The relation between Law and Wisdom in the Old Testament Scripture.

In the reflection of law in Scripture, several areas of attention are important.

We must understand the kinds of laws and their purposes, the forms these laws take and their application. We must also understand how the Lord and the New Testament view the laws of the Old Testament, and find principles for living by the “spirit”, rather than the “letter” of the law.

There are basically three kinds of law in the Bible:

[if !supportLists]§ [endif]The moral law, which is the declaration of what God requires of man;

[if !supportLists]§ [endif]The ceremonial (or ritual law), which God used to portray the salvation to come in Christ to the Old Testament people;

[if !supportLists]§ [endif]The civil law by which order and the restraint of sin was accomplished in the nation or commonwealth of Israel;

God was crafting a nation out of a people that was not a people - and their life revolved around their deliverance. “When God created a nation out of a family of slaves it took a unique methodology to achieve his purposes. It is fascinating to read Exodus from the perspective of crafting a nation and see how the declaration of law and the enforcement of the laws amalgamated the people into a great force by the second generation.” (Steve Laug, Stepping Stones, pp. 5-6)

Since Israel was a people called out by God, a theocracy, there is some over-lap between the civil and ceremonial laws - there is not always a sharp distinction between religious and civil duties, and the moral law (or perhaps we ought to say "covenant") which under binds them both.

The statements of these laws take two basic forms: "Apodictic” or absolute laws - “do’s and do not’s” paradigms; and “Causuistic" (Case) where principles are spelled out in the conditional terms of specific applications. "...the major portion of the law is Case law, i. e., the illustration of the basic principle in terms of specific cases. These specific cases are often illustrations of the extent of the application of the law; that is, by citing a minimal type of case, the necessary jurisdictions of the law are revealed." (Rushdoony, The Institutes of Biblical Law, p. 11)

There are about 613 laws in the Pentateuch according to rabbinical tradition. Some these laws were designed as means of blessing, rather than being restrictive or punitive.

The basic principles of the Moral Law are set forth in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17, Deut. 5:6-21) given in a covenant form, and summarized by the Lord in Mark 12:29-31(cf. Matt 22:37-40, Luke 10:26-28) Other summaries of God’s moral Law include: Psalm 15, Isa 33:15, Micah 6:8, Isa 56:1, Amos 5:4, Hab 2:4 and Lev 19:2. The applications of these covenanted principles are spelled out in many specific examples in the Old and New Testaments. The Moral law binds all mankind to personal, entire, exact and perpetual obedience.

The moral law has four basic purposes:

[if !supportLists]1. [endif]It reveals and reflects the holiness of God;

[if !supportLists]2. [endif]It sets forth God’s standard of righteousness for mankind;

[if !supportLists]3. [endif]It reveals man's short-fall of the Law and his need of a savior, condemning man for his sin;

[if !supportLists]4. [endif]It serves as means of grace and sanctification for the believer;

(See Rom 2:11f, 3:10f. Gal 3:10-24, Rom 7 and 8;)

In Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy, there are plentiful examples of the application of these principles. It is important to distinguish between absolute universal principles, and the more conditional, cultural and time-bound examples of much of the case laws. The former remain in effect, the latter may not, though the principles behind them do. A careful consideration of context and historio-cultural factors is very important to application.

The civil laws pertain to the ordering of the community and society in the Old Testament times. Examples would be found in Exodus, 21-23 and Deut. 16-21. The principles of the moral law often lie behind these specific applications.

The Confession says:

"To them (Israel) also, as a body politic, he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any other, now, further than the general equity thereof may require." (XIX-4) The laws concerning stoning, etc. are a part of this judicial law.

The ceremonial laws cover the religious life of the people and include the instructions for the Tabernacle (Temple), the sacrifices and feasts, the priesthood and laws concerning ceremonial purity, etc. The dietary laws of the Old Testament are a part of this. We find the ceremonial law in Exodus 25f, Leviticus and Deut. 19-16.

