But chastening or discipline is far from all, proof though it be of Jehovah's love. There is positive blessing to reap and of a high order. “Blessed [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding. For the gain thereof [is] better than the gain of silver, and her revenue than fine gold. She [is] more precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire are not equal to her. Length of days [is] in her right hand, in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, and all her paths [are] peace. She [is] a tree of life to them that lay hold on her; and blessed [is] he that retaineth her. Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew” (vers. 13-20).
It is God, we are told in a later revelation, that giveth liberally to all, and without reproach. Yet He will be asked for it: not that any one adds to Him, or that He is beholden to man's hand. But He cannot deny Himself; and this it would be, if one found wisdom or got understanding elsewhere. The blessing comes through dependence on Him. Who of mankind knew this better than Solomon himself? Did not God say to him, “Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; behold, I have done according to thy word.” Nor is there another means; and “blessed” indeed is he that proves afresh that God is true and faithful as He ever is. Even the beloved Son, when He in grace deigned to become man, even Jesus so walked here below from tender years, and increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. He received all as man from His Father.
If it was so with the Jew before Jehovah, is the blessedness less now that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding to know Him that is true? Is He less accessible, or less gracious now that He is revealed as Christ's Father and our Father, His God and our God? Has He not abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, and this of the highest character and largest hope, in accordance with our calling and inheritance? And if for the greatest things, does this kind of blessing fail for the least things day by day? How true that the gain thereof is better than the gain of silver, and the revenue than fine gold? Surely we can say that the wisdom that comes down from above is more precious than rubies, and that all the things one can desire are not equal to the rich boon of divine favor.
Willingly do we bow to Jehovah's promise of wisdom to the Israelite, of “length of days” to be in her right hand, and of “riches and honor” in her left hand. He that died and rose again has brought us deeper grace and shown us a yet more excellent way; so that what things were gain one has in one's measure counted loss for Christ, and it may be, as it surely ought to be, to count all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord, to count them dung that one may win Him and be found in Him in that heavenly glory where He is, renouncing all righteousness save what is through the faith of Him, the righteousness which is of God by faith. This is indeed Christian privilege; that we may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made comformable to His death, if by any means, no matter how trying the way, one might attain unto the resurrection from among the dead, as Paul knew pre-eminently.
Not only is such experimental wisdom as the apostle expresses in Philippians alien to all that flesh and blood values, but it rises unspeakably higher than all that was or could be revealed of old, as for instance in the Proverbs or even the Psalms. It awaited the presence of the Son of God, the work of redemption, and the sending down of the Holy Spirit from the glorified Head. The wisdom and the understanding, of which this book treats, remain ever for man on the earth; and Jehovah will doubtless thus bless His people looking to Him for these good gifts in the day of power and glory; for the word He has spoken cannot fail but shall stand everlastingly. But man's evil, and the Jew's in particular, has given occasion for God to bring “some better thing” in every way. Of this we see the basis and substance and exemplar in Christ crucified, risen, and set in the highest glory, quite above all O.T. expectations. And we know that “the wisdom of God in a mystery” is not confined to His heavenly and universal exaltation, but in God's sovereign purpose embraces us too who have believed in Him since the cross. It is the hidden wisdom, as the apostle adds (1 Cor. 2:77But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: (1 Corinthians 2:7)), which God ordained before the world unto our glory: but a glory which now calls for, not length of days on earth, or riches or honor, but fellowship with Christ's sufferings “always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” It is just Christianity in contrast with all before and its hope for the heavens in the day when the earth also shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters cover the sea.
Still, whether the wisdom be of the general kind for the earth, or of that higher and heavenly kind which we now know in Christ, we can truly say that “her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” When our Lord tasted rejection, and sufferings, the Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief beyond all, none the less was it His to say “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage!” It is ours thus to follow Him, living on account of Him as He on account of the Father; but it can only be by making Him our constant food (John 6:5757As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. (John 6:57)). So here wisdom is said to be “a tree of life to them that lay hold on her; and blessed is he that retaineth her.” How much more can we boast of what He is to our souls by faith! The oracle before us can add, “Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens; by His knowledge the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew:” blessed witness of His multifarious wisdom and unlimited understanding, as His knowledge directed the devastation of the deluge and orders the kindly refreshings of a peaceful night. The one word, Christ, recalls to us heights and depths more wondrous far.