the earth and the heavens which are the work of His hands (Psa 102:25).