The confession says of these:

"God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a Church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings and benefits; and partly-holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated under the New Testament?" (WCF XIX .3)

It is important here to recognize the application of principles set forth already - namely, that the New Testament interprets the Old and Didactic (instruction) interprets narrative. An example is the passing of the Old Testament Ceremonial laws. The dietary laws of Lev. 11 are brought to an end in Acts 1 and 11, while the principles they taught, namely holiness and being set apart unto God are spelled out clearly in the Epistles: I Cor. 8, 10:23ff, Col. 2:16, l7f. The Sacrificial system which typified Christ's saving work is spelled out in the Old, summarized in

Lev. 17:11; then fulfilled in the Gospels in the giving of God's son on the Cross. Hebrews 9 and 10 makes it clear that with the completion of His work, the "shadows" pass. (Even in the O.T. it appears an understanding of this “typical” nature of the Ceremonial law was there - see Ps. 51:16,17, 1 Sam 15:22, Jere 7:22, 23.)

The New Testament interprets the Moral law for us as well. It makes it clear that we are not to be legalists, bound to the “letter” rather than the “spirit” of the law, nor antinomians, casting ourselves free from it. Jesus taught this in Matt 5f in the Sermon on the Mount. The law encompasses more than the limits of the statement, those who hate their brother or call him a fool are guilty under the commandment "Thou shalt not murder", those who lust in their minds and hearts are guilty of adultery, the divorce laws granted under Moses are shown to be concessions of God in dealing with sin, etc. Recognizing the differing “weights” of the laws (Matt 23:23), Jesus came not to abolish the Law (5:17) but to change it and us that we might keep it, We must learn to make use of and apply the Old Testament laws in the light of New Testament revelation to our own different cultural forms and practices.

A good example of the use of case law as used by Paul; the Moral law says:” Thou shalt not steal." Exodus 20:15. One Old Testament case was the Ox treading grain. (Deut. 25:4) Paul comments on it in I Cor. 9:9,10f and in I Tim 5:18. The case law is stated in Lev 19:13-15. Jesus cited the principle in Luke 10:1: “'A laborer is worthy of his hire." A part of keeping the moral law is paying just wages to those who serve us. Or compare: Lev 19:15-18 and James 2:1-8.

There are many valuable principles and much guidance in the laws given in Scripture. While many are examples of applications not binding in letter to us, yet they are in spirit, sources of much guidance and sanctification, Lev. 19 has many examples: vs. 9 concern for the poor, vs. 13 fair dealings with employees vs. 17, 18, 27, etc. The New Testament does not set us free from the principles set forth in the Old; rather it interprets and applies them for us. We should be encouraged to study and search out the Truth God has for us in this part of His Word.

Old Testament Wisdom

Wisdom writings constitute a very important part of the Old Testament because these books, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, incorporated the wisdom of Jewish people and its major thinkers, including the King Solomon, who became the symbol of wisdom.

In fact, these books may be viewed as the philosophical basis of the Old Testament in which authors postulate basic principles, philosophical concepts and rules, which regulate human life, their internal world and relationship with divine forces.

At the same time, it is impossible to estimate that wisdom writings of the Old Testament represent only authentic works created by particular authors. In actuality, wisdom writings should be viewed as a quintessence of woks of the most outstanding thinkers, such as the King Solomon or Ecclesiast, and wisdom of Jewish people. In this respect, it is possible to refer to proverbs which rather contain ideas accumulated by Jewish people as a socio-cultural group than ideas of the author. In a way, it may be viewed as a collection of folkloric elements created by Jewish people.

However, it is important to underline that practically all these books contain references or imply basic divine laws which are fundamental for the Old Testament and their origin may be traced back to the Moses Laws.

The didactic books constitute the third group of writings in the Old Testament. They teach man to organize his personal, earthly life in such a way that it will be blessed by God and by men, and may give him prosperity and peace of soul. The wisdom which proceeds from God imparts such a life.

When Solomon, beginning his reign, offered up his prayers and burnt sacrifices, God appeared to him at night and said: "Ask, what am I to give thee" (cf. 1 Kings 3:5). And Solomon asked God only for wisdom and knowledge, in order that he might rule the people of God. And God said to Solomon, "Because thou hast not asked for riches, property, glory, victories, or long life, but hast asked for wisdom and knowledge, wisdom and knowledge shall be given thee; and I shall also give thee such riches, possessions and glory as former kings have never had, nor will have after thee" (cf. 1 Kings 3:11-13).

