Another Wisdom book to begin - and this one is unusual in that it begins with a helpfully informative Prologue.
The Wisdom of Jesus ben Sirach, a book which I previously knew as Ecclesiasticus, starts by explaining where it came from. It is a translation by a Jewish exile living in Egypt, of his grandfather’s book. he translated it from Hebrew into Greek. This man is a fan of Wisdom, that Jewish concept that is part knowledge and understanding, and part personification of attributes of God. Let’s see what his granddad had to say.
Verse 1 sums up my definition of Wisdom above: “All wisdom comes from the Lord,
and Wisdom is with him forever.”
Wisdom was God’s first creation, and understands the mysteries that puzzle human minds. God pours her out on people - a little to everyone, but a lot on those he favours. So, fearing God is the first step to Wisdom, because she is a gift from God. Those who approach God with a sincere heart will receive their reward.
No comments:
Post a Comment