Proverbs 8

In John 5, Jesus said,

"You search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life and they are they which speak of me.”

So if we look at Proverbs 8 for starters, we read beginning at verse 1...

A New Covenant

The word “covenant” in the Bible covers a lot of Israel’s history. Beginning, in order, with the Edenic Covenant,then the Adamic Covenant, and the Noahic, then Abrahamic, Mosaic, Palestinian, Davidic, and then the New Covenant. These all are explanations and promises of God to Israel. There should be NO disagreements that Israel is still the core of all God’s dealings with the human race. If we could take Israel out of history, the whole Bible falls apart. Likewise, if we could take the Apostle Paul out of the picture, then we as Gentiles revert back to what Paul said in Eph. 2:12...

That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are brought close by the blood of Christ.

Bible Study

There is only one God. Believers and some unbelievers would agree with that. But, “How many expressions of God are we aware of?” I believe most would say, “One.” Any other answer treads on thin, controversial ice, and yet going out where others fear to tread opens a wealth of otherwise missed opportunity and blessings. The safe, comfortable attitude is always, “Go along to get along.” But therein is the spiritual death of the church in the world.

The Love of Christ

In John 11:35 we read;  Jesus wept.
The familiarity of this verse, for many people, lies in the fact that it is the shortest verse in the Bible. But this is a very profound verse. It reveals Jesus' perfect human nature and deity in His compassion for people because He loved them with the perfect love of John 3:16... “God SO  loved the world...” God expressed His love for His creation in that verse... and His plan for redemption. This kind of love does not bring a reserved compassion, but mournful grief for the state of creation. As Isaiah 53:3 says, He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.

Jesus the Lamb of God

Isaiah 9:6-7, For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end... upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Christ Is All

"It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error"... is an erroneous truism. One cannot have a schism with each side claiming the truth. Truth will indeed divide, but from the lie. Truth will indeed cause separation, but from falsehood. Truth, in fact, will unite those of same faith. And isn’t that what the Gospel does, and what the Apostles urged us “to contend” for?

Beloved... it was necessary for me to write unto you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Jude 1:3

He Who Has Suffered

1 Peter 4:1-2 says, Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he should no longer live the rest of his time on the earth for the lusts of the flesh, but for the will of God.

“He who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.”

It should be clear that physical sufferings alone do not lead a person to cease from sin. I don’t believe that if I suffer from chronic excruciating back pain I will cease to sin. One will suffer “spiritually” though, while in the flesh in our struggle against sin. As Eph. 6:12 tells us... we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Christ suffered in the flesh when He came in the likeness of man, and was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin, Heb. 4:15.