# 409 The Proverbs – ‘A manual for living’ (MSG). Proverbs 3:13-20. A ‘hymn to wisdom’

When a child I wasn’t really into poetry but I do recall one poem, I guess, because of its simplicity. It was written by Joyce Kilmer (1889 -1818) and the title is ‘Trees.’  He wrote:

“I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree…

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray…

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.”              (This poem is in the public domain)

The Bible often speaks of trees and one of those times is here in Proverbs 3 where we read.                  

¹³ Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding…
¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
    those who hold her fast will be blessed.

Note, Wisdom here again is depicted as a she, but this time Wisdom is not speaking herself as in 1:20-33, but rather by the father to his son concerning Wisdom.

He begins with a familiar word, Blessed, also used in various places in the Bible, including the Psalms (e.g. Psalm 1) and by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12). And in this case, the ones who are blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding,

Neilson comments that these verses are “one of Proverbs most lovely (and important) passages. It is known as a ‘hymn to wisdom’ because the poetry sings the blessings of those who find…” wisdom. She continues, “The key word is ‘blessed’… This hymn has [also] been called an Old Testament beatitude… expressing what some call happiness and yet is in fact an even deeper well-being in one’s soul. Watke says that the sages reserved the term ‘blessed’ for ‘people who experience life optimally, as the Creator intended’ (The Book of Proverbs Chapters 1-15, page 256).” (# 55)

 And who doesn’t want to spend their lives ‘optimally’ (meaning the best, the ideal, the most desirable way)? But this really can only be done as we take into account the last words here: as the Creator intended,’ remembering the truth of verses 19-20 below:

¹⁹ By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,
    by understanding he set the heavens in place;
²⁰ by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
    and the clouds let drop the dew.

And as Keller says: “God created the world with his divine Word and wisdom… and we are to live our daily lives according to his Word and wisdom. This is because ‘the only wisdom by which you can handle everyday things in conformity with their nature is the wisdom by which they were divinely made and ordered’ [quoting Derek Kidner] … It is the essence of wisdom to perceive this divine order in life and to align one’s life with it.” (# 51) 

No wonder, the author considers Wisdom to be more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. Adding, ¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

Consider again the benefits of possessing this wonderful gift from God: ¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. ¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.

And so, we get back to where we started: ¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.

Concerning this, Goldsworthy comments: “A tree is a metaphor for that which gives life (see also 11:30, 13:12, 15:4). Life is an important theme in Proverbs and is essentially relational… Because Proverbs is concerned with the maintenance of proper relationships, it promotes life.” (# 53)

 Let me conclude with three other mentions of “trees of life” in the Bible. The first is in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, which speaks of the tree of life in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9). Here, sadly, was when the curse of sin entered into the world, when death was introduced as a result of sin (see Genesis 3).

The next significant mention of a ‘tree’ is in Galatians 3:13 where Paul writes: ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”  (i.e., the cross) Although this ‘tree,’ the cross, was an instrument of death, the death of Christ became the source of eternal life to all who believe [For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)]

Then there is another mention of a ‘tree’, this time in heaven, in the last book of the Bible, Revelation:

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. ³ No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. (Revelation 22:1-3)

“The Tree of Life [now] stands at the center of the renewed creation, paradise regained… [and so] Proverbs promises that when we walk in accordance with God’s Word and wisdom we begin to get a foretaste of the Tree of Life – the fullness of life that will be restored to us on the last day. And we may approach the Tree of Life only because [of] Jesus…” (# 51) Are you experiencing life “optimally, as the Creator intended”? (# 55) This life that “Jesus has secured for you at infinite cost to himself! (# 51)