I Was Brought Forth from the Father
Proverbs 8:22-31 “The LORD possessed (H7069- qanah) me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. 23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth (H2342- chuwl); when there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. 27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: 28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: 29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: 30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; 31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men."
In Proverbs Chapter 8, Wisdom is personified...and we are told that this Wisdom was brought forth; when there were no fountains...”
“But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the POWER of God, AND THE WISDOM OF GOD.” 1Corinthians 1:24
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, WHO OF GOD IS MADE UNTO US WISDOM, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” 1Corinthians 1:30
We find that in both 1Cor. 1:24 and 1Cor. 1:30 Paul refers to Christ as both the power and the wisdom of God.
Some versions of Scripture like the EXB and NABRE render this verb "possessed" as "begot" which, contextually speaking, is the most accurate rendering.
“possessed” (H7069, “qanah”)
Gen 4:1 “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten (H7069, “qanah”) a man from the Lord.”
And the word “brought forth” (H2342, "chuwl") denotes labor (having pain and travail), or giving birth:
Psa 51:5 "Behold, I was shapen (H2342) in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."
Isa 45:10 "Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?" (H2342)
Isa 51:2 "Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare (H2342) you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him."
As you can see the Hebrew word, "chuwl", translated as "brought forth" clearly refers to a birth language.
There are also New Testament verses which confirm the fact that Jesus was “proceeded forth from,” “came out from” or “camest forth from” God the Father.
The evidence on this subject is overwhelming. Christ truly is the literal begotten Son of God who was brought forth from the Father before all creation.
The example verses below with the help of the Thayer dictionary also reveal that Jesus was born of the Father before the world was, then much later, He came into the world.
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon:
G1831 exerchomai- To come forth from physically, arise from, to be born of
G2240 heko - to have come, have arrived, be present
G2064 erchomai- To come from one place to another.
John 8:42 “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, you would love me: for I proceeded forth [G1831] and came [G2240] from God; neither came [G2064] I of myself, but he sent me.”
John 16:27-28 “For the Father himself loveth you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came out [G1831] from God. 28 I came forth [G1831] from the Father, and am come [G2064] into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”
John 17:7-8 “Now they have known that all things whatsoever you have given me are of you. 8 For I have given unto them the words which you gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out [G1831] from you, and they have believed that you did send me.”
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Christ is Wisdom in Proverbs 8
There are many people who reject the truth that Proverbs 8 is speaking of Christ, due to the fact that Christ is not mentioned by name, and that 'wisdom' is spoken of. But if you read the chapter, you will see phrases like ... "I will speak"; "receive my instruction"; "by me princes rule"; "I lead in the way of righteousness", etc. So it is written as if wisdom is actually a PERSON. And that person we believe to be none other than Jesus Christ the begotten Son of God. But can we prove this from the Bible? Yes, I believe we can. Let us read the verses from Proverbs 8 first, telling of wisdom [Christ] being 'brought forth' from God before anything was made:
Proverbs 8:22-30 ...'The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. WHEN THERE WERE NO DEPTHS, I WAS BROUGHT FORTH; WHEN THERE WERE NO FOUNTAINS ABOUNDING WITH WATER. BEFORE THE MOUNTAINS WERE SETTLED, BEFORE THE HILLS WAS I BROUGHT FORTH: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. WHEN HE PREPARED THE HEAVENS, I WAS THERE ... When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: THEN I WAS BY HIM, AS ONE BROUGHT UP WITH HIM: AND I WAS DAILY HIS DELIGHT, REJOICING ALWAYS BEFORE HIM.'
Just look at the language ... "I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him." Does that really sound like just a 'quality' is being spoken of? No! It is clearly speaking of a PERSON. A person who was 'brought forth' from God before anything was created. And that person is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God the Father.
Now I hear people say ... "No! This cannot be Jesus because Proverbs 8 speaks of wisdom as a 'SHE'"
The fact that wisdom in the beginning of Proverbs 8 is spoken of as a 'HER' is a stumbling block for many. But we need to remember the way languages address certain things. In the Hebrew, the word 'wisdom' is grammatically feminine, which is why wisdom is addressed as 'she.' Look at how God addresses Jerusalem in the Bible. He always addresses Jerusalem as 'she' and 'her.' Does that mean Jerusalem is literally a woman? No. Every object, whether animate or inanimate, is designed as either masculine, feminine, or neuter. The gender of the word is often unrelated to whether the item is actually masculine or feminine. Although the nouns have gender, their gender does not refer to the actual item as being male or female. When we speak of a car or a ship in the English language, what do we tend to address them as? 'She' or 'her.' But obviously that does not mean the car or ship is a woman. The word for land in the Hebrew is also feminine, but does dirt have any biological gender? No. It is merely how it is written in the original language. So we should not get hung up on this point, for it stops people from seeing the truth. So let us look at the Biblical proof that wisdom is in fact referring to Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:30 ...'But of him are ye in CHRIST JESUS, WHO OF GOD IS MADE UNTO US WISDOM, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.'