The didactic books are full of practical advice about how to establish one's life and the life of one's family intelligently, wisely, in the fear of God, in righteousness, honesty, labor and abstinence, and how to be a useful participant in society. These precepts are extremely instructive, apt, and true. In their expression there is much imagery, liveliness, and wit; although, of course, one encounters statements which accord with the requirements of distant times, and with customs which are foreign to us. Practical guidance for everyday life constitutes the characteristic feature of the Old Testament teaching on wisdom.

However, it would be a mistake to think that Biblical wisdom is the wisdom of earthly prosperity. The Bible sees true wisdom in humble devotion to God in the most severe sufferings and in recognizing the unfathomable nature of God's ways when suffering innocently. I myself came forth naked from my mother's womb, naked also shall I depart hence; the Lord hath given, the Lord hath taken away. As it seemed good to the Lord, so hath it come to pass: blessed be the name of the Lord... If we have received good things from the hand of the Lord, shall we not endure evil things? (Job 1:21; 2:10). This is the wisdom of the righteous Job. But there is no true wisdom in the dialectical logic of his friends, for the very reason that they self-confidently consider that they understand God's thoughts. In their arguments there is what could be called rationalism based on a religious foundation. They are told to ask forgiveness of God through Job.

However attractive prosperity, wealth, success, or glory may be, it is senseless to become attached to anything of this sort; such is the conclusion of Solomon's wisdom. Death awaits everyone, and then it will appear that everything was only an outward show, only vanity, "vanity of vanities, all is vanity!" (Eccles. 1:2).

There is in life something higher, more valuable, more worthy of praise, which comes from wisdom. This is the striving to know the works of God, to study nature, and finally, the striving for pure knowledge: To know the composition of the world, and the operation of the elements; the beginning, end and midst of the times, the alterations of the turning of the sun, and changes of the seasons; the cycles of the years and the positions of stars; the natures of living creatures, and the tempers of wild beasts, the violence of winds and the reasonings of men; the diversities of plants, and the virtues of roots... And should a man desire much experience, she (wisdom) knoweth things of old, and doth portray what is to come; she knoweth the subtleties of speeches and can expound dark sentences; she foreknoweth signs and wonders, and the issue of seasons and times... And if one love righteousness, her labors are virtues; for she teacheth temperance and prudence, justice and fortitude, which are such things as men can have nothing more profitable in their life (Wis. 7:17-20; 8:8; 8:7). Here is a recognition of the degrees of knowledge in its many branches.

Possessing such wisdom is not due to personal merit; it is a gift of God. I prayed, testifies the author of the Wisdom of Solomon, and the spirit of wisdom came to me... And all such things as are either secret or manifest, them I know. For wisdom, which is the fashioner of all things, taught me, for she is a noetic spirit, holy, only-begotten, manifold, subtle, agile, clear, undefiled, harmless, loving of the good, penetrating, irresistible, beneficent, kind to man, steadfast, sure, free from care, almighty, overseeing all things, and spreading abroad through all noetic, pure, and most subtle spirits... For she is the effulgence of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the energy of God, and the image of his goodness. And though being but one, she can do all things; and remaining in herself, she maketh all things new, and in every generation, entering into holy souls, she maketh them friends of God, and prophets. For God loveth none save him that dwelleth with wisdom (Wis. 7:22-23; 26-28).

It is not surprising that such a perfect image of Wisdom, as is given in the didactic books of the Old Testament, demands the attention of the Christian, especially in those passages where she is represented as sitting beside God Himself. The Lord made me the beginning of His ways for His works, we read in Proverbs. He established me before time; in the beginning, before He made the earth, even before He made the depths, before the fountains of the waters came forth, before the mountains were established, and before all hills, He begat me. The Lord made lands and uninhabited tracts and the uttermost inhabited parts under heaven. When He prepared heaven, I was present with Him; and when He prepared His throne upon the winds, and when He made the clouds above mighty, and when He secured the fountains of the earth, and when He strengthened the foundations of the earth, I was by Him, arranging all things; I was that wherein He took delight, and daily I rejoiced in His presence continually. For He rejoiced when He had completed the world, and rejoiced in the children of men... For my outgoings are the outgoings of life, and in them is prepared favor from the Lord (Prov. 8:27-31; 35).

