8
Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
This long sentence continues with the word, “wherein.” From, “…the
riches of his grace…he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence…”
A simple point of theology here. There is no wisdom or
prudence on earth apart from God in His three distinct parts, as we and the
higher animals have three parts, of His soul, God the Father, His body and
image, God the Son, and His Spirit, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost.
As John Calvin pointed out, if I may paraphrase from his Institutes of the Christian Religion, that
no person who doesn’t recognize that all wisdom, prudence, in fact, all things
of any nature whatsoever that are good and have a benefit come from Him then
that person is incapable of serving or obeying God voluntarily. As soon as you
look at something else; your education, your appearance, your intelligence, the
government, your spouse, your employer, your pastor, or your church
organization as being the source of a beneficent for you then you have committed
idolatry and have limited your usefulness to God and the blessings you are able
to receive from Him.
Due to the nature of the way our Bible is written, by use of
the word, “and,” wisdom and prudence are synonyms. As Proverbs 8:12 says
clearly in its personification of wisdom, wisdom and prudence dwell together.
Proverbs 8:12 ¶ I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out
knowledge of witty inventions.
Wisdom is also a synonym of understanding and knowledge.
Exodus 31:3 And I have
filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in
knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
Prudence is linked to these words through understanding.
2Ch 2:12 Huram said
moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who
hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and
understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his
kingdom.
Wisdom, prudence, understanding, and knowledge from God’s
perspectives are linked together.
Prudence is doing the right thing at the proper time. God’s
timing is not ours. We don’t usually appreciate His timing because it is either
just in time or what we consider as being too late. But, then our purposes are
not His.
Isaiah 55:8 For my
thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
“Abound,” is the opposite of abase, to be brought low, to
have insufficient means to accomplish something.
Philippians 4:12 I know
both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things
I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer
need.
Preachers love to say, “what is he saying?” Well, I love to
say, “he means what he said.”
God has abounded toward us with His wisdom and doing the right
thing at the right time. “All,” without exception or distinction. There is no
deficiency in God’s plan. The deficiency is only in us or our perception of
events based on our own perceived self-interest which is based on limited,
finite knowledge.
And so, in keeping with the context Jesus Christ came at the
right time to do the right thing in the right way and if you think that the “wisdom”
of men has anything to say about it then you must realize that God regards the
world’s wisdom as foolishness.
1Co 3:19 For the wisdom
of this world is foolishness with God….
Jesus Christ, the visible image of the invisible God, His
presence, all through Scripture is the ultimate wisdom.
1Corinthians
1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom….
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