1 Corinthians 1:24 ...'But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, CHRIST the power of God, and THE WISDOM OF GOD.'
Luke 11:49 ...'Therefore also SAID THE WISDOM OF GOD, I WILL SEND THEM PROPHETS and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute.'
Matthew 23:1,34 ...'Then SPAKE JESUS ... Wherefore, behold, I SEND UNTO YOU PROPHETS, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city.'
Do you see? WHO is the 'wisdom' of God? It is none other than Jesus Christ. Which is why proverbs 8 speaks of wisdom AS A PERSON, and yet the grammatical gender of the Hebrew word for wisdom [she] is completely unrelated to the actual gender of Christ Himself.
Just compare Luke 11:49 with Matthew 23:1,34. Wisdom is SPEAKING in Luke 11:49, and in Matthew 23 it explains WHO that wisdom of God is which is speaking - Jesus Christ. He is the wisdom of God, as Paul confirmed in 1 Corinthians 1:24. Christ is the one who is 'wisdom unto us' (1 Cor.1:30). He is the begotten Son of God from eternity, just as Proverbs 8 confirms.
"The decree that he should be King on the holy hill of Zion WAS BASED UPON HIS SONSHIP, as is shown by these words: 'I will tell of the decree: Jehovah said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.' And so the Son was 'appointed heir of all things,' because 'all things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.' And he, THE ETERNAL PERSONAL WISDOM OF GOD, in the following language sets forth his own relationship to the Father of all, and to the things that are made: The Lord possessed me, the beginning of his way, Before his works of old. I was anointed from everlasting, From the first, from the beginning of the earth. WHEN THERE WERE NO DEPTHS I WAS BROUGHT FORTH, When there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, WAS I BROUGHT FORTH." (Review and Herald, Dec.23, 1902, Vol.79, No.51, p.4)
"We turn to Prov. 8:22-31. HERE WISDOM IS PERSONIFIED, WHICH IS CHRIST HIMSELF, who is the wisdom of God. 1 Cor.1:24,30. He says: [Proverbs 8:22-31 quoted]." (Review and Herald, April 6, 1897, Vol.74, No.14, p.212)
So it is clear from the Bible that the wisdom of God is Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who was 'brought forth' from the Father before anything was created.
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The Sonship of Christ
“The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth….” Prov. 8:22-25
“A special light beamed in his countenance, and shone around him brighter and more beautiful than around the other angels; yet Jesus, God’s dear Son, had the pre-eminence over all the angelic host. He was one with the Father before the angels were created. Satan was envious of Christ, and in his ambition assumed command which devolved on Christ alone...After the earth was created, and the beasts upon it, the Father and Son carried out their purpose, which was designed before the fall of Satan, to make man in their own image. They had wrought together in the creation of the earth and every living thing upon it. And now God says to his Son, “Let us make man in our image.” Review & Herald Jan.9, 1879
The Jews that sought to kill Christ, claimed to be God’s children. What striking comment did Jesus make to them? Jn 8:42
“All things proceed ultimately from God, the Father; even Christ Himself proceeded and came forth from the Father, but it has pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell, and that He should be the direct, immediate Agent in every act of creation.“ (E.J. Waggoner 1890, Christ and his righteousness p.19)
Jesus testified that he existed before he came to earth!
“Who is Christ?—He is the only begotten Son of the living God. He is to the Father as a word that expresses the thought,—as a thought made audible. Christ is the word of God. Christ said to Philip, “He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father.” His words were the echo of God’s words. Christ was the likeness of God, the brightness of His glory, the express image of His person. As a personal being, God has revealed Himself in His Son. Jesus, the outshining of the Father’s glory, “and the express image of his person” (Hebrews 1:3), was on earth found in fashion as a man.” Sons and Daughters 21
“Again the priests and rabbis cried out against Jesus as a blasphemer. His claim to be one with God had before stirred them to take His life, and a few months later they plainly declared, “For a good work we stone Thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God.” John 10:33. Because He was, and avowed Himself to be, the Son of God, they were bent on destroying Him. Now many of the people, siding with the priests and rabbis, took up stones to cast at Him.” The Desires of Ages p.470
Before anything existed, Jesus came forth from God, as his only begotten Son!