Another tremendous gift God gives is His
Word. It draws us closer to Him, His Son, and His perfection. That’s why
scripture tells us over and over again about the benefits of focusing on the
Word. Here are some of those passages.
As you dig into them, consider two
things. First, when you study any part of the Word you are actually studying
Jesus; as John
1:1-14 tells us, He is the
Word. Second, as you contemplate what the books of Proverbs, Wisdom, and Sirach
say about wisdom, remember that they are talking about Jesus, “who became for
us wisdom from God.” 1
Corinthians 1:30.
See also, 1
Corinthians 1:24.
All the texts below are from the New
Jerusalem Bible. Other translations can be accessed by clicking on the blue
citation to the passage.
Let these words of mine remain in your
heart and in your soul; fasten them on your hand as a sign and on your forehead
as a headband. 19
Teach them to your children, and keep on telling them, when you are sitting at
home, when you are out and about, when you are lying down and when you are
standing up. 20
Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21
so that you and your children may live long in the country which Yahweh swore
to your ancestors that he would give them for as long as there is a sky above
the earth. See also, Deuteronomy 6:5-9.
Once seated on his royal throne, and for
his own use, [the king] must write a copy of this Law on a scroll, at the
dictation of the levitical priests. 19 It must never leave
him, and he must read it every day of his life and learn to fear Yahweh his God
by keeping all the words of this Law and observing these rules, 20
so that he will not think himself superior to his brothers, and not deviate
from these commandments either to right or to left. So doing, long will he
occupy his throne, he and his sons, in Israel.'
Have the book of this Law always on your
lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may carefully keep everything
that is written in it. Then your undertakings will prosper, then you will have
success.
How blessed is anyone who … delights in
the law of Yahweh and murmurs his law day and night. 3Such
a one is like a tree planted near streams; it bears fruit in season and its
leaves never wither, and every project succeeds.
My child, if you take my words to heart,
if you set store by my commandments, 2 tuning your ear to
wisdom, tuning your heart to understanding, 3 yes, if your
plea is for clear perception, if you cry out for understanding, 4
if you look for it as though for silver, search for it as though for buried
treasure,5
then you will understand what the fear of Yahweh is, and discover the knowledge
of God.
6 For Yahweh himself is giver of wisdom,
from his mouth issue knowledge and understanding. 7
He reserves his advice for the honest, a shield to those whose ways are sound; 8
he stands guard over the paths of equity, he keeps watch over the way of those
faithful to him.
9
Then you will understand uprightness, equity and fair dealing, the paths that
lead to happiness.
10 When wisdom comes into your heart and
knowledge fills your soul with delight, 11 then prudence will be
there to watch over you, and understanding will be your guardian.
Let your heart treasure what I have to
say, keep my principles and you will live; 5 acquire
wisdom, acquire understanding, never forget her, never deviate from my words. 6
Do not desert her, she will keep you safe; love her, she will watch over you.
7 The first principle of wisdom is:
acquire wisdom; at the cost of all you have, acquire understanding! 8
Hold her close, and she will make you great; embrace her, and she will be your
pride; 9
she will provide a graceful garland for your head, bestow a crown of honor on you.' 10
Listen, my child, take my words to heart, and the years of your life will be
multiplied.
My child, pay attention to what I am
telling you, listen carefully to my words; 21 do not let
them out of your sight, keep them deep in your heart. 22
For they are life to those who find them and health to all humanity.
My son, pay attention to
my wisdom, listen carefully to what I know; 2 so that you may preserve discretion and your lips may guard
knowledge.
My child, keep my words, and treasure my
precepts, 2
keep my precepts and you will live, keep my teaching as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind these to your fingers, write them
on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to Wisdom, 'You are my sister!'
Call Understanding your relation, 5 to save yourself from
the woman that belongs to another, from the stranger, with her seductive words.
And now, my children,
listen to me. Happy are those who keep my ways. 33 Listen to instruction and become wise, do not reject it. 34 Blessed, whoever listens to me, who day after day keeps watch
at my gates to guard my portals. 35 For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains the favor of
Yahweh; but whoever misses me harms himself, all who hate me are in love with
death.
The heart of the
intelligent acquires learning, the ears of the wise search for knowledge.
For Wisdom begins with the sincere desire for instruction, care for
instruction means loving her,18 loving her means keeping her laws, attention to her laws
guarantees incorruptibility, 19 and
incorruptibility brings us near to God.
My child, from your earliest youth
choose instruction, and till your hair is white you will keep finding wisdom. 19
Like ploughman and sower, cultivate her and wait for her fine harvest, for in
tilling her you will toil a little while, but very soon you will be eating her
crops.
20 How very harsh she is to the
undisciplined! The senseless does not stay with her for long: 21
she will weigh as heavily on the senseless as a touchstone and such a person
will lose no time in throwing her off; 22 for Wisdom is true to
her name, she is not accessible to many.
23 Listen, my child, and take my advice,
do not reject my counsel: 24 put your feet into her fetters, and
your neck into her collar; 25 offer your shoulder to her burden, do
not be impatient of her bonds; 26 court her with all
your soul, and with all your might keep in her ways; 27
search for her, track her down: she will reveal herself; once you hold her, do
not let her go.
28 For in the end you will find rest in
her and she will take the form of joy for you: 29 her fetters
you will
find a mighty defense, her collars, a precious necklace. 30
Her yoke will be a golden ornament, and her bonds be purple ribbons; 31
you will wear her like a robe of honor, you will put her on like a crown of
joy.
If you wish it, my child, you can be
taught; apply yourself, and you will become intelligent. 33
If you love listening, you will learn, if you pay attention, you will become
wise.
34 Attend the gathering of elders; if
there is a wise man there, attach yourself to him. 35
Listen willingly to any discourse coming from God, do not let wise proverbs
escape you. 36
If you see a man of understanding, visit him early, let your feet wear out his
doorstep. 37
Reflect on the injunctions of the Lord, busy yourself at all times with his
commandments. He will strengthen your mind, and the wisdom you desire will be
granted you.
Blessed is anyone who meditates on
wisdom, and reasons with intelligence,
21 who studies her ways in his heart, and
ponders her secrets.
22 He pursues her like a hunter, and lies
in wait by her path;
23 he peeps in at her windows, and listens
at her doors;
24 he lodges close to her house, and fixes
his peg in her walls;
25 he pitches his tent at her side, and
lodges in an excellent lodging;
26 he sets his children in her shade, and
camps beneath her branches;
27 he is sheltered by her from the heat,
and in her glory he makes his home.
15
1Whoever fears the Lord will act like
this, and whoever grasps the Law will obtain wisdom.
2 She will come to meet him like a
mother, and receive him like a virgin bride.
3 She will give him the bread of
understanding to eat, and the water of wisdom to drink.
4 He will lean on her and will not fall,
he will rely on her and not be put to shame.
5 She will raise him high above his
neighbors, and in full assembly she will open his mouth.
6 He will find happiness and a crown of
joy, he will inherit an everlasting name.
Approach me, you who
desire me, and take your fill of my fruits, 20 for memories of me are sweeter than honey, inheriting me is
sweeter than the honeycomb.
Although the last to come, I have kept
my eyes open like a man picking up what the grape-pickers have left. 17
By the blessing of the Lord I have come in first, and like a true grape-picker
have filled my winepress.
When I was still a youth, before I went
travelling, in my prayers I asked outright for wisdom. 14
Outside the sanctuary I would pray for her, and to the last I shall continue to
seek her. 15
From her blossoming to the ripening of her grape my heart has taken its delight
in her.
My foot has pursued a straight path, I
have sought her ever since my youth. 16 By bowing my ear a
little, I have received her, and have found much instruction.17
Thanks to her I have advanced; glory be to him who has given me wisdom!
18 For I was determined to put her into
practice, have earnestly pursued the good, and shall not be put to shame. 19
My soul has fought to possess her, I have been scrupulous in keeping the Law; I
have stretched out my hands to heaven and bewailed how little I knew of her; 20
I have directed my soul towards her, and in purity I have found her; having my
heart fixed on her from the outset, I shall never be deserted; 21
my very core having yearned to discover her, I have now acquired a good
possession.
Come close to me, you
ignorant, take your place in my school. 24 Why complain about lacking these things when your souls are so
thirsty for them? 25 I have
opened my mouth, I have said: 'Buy her without money, 26 put your necks under her yoke, let your souls receive
instruction, she is near, within your reach.' 27 See for yourselves: how slight my efforts have been to win so
much peace.
Therefore, everyone who listens to these
words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house
on rock. 25
Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that
house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock.
Shoulder my yoke and learn
from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you
will find rest for your souls.
So I say to you: Ask, and it will be
given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to
you. 10
For everyone who asks receives; everyone who searches finds; everyone who
knocks will have the door opened. 11 What father among
you, if his son asked for a fish, would hand him a snake?12
Or if he asked for an egg, hand him a scorpion? 13 If you then,
evil as you are, know how to give your children what is good, how much more
will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!' See also, Matthew 7:7-11.
Do not model your behavior on the
contemporary world, but let the renewing of your minds transform you, so that
you may discern for yourselves what is the will of God -- what is good and
acceptable and mature.
Humbly welcome the Word
which has been planted in you and can save your souls. 22 But you must do what the Word tells you and not just listen to
it and deceive yourselves.23 Anyone
who listens to the Word and takes no action is like someone who looks at his own
features in a mirror and, 24 once he
has seen what he looks like, goes off and immediately forgets it. 25 But anyone who looks steadily at the perfect
law of freedom and keeps to it -- not listening and forgetting, but putting it
into practice -- will be blessed in every undertaking.
Set yourselves close to him 5
so that you, too, may be living stones making a spiritual house as a holy
priesthood to offer the spiritual sacrifices made acceptable to God through
Jesus Christ.
By his divine power, he has lavished on
us all the things we need for life and for true devotion, through the knowledge
of him who has called us by his own glory and goodness. 4
Through these, the greatest and priceless promises have been lavished on us, that
through them you should share the divine nature and escape the corruption rife
in the world through disordered passion.
5 With this in view, do your utmost to
support your faith with goodness, goodness with understanding, 6
understanding with self-control, self-control with perseverance, perseverance
with devotion, 7
devotion with kindness to the brothers, and kindness to the brothers with love.
8
The possession and growth of these qualities will prevent your knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ from being ineffectual or unproductive.
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