Here Wisdom is personified as if it were a divine being; there are other similar expressions in the passages about Wisdom. Under the influence of this image, in the Christian religious philosophy of antiquity, the Middle Ages, and of more recent times, there has arisen an attempt to introduce into theological thought the idea that Wisdom here refers to a special divine, personal force, or hypostasis, created, or uncreated, perhaps the soul of the world, the "Divine Sophia." Within Russian religious thought, the doctrine of Sophia has been accepted and developed by Vladimir S. Soloviev, Fr. Paul Florensky, and Archpriest Sergei Bulgakov. It must, however, be realized that these thinkers develop their thoughts basing them on their own philosophical presuppositions. Wishing to justify them [presuppositions] by Scripture, they do not pay sufficient attention to the fact that personifying abstract concepts was a customary device in Old Testament writing. The writer of the book of Proverbs warns that, while reading the book, it will be necessary to understand a parable, and a dark speech, the saying of the wise also, and riddles (Prov. 1:5-6); i.e., do not take figurative expressions literally.

In those passages where Wisdom is depicted in an especially vivid way, as a personal being, as the hypostatic Wisdom, the New Testament accepts this as a reference to the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God, as we read in Saint Paul (1 Cor. 1:24). Such an interpretation is given, for example, to the passage from Proverbs which is often read in church during Vespers, and which begins, Wisdom has built a house for herself, and setup seven pillars... (Prov. 9:1-6). Thus, the sacred author is transferring our thoughts directly into the New Testament, to the preaching of the Gospel, to the mystery of the Eucharist and the organization of the Church of Christ; here the Old Testament is already on the threshold of the New.

The Teaching of the Wisdom of God in Holy Scripture

THE WORD SOPHIA, "wisdom," is encountered in the sacred books both the Old Testament (in the Greek translation) and of the New Testament. In the New Testament Sacred Scripture it is used in three meanings:

In the usual broad meaning of wisdom, understanding: "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and grace" (Luke 2:52); "But wisdom is justified of all her children" (Luke 7:35).

In the meaning of the wise economy of God expressed in the creation of the world, in His Providence over the world, and in the salvation of the world from sin: "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been His counselor?" (Romans 11:33-34). "We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory" (1 Cor. 2:7).

In relation to the Son of God as the Hypostatical Wisdom of God: "But we preach Christ crucified ... Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:23-24); "Who of God is made unto us wisdom" (1 Cor. 1:30).

In the Old Testament Sacred Scripture we find in many places statements concerning wisdom. Here also there are the same three meanings for this term. In particular, wisdom is spoken of in the book of Proverbs and in two of the Apocryphal books: the Wisdom of Solomon and the Wisdom of Joshua, Son of Sirach.

In the majority of cases, human wisdom is presented here as a gift of God which one must hold exceptionally dear. The very titles of the books, the "Wisdom" of Solomon and the "Wisdom" of Joshua, Son of Sirach, indicate in what sense-namely, in the sense of human wisdom - one must understand this word here. In other Old Testament books separate episodes are cited which specially depict human wisdom - for example, the famous judgment of Solomon,

The above-named books introduce us to the direction of thought of the God-inspired teachers of the Jewish people. These teachers inspire the people to be guided by reason, not to give way to blind inclinations and passions, and to hold firmly in their actions to the commands of prudence, correct judgment, the moral law, and the firm foundations of duty in personal, family, and public life.

A large part of the ideas in the book of Proverbs is devoted to this subject. The title of this book, "Proverbs," forewarns the reader that he will find in it a figurative, metaphorical, and allegorical means of exposition. In the introduction to the book, after indicating the neglect of it, which is "understanding, wisdom, and instruction," the author expresses the assurance that "a wise man... will understand a parable, and a dark speech, the sayings of the wise also, and riddles" (Prov. 1:6, Septuagint) — that is, he will understand its figurativeness, its allegoricalness, its "hard saying" (Prov. 1:3), without taking all the images in a literal sense.

And indeed, in the further reasoning of the book, there is revealed an abundance of images and personifications in the application of the wisdom that man can possess. "Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding... Say unto wisdom, thou art my sister, and call understanding thy kinswoman" (Prov. 7:4). "Forsake it not, and it shall cleave to thee; love it, and it shall keep thee ... Secure it, and it shall exalt thee; honor it, that it may embrace thee; that it may give unto thy head a crown of graces, and may cover thee with a crown of delight" (Prov. 4:6-9, Septuagint). "For she sits by the gates of princes, and sings in the entrances" (Prov. 8:3, Septuagint). The same kind of thinking about human wisdom is contained in the Wisdom of Solomon.

