Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas
Jeremy approaches Bible teaching with a passion for getting the basic doctrines explained so that the individual can understand them and then apply them to circumstances in their life. These basic and important lessons are nestled in a framework of history and progression of revelation from the Bible so the whole of Scripture can be applied to your physical and spiritual life.
Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas
NT Framework - When a word is more than an idea
We don't think of words as anything more than an idea without form or substance, but is this always the case? Is there at least one situation where a word was more real than you and me?
More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com
This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).
Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner.
Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and our series on the New Testament Framework. Today a smaller, bite-sized piece from the larger lesson. We hope you enjoy it.
Speaker 2:So again you wonder why does it express it this way? The Word of the Lord which came, it's just odd. So maybe this is an individual and not just hearing words. Later in the New Testament, as I mentioned, the word becomes flesh and dwells among us. Why is he referred to in john's gospel as the word? Is that to connect us to the word of the lord. Passages in the old testament, in his word of the lord in the old testament, an expression for the second person of the trinity. That's the question. How about proverbs 8.22? Proverbs 8.22, and this will talk about the wisdom of the Lord, proverbs 8.22. After Psalms you have Proverbs. So if you go right to the middle of the Bible they say you're going to open it up to Psalms, and if you go a little bit to the right you'll find the Proverbs.
Speaker 2:The first nine chapters are wisdom literature, and then later you get to the pithy short sayings in chapters 9 and following, and in chapter 8, there's this interesting figure. Now, throughout the book of Proverbs it's kind of interesting. The early chapters, wisdom is viewed as feminine, consistently. Sometimes lady wisdom, lady wisdom is portrayed as a woman, because a woman in Genesis was created for the man to be a help. So wisdom is viewed as a helper and these chapters are telling us that get wisdom right. Wisdom is more valuable than gold and silver and diamonds. You know, do anything to get wisdom. Why? Because it's a help. Every believer needs it in life to navigate the trials and difficulties of life. So these chapters are talking about the importance of wisdom and getting it because it's a help. Now, wisdom in the Old Testament Hebrew, is the concept of skill. So, for example, if you were an artist who had wisdom, that meant you had skill in art. If you're a musician and you had wisdom, it meant you had skill in your musical instrument or with voice or with whatever the task was at hand. So it was always a helper. And in this case you need wisdom to be skillful in the way you live life right. So that's all the background in Proverbs 1 through 8.
Speaker 2:And then we meet this interesting figure in verse 22. Proverbs 8, 22. And it says Yahweh possessed me at the beginning of his way. Speaking of what? Speaking of wisdom? Notice verse 12. So back up and see what he's talking about when he says possessed me I. Back up and see what he's talking about when he says possessed me. I wisdom, verse 12. So when he says in verse 22, the Lord possessed me, he's saying the Lord possessed wisdom at the beginning of his way, before his works of old, so before the works of creation is what he's talking about. That wisdom was with him.
Speaker 2:Verse 23, from everlasting, I was established from the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth, when there were no depths, I was brought forth. When there were no springs abounding with water, before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth. So this is all talking about things that were created during creation week. And he's saying I was before that Eternal generation. I was there First.
Speaker 2:Who is it? Well, it's wisdom. Right, wisdom is a help, and this wisdom is with God, with Yahweh. This is a helper of Yahweh. A helper of Yahweh in what?
Speaker 2:In creation, okay, in the creation work, Verse 26.
Speaker 2:While he had not yet made the earth and the fields, nor the first dust of the world, when he established the heavens, I was there.
Speaker 2:That's wisdom. When he inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when the springs of the deep became fixed, when he set for the sea its boundary so that the water would not transgress his command when he marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was beside him as a master worker. I, wisdom, was with him in the beginning as a master workman and I was his daily delight, rejoicing always before him, rejoicing in the world, his earth, and having my delight in the sons of men. The question is well, who is this wisdom? Is it just a concept or is it a person? It sounds like a person because verse 30 says he was a master workman and the new testament opens up and indicates that creation itself was done by the father as source, through the agent of the son and with the oversight of the Holy Spirit. So is the wisdom that was with the Father in the beginning? Is this another indication in the Old Testament that there's a diversity of persons within himself from all eternity past?
Speaker 1:Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas. If you would like to see the visuals that went along with today's sermon, you can find those on Rumble and on YouTube under Spokane Bible Church. That is where Jeremy is the pastor and teacher. We hope you found today's lesson productive and useful in growing closer to God and walking more obediently with Him. If you found this podcast to be useful and helpful, then please consider rating us in your favorite podcast app, and until next time, we hope you have a blessed and wonderful day.