“The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth; while as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, or the primal dust of the world. When He prepared the heavens, I was there, when He drew a circle on the face of the deep, when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep, 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, then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my delight was with the sons of men.”
Does Wisdom in the passage refer to Jesus Christ? Many believe it does and it was generally believed in the early Church that Christ was the incarnation of Wisdom. Here are a few parallels:
1. This passage shows Wisdom was always with God. This compares favorably with John 1:1-3 & 14, where Jesus is called the Eternal Word that always existed with God. There are many descriptions of Wisdom always existing with God in this passage:
a. “The Lord possessed wisdom at the beginning of His way.” Wisdom has therefore always existed because God is eternal.b. Wisdom was established from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth.
c. Wisdom was brought forth before the depths, fountains, mountains, hills, earth, fields, even before the first dust of the world.
2. Wisdom was present when God prepared the Heavens. When God prepared the heavens, there was nothing in existence except God. Wisdom could refer to God’s character of wisdom, or it could be a reference to the preincarnate Christ.
3. Wisdom was beside God as a Master Craftsman. This does not seem to fit as a reference to a character trait. Colossians 1:16-17 clearly states that Jesus was the Creator. (See also Hebrews 1:3, 9-10)
4. Wisdom was God’s daily delight. The Father delights in His Son.
5. Wisdom rejoiced always before God. The Son delights in the Father.
6. Wisdom rejoiced in God’s inhabited world. God said over and over during creation that His work of creation was good. (Genesis 1)
7. Wisdom was delighted with the sons of men. (Genesis 1:26-27) God created man in His own image. God’s delight with man is seen in His second great work, that of Redemption.
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Related Scriptures: Romans 11:33; 1 Corinthians 2:16
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“That wisdom is more than the personification of an attribute of God, or of the will of God as best for man, but is a distinct adumbration of Christ, is sure to the devout mind. (Proverbs 8:22-36); (John 1:1-3); (Colossians 1:17) can refer to nothing less than the Eternal Son of God.” – C.I. Scofield
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