Proverbs 8: Sophia Calling

You probably already know that Solomon takes wisdom quite seriously and honors it very, very highly.  His devotion comes through loud and clear in this chapter's praise of wisdom and its declarations of what has been accomplished through it.

Proverbs 8 uses the literary device of personification to teach us a few things about wisdom, or "sophia."  We begin by seeing wisdom calling out at the crossroads and city gates, asking all people to follow her.  Sophia is depicted as a woman full of instruction and knowledge.  By her, kings reign and nobles govern (vs. 15-16).  She maintains that she loves those who love her, and that those who seek her will find her (vs. 17).  Those who pursue her will find wealth.

Even more than all this, God is shown as working with wisdom/Sophia in the act of Creation (vs. 22-31).  Wisdom was central in establishing the heavens and assigning limits.  The picture that I get is one of God using wisdom in His design of the universe - something that we see in the intricate precision of constants and other settings of creation that allow it to function without collapsing or exploding!

Wisdom's value continues even today.  Solomon writes of Sophia, "For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord" (vs. 35).  There is a corresponding warning: "But those who miss me injure themselves; all who hate me love death" (vs. 36).  Thus is wisdom to be highly prized and sought after.

Sadly, some have taken Solomon's use of personification to spin a mythological tale about an actual goddess named Sophia who worked alongside the Lord in Creation.  This is not the lesson that Solomon intended to teach.  Wisdom is consistently viewed in this chapter as a valuable characteristic in service to the Lord.  The point of listening for wisdom's call is to appreciate the positive difference that wisdom can make in one's life - not to look for a supposed goddess to worship!