Proberbs Chapter 8 verses 22-31

Proverbs Chapter 8 verses 22-31

Submitted by Thomas Stidl

               In case that you did not realize this chapter and verse from the bible, it just so happens to be the first reading for the Mass celebrating the Holy Trinity last Sunday. It presents some interesting questions and observations. “The Lord begot me, the first born of his ways; from of old, I was poured forth at first before the earth.” This is the equivalence of being born. This happened before the earth was created. Verses 24-26 describe the mass of elements by which God created the heavens and the earth, along with all the living including plants, water, land, animals and the air that we breathe.

               Verse 27 to 31 is where it gets very interesting. “When He established the heavens, I was there, when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep; when he made the skies above, when he fixed the foundations of the earth, when he set for the sea its limit, so that the waters should not transgress his command; then was I beside him as his craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, playing before him all the while, playing on the surface of his earth, and I found delight in the sons of men.” These Proverb verses create a person out of wisdom implying three persons in one God.

              The craftsman portrayed above is God’s only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Even though Jesus was not born yet, Jesus was still the Father’s delight playing before Him and playing on the surface of the earth. While playing on the surface of the earth, He (Jesus) found enjoyment in all humankind. If I read the book of Genesis correctly, there were two stories of creation. The first story of creation states that God created this earth and all within it including humankind, both male and female in six days. Since His work was completed in six days, God rested on the seventh day blessing the seventh day as His Holy Saboath. Could humankind have existed before the creation of Adam and Eve? It is indeed possible, “for nothing is impossible for God.”

              Jesus may have found delight in the part of Humankind’s creation while still in spirit form, playing on the surface of the earth before Adam and Eve were created. These few verses from Proverbs teach another lesson. All creation was brought into being by the Father through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was the craftsman of all creation under the supervision of His Father. I believe that by these verses Saint Paul comes to that same conclusion.

              In these few verses, the love or delight that the Father has in Jesus is the personification of the Holy Spirit. This is the reason that we can say that the Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit are all consubstantial with the Father and have existed with no beginning and will exist throughout eternity. My hope is that this explanation makes the Holy Trinity more understandable to the human mind.

              Until next time, Deo Gratias. Laus Tibi Christe. Laus Deo. Gloria Tibi Domini. See you in paradise.