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Finding Life

Proverbs 8:35-36 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)
³⁵For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from Jehovah,
³⁶But he who misses me injures his own soul;
all those who hate me love death.”

For whoever finds me finds life: Do you want to find a long life? Then you need to find wisdom. Finding (מוֹצָא motsa or מֹצָא motsa) here is not used to discover something that is lost but rather that you are finding a long life or acquiring a long life. – Prov. 3:2.

And obtains favor from Jehovah: Here obtaining favor (רָצוֹן ratson or רָצֹן ratson) means that one is found favorable, acceptable in the eyes of Jehovah.

35. Wisdom then is the only true life. The Word, the Light, is also the Life of man (John 1:4). The eternal life is to know God and Christ (John 17:3).[1]

But he who misses me injures his own soul: The Hebrew term rendered misses (חָמַס chamas) means to sin, missing the mark or the way, to go astray. It can be rendered, “he who sins against me.” Injure (Heb. chamas) here means that the person is bringing about physical or moral violence against himself.

All those who hate me love death: Here, hated (שָׂנֵא sane) has an emotion ranging from disliking intensely, abhor, detest, loathe, open hostility, antipathy, or aversion towards a person or thing, but in other places, it can have the weaker sense of being “set against,” also being toward a person or thing. Love death offers more detail on injure in line one, as those who sin against wisdom unrepentantly will face eternal death.

Does it not show disrespect for wisdom’s counsel when servants of God acknowledge that they are his servants, yet they seek a means of begging off from listening to the voice of wisdom? Likely, Christ is really personified as Wisdom from verses 22-26,[2] and he is the one that offered himself as a ransom for us so that we may have life. We need to listen to the voice of wisdom!

We certainly have many things in this age to captivate our attention, and we could seek out entertainment endlessly. However, if we allow the bells and whistles [non-essential features] of this wicked fallen world to distract us from pursuing God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, we will eventually stumble out of the faith. How does God’s Word help us in this matter? What is the balance that we need to look for and apply? First, we need to remember that eternal life is our future, where there will be an eternity to consider entertainment, i.e., pleasure. We need to understand that, for now, pleasure is but momentary. Some people have a job that they love, so it is as though they never have to work because it is such a joy, and it is a career. However, we have been given a far greater work in that we are to preach the gospel. Jesus said, “this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matt. 24:14