It is clear that all these sayings about wisdom in no way can be understood as a teaching of a personal Wisdom, the soul of the world, in the sophiological sense. A man possesses it, obtains it, loses it; it serves him; its beginning is called "the fear of the Lord"; and side by side with wisdom there are also named "understanding" and "instruction" and "knowledge."

And where does wisdom come from? Like everything else in the world, it has a single source: God. "For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His presence come knowledge and understanding" (Prov. 2:6)." God is "the guide even of wisdom and the corrector of the wise" (Wisdom of Solomon 7:15).

A second group of utterances in Holy Scripture refer to this wisdom of God, which is the wisdom in God Himself. Ideas of the wisdom in God are interspersed with ideas of the wisdom in man.

If the dignity of understanding and wisdom in man are so exalted, then how majestic they are in God Himself! The writer uses the most majestic expressions possible in order to present the power and grandeur of the Divine wisdom. Here also he makes broad use of personification. He speaks of the grandeur of the Divine plans which, according to our human conceptions, seem to have preceded the creation; because the wisdom of God lies at the foundation of all that exists, therefore it is before everything, earlier than everything that exists. "The Lord made me the beginning of His ways for His works. He established me before time was in the beginning, before He made the earth, even before He made the depths ... Before all hills, He begets me... When He prepared the heaven, I was present with Him" (Prov. 8:22-25, 27, Septuagint). The author speaks of the beauty of the world, expressing in images what was said of the creation in the book of Genesis (it was very good). He says on behalf of wisdom: "I was by Him, I was that wherein He took delight; and daily I rejoiced in His presence continually" (Prov. 8:30).

In all the above-cited images of wisdom, and other similar ones, there are no grounds for seeing in a direct sense any personal spiritual being, distinct from God Himself, a soul of the world or idea of the world. This does not correspond to the images given here: an ideal "essence of the world" could not be called "present" at the creation of the world (see the Wisdom of Solomon 9:9); only something outside both the Creator and the creation could be "present." Likewise, it could not be an "implement" of the creation itself if it itself is the soul of the created world. Therefore, in the above-cited expressions it is natural to see personifications (a literary device), even though they are so expressive as to be near being made into hypostases or actual persons.

Finally, the writer of the book of Proverbs is prophetically exalted in thought to the prefiguration of the New Testament economy of God which is to be revealed in the preaching of the Savior of the world, in the salvation of the world and of mankind, and in the creation of the New Testament Church. This prefiguration is to be found in the first verses of the ninth chapter of Proverbs: "Wisdom has built a house for herself, and set up seven pillars. She has killed her beasts; she has mingled her wine in a bowl..." (Prov. 9:1-6, Septuagint). This magnificent image is equal in power to the prophecies of the Savior in the Old Testament prophets.

Since the economy of salvation was performed by the Son of God, the Holy Fathers of the Church, and following them the Orthodox interpreters of the book of Proverbs in general, refer the name "wisdom of God," which essentially belongs to the Holy Trinity as a whole, to the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God, as the Fulfiller of the Counsel of the Holy Trinity.

By analogy with this prophetic passage, the images in the book of Proverbs which were indicated above as referring to the wisdom in God (in chapter 8) are also interpreted as applying to the Son of God. When the Old Testament writers, to whom the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity was not entirely revealed, say "In wisdom hath He made them all" — for a New Testament believer, a Christian, in the name "Word" and in the name "Wisdom" is revealed the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God.

The Son of God, as a Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity, contains in Himself all the Divine attributes in the same fullness as do the Father and the Holy Spirit. However, as having manifested these attributes to the world in its creation and its salvation, He is called the Hypostatic Wisdom of God. On the same grounds, the Son of God can also be called the Hypostatic Love (see St. Symeon the New Theologian, Homily 53); the Hypostatic Light ("walk [in the light] while ye have the light," John 12:35); the Hypostatic Life ("Thou hast given birth to the Hypostatic Life"-Canon of the Annunciation, Canticle 8); and the Hypostatic Power of God ("We preach... Christ the power of God" 1 Cor. 1:24).