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She was there at the beginning of creation, 

She was with God at the dawn of time.

Wait a minute now, 

hold on.

She was there?

Who is this she?

In our first reading today from Proverbs 8, 

“Woman Wisdom” stands alongside God at creation. 

As Christians, we see in her a foreshadowing of the Triune God

—Father, Son, and Spirit—working in perfect harmony.

The book of Proverbs:

Is a book for learning about wisdom,

It is a book of instruction for younger folks by their elders and teachers.

In poetry form, it communicates a simplistic 

and optimistic worldview,

That the wise: display the fear of the Lord,

That is, that they put God first,

And recognize that Wisdom is more important than beauty or anything else.

The book is ascribed, or rather dedicated 

to King Solomon, 

who famously chose wisdom over wealth and power, 

when God asked him in a dream what he wished for.

In our reading, Wisdom is personified as a woman.

Or in other words, Wisdom is represented as a concept as a woman.

In the original Hebrew, Wisdom, “hochma” is grammatically female.

(Pr 1:20) 

Wisdom cries out in the street 

She’s like a prophet standing in public spaces,

beside the gates in front of the town (where people gather to discuss news, 

And gossip at the portals) she cries out:

She raises her voice as an instructor, 

she calls publicly to all,

Joining with teachers and parents 

and invites everyone

(the simple and those who mock) to embrace her qualities:

learn prudence and acquire intelligence (v5)!

Seek Wisdom- and thereby find life!

And then Woman Wisdom takes us back to the very beginning, 

to the Creation of the world,

And provides a creation account 

that is different from the ones we know from the book of Genesis.

A creation account that features her, Woman Wisdom.

(V22) The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, 

the first of his acts of long ago

(V23) ages ago I was set up at the first, 

before the beginning of the earth

….at that time there were no depths, no springs, no mountains nor heavens nor… seas!

Now the word “created” (as in “the Lord created me) in this context has been the source of much debate over the centuries.

The Hebrew word “Qana”h can have a range of meaning,

Including “acquired or possessed/ begat/ or created”,

So it’s a little unclear.

What is clear however is that Wisdom was present

at the beginning of God the Creator's work.

She was there at the beginning, 

before anything else was created.

She was there alongside God (present) for the rest of Creation,

She was connected to God the Father—

the source and planner of all things,

In a way like no one else was.

“thus she is elevated above all other aspects of the created order. 

She is close to God, but not God!”

—

Then Woman Wisdom describes how

V30 (during Creation) I was beside God like a master worker and I was daily his delight, playing before him always, playing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.”

It’s unclear whether she’s referring to herself as a “master worker” or a “little child”, but there are both aspects present. 

She was helping God the Father out during Creation, and she was rejoicing and dancing like a little toddler does when they discover something new and amazing- 

This all points to creation’s goodness:

creation is sacred, and deserves our reverence.

Wisdom is God’s delight, and in turn she delights in people.

Now why do we read this passage about Woman Wisdom on the Feast of the Holy Trinity?

We must note that Woman Wisdom is

Not a separate Goddess nor is she the fourth person of the Trinity.

She is a product of the Hebrew Scriptures.

It is a little strange and mysterious, for sure.

“Since ancient times, Christians have understood Wisdom in Proverbs 8 to be more than just a personification 

of the book’s ethical teachings” (Sandoval)

Woman Wisdom is not just a pretty picture.

Rather, the language of Wisdom reminds us of parallel words, 

of the language John uses to describe the Logos, 

the Word made Flesh, the 2nd person of the Trinity.

Wisdom is connected to all three persons of the Holy Trinity.

1. Father as Source

Wisdom originates in and from the God the Father’s 

heart of love and purpose.

Wisdom was the first of God’s creations, 

and was present with God at the creation of the world, 

and was seen as companion of God.

Wisdom is thus a power through which all things were made 

and set in place.

2. Son as Expression

The closest connection Wisdom has to a person of the Trinity however, is to the second person, God, the Son.

Wisdom is identified with Christ,

the 2nd person of the Trinity: God the Son.

Early church teachers “were convinced that Woman Wisdom was Christ himself.”

Woman Wisdom is the eternal Son, not a created being.

Or in other words, Wisdom’s poetic personification 

was fulfilled in Christ.

Jesus, the incarnate Wisdom,

Was Wisdom’s spokesperson.

(John 1) And is identical to the Word who was with God 

and who was God, who was in the beginning with God,

 through whom all things came into being.

The Word made flesh.

For Christ is called the Wisdom and power of God (1 Cor.1:24)

And so, the second person of the Trinity, God the Son, 

the Word, Jesus Christ, 

is identified with Wisdom.

3. Spirit as Application

Finally, Wisdom is also connected to the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.

the Spirit of joy who moves over the waters 

who was also there at the beginning of creation.

The Spirit breathes God’s wisdom into our hearts (1 Corinthians 2:10–13), making us partakers of divine insight, 

sharing in God’s knowledge.

Wisdom, who delights in humankind, 

is thus harmonious with the Spirit’s work, 

who serves as comforter and helper to all in Jesus’ absence.

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All good and well for some high-brow Trinitarian theology,

But what does that mean for us?

We are called to "Embrace God-given Wisdom”

In prayer, we are called to the Father’s wisdom:

Ask and it shall be given.

Just like for Solomon who asked for Wisdom, 

we too can pray to God for insight, 

and understanding when we are in difficult situations 

and don’t what decision to take.

We can pray that God may give us the Wisdom to discern and comprehend what is before us.

2. 

We are also called **Follow the Incarnate Wisdom.**

We need to study Jesus, the living Word and Wisdom

—through Scripture, worship, discipleship.

Reading about what Jesus did and taught, 

how he lived his life and asked us to live ours.

Wisdom’s invitation is an invitation to Christlike discipleship: 

Following the way of Jesus, 

Where we love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves.

Following Jesus’ path where we put God first, and we live in awe and reverence for the Almighty.

A path where we **Yield to the Spirit’s Guidance**

Becoming more aware of the Spirit’s presence in our lives,

And cultivating sensitivity to the Spirit’s promptings in daily decisions.

I wonder:

• In which area of your life do you most need God’s wisdom today?
• If you had to ask God for Wisdom for one thing right now,
• for what would it be?

PAUSE

Would it be for planning your future, 

Maybe responding to relationships, 

or discerning truth from error?

• In which area of your life do you most need God’s wisdom today?

“Woman Wisdom” points us to the Triune God: 

the Father who plans, 

the Son through whom all things come into being, 

and the Spirit who delights in and sustains creation.

I invite you this week to

Ask the Father for wisdom, 

thank the Son for revealing divine wisdom, 

and invite the Spirit to guide and empower you.

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“May the God of wisdom… grant you from his glorious riches… to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” (Ephesians 3:16–17).

Amen.

HOD Page 6 “Come and seek the Ways of Wisdom”

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Sources: ChatGPT Research on the topic

Timothy Sandoval: Working Preacher: Proverbs 8

Westminster Study Bible:

Woman Wisdom: Jennifer Koosed

Wisdom and Creation: High R. Page Jr.