Morning Light – October 11th, 2016
Today: [Proverbs 9] The 7 Pillars of God’s Wisdom. In Proverbs 9 Solomon speaks of the 7 Pillars of God’s wisdom. Ancient mystics long sought after what Solomon hid in a metaphor in Proverbs chapter 9. For us when we allow the scripture to interpret scripture we encounter and deep understanding of the 7 Pillars of God’s wisdom and our pursuit of them to bring us into the very house of God and see it established in our lives in a radical way.
[Pro 9:1-18 KJV] 1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: 2 She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. 3 She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, 4 Whoso [is] simple, let him turn in hither: [as for] him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, 5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine [which] I have mingled. 6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding. 7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked [man getteth] himself a blot. 8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. 9 Give [instruction] to a wise [man], and he will be yet wiser: teach a just [man], and he will increase in learning. 10 The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding. 11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. 12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but [if] thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear [it]. 13 A foolish woman [is] clamorous: [she is] simple, and knoweth nothing. 14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, 15 To call passengers who go right on their ways: 16 Whoso [is] simple, let him turn in hither: and [as for] him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, 17 Stolen waters are sweet, and bread [eaten] in secret is pleasant. 18 But he knoweth not that the dead [are] there; [and that] her guests [are] in the depths of hell.
In this chapter we find Solomon presenting wisdom as a host who has built a house in which she plans to entertain honored guests. She makes preparations for a feast and sends out her servants to invite the simple minded and those in need of instruction to come and learn the way of understanding. The chapter goes on to discuss who will and will not benefit from wisdom’s reproofs and from there we are given a contrasting description of the foolish woman compared to wisdom, again in this chapter presented as a woman.
Verse 1 speaks of the 7 pillars of the house of wisdom. Some believe that this speaks of the seven sciences. Others believed that there were seven separate schools of the prophets that were referred to. Still others see the 7 pillars corresponding to the 7 days of creation. In the middle ages Jewish sources thought they were intended to refer to the 7 planets they were aware of at the time. Another scholar suggested that the human body was intended with its 5 senses and adding in memory and voice to make up the number 7. Whatever these 7 pillars were they were obviously in existence at the time that this was written. Looking elsewhere in the scripture for a clue we can make several observations.
One writer looks throughout scripture where various precepts of God are grouped in lists of 7. One example is seen in the book of James:
[Jas 3:17 KJV] 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
In James the 7 pillars of the wisdom that is from above include:
1. Purity
2. Peaceableness.
3. Gentleness
4. Approachableness (easy to be entreated)
5. Mercy
6. Good fruit
7. Impartiality
Isaiah spoke of the 7 Spirits of God in Isaiah 11:
[Isa 11:1-3 KJV] 1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
According to Isaiah the 7 Spirits of God would make one of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord and give discretion and discernment beyond what the eye could see or the ear could hear (limited by human wisdom). The 7 Spirits are:
1. The Spirit of the Lord
2. The Spirit of Wisdom
3. The Spirit of Understanding
4. The Spirit of Counsel
5. The Spirit of Might
6. The Spirit of Knowledge
7. The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord
Notice that for us looking up to heaven at this list handed down from God we first see the Spirit of the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is first for us because Psalm 111:10 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If we are going to move into the wisdom of God – the fear of God is our first step, or rung on the ladder of revelation.
After accepting the fear of the Lord we are then prepared to receive the knowledge of God which comes next. The fear of God must precede the Spirit of Knowledge because the knowledge of God brings us into entitlement and provision from a supernatural dimension, as Peter said:
[2Pe 1:3 KJV] 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Once fear and knowledge become a part of us now we are prepared, or eligible to see the might of God in our lives and in our midst, therefore the Spirit of Might comes next. The word might here includes the meaning of vitality, strength, fortitude, boldness and military virtue. If you are going to move in spiritual warfare there must be preparation and proper equipment. The fear of the Lord and the knowledge of the Lord equip us for spiritual conquest. Many people complain “where are the miracles” but Isaiah 11 gives us a clear path of progress to move into the miraculous. We are foolish to sit and wait for what God is inviting us to walk into.
After the Spirit of Might we then have need of the Spirit of Counsel. Why is that? Because the Fear of the Lord, the Knowledge of God and the Spirit of Might are going to produce something in your life. They are going to produce something in your life therefore there must be wise management of the results of the Spirit of God breaking forth in your midst. We see this in Acts after great signs, miracles, and many people coming to Christ they needed some practical counsel as to how to deal with what happened next with all the people now coming into the kingdom.
[Act 6:3 KJV] 3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
Why do you think they decided on 7 men to oversee and provide wise counsel on managing the fledgling early church’s success? They obviously had some understanding and acquaintance with the 7 pillars of wisdom in Proverbs 9 and the 7 Spirits of God spoken of as well by Isaiah.
When the fear of the Lord brings us to knowledge, and knowledge brings forth the Spirit of Might producing the miraculous in our lives what comes next? The next rung in the ladder of the 7 Spirits and God and the 7 Pillars of Wisdom is the Spirit of Understanding. Without understanding we are still simple minded. How many times have you seen ministries who are walking in the fear of God, teaching deep knowledge of the scriptures and seeing miracle but still are plainly very simple minded in their thinking? Years ago church researchers did a comprehensive survey of large churches around the world and concluded that pastors and leaders of large ministries had no clue as to why their ministries were flourishing. This is why revival does not last, and large churches and big movements often wane and subside because of a lack of understanding what God is doing. Wisdom invites us in Proverb 9:4
[Pro 9:4 KJV] 4 Whoso [is] simple, let him turn in hither: [as for] him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
Understanding is what David referred to in Psalm 103:7 that God showed to Israel His acts but unto Moses His ways. God wants us to understand His ways. Understanding God’s ways is important to aligning ourselves with His purposes. The Spirit of Understanding imparts to us the conviction that Zecheriah spoke of:
[Zec 4:6-7 KJV] 6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This [is] the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. 7 Who [art] thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel [thou shalt become] a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone [thereof with] shoutings, [crying], Grace, grace unto it.
The 6th pillar or 6th Spirit of God is the Spirit of Wisdom itself. Wisdom is second only to the Spirit of the Lord. Wisdom is the woman of the house built on the 7 pillars. The fear of the Lord, the knowledge of the Lord, the manifest miracles, the understanding of how to manage the success that God brings into our lives constitute all of the furnishings and resources that constitute God’s house or covering in our lives and our place in God’s purposes. Understanding enlightens us but wisdom commissions us. Understanding has to do with right comprehension of knowledge. Wisdom has to do with right actions and planning and purposes to bring about our own alignment and cooperation with who God is and what He is doing at any given point in our lives.
The 7th pillar or 7th Spirit of God is the most preeminent. It is the Spirit of the Lord Himself. Having come under the roof of the house that the 7 pillars of wisdom uphold we can then say we are in reality and not in pretense actually under the covering of God and the protection of God. We fear Him. We have learned of Him and received His knowledge. We have experienced His might – miracles are no myth to us any longer. Understanding has come. We not only see what He is doing we know why He is doing it. From the perspective of Understanding we can now ascend into the wisdom that God has made Christ to be in our lives. We know longer are in pursuit of something we are in possession of something – or someone in Christ Jesus. Then the Spirit of the Lord that picked Ezekiel up by the lock of his hair and showed him His glory is IN US illuminating and manifesting His wheel within a wheel on the inside of us that emanates out into the world around us working righteousness, defeated Satan and manifesting God’s goodness on the right hand and on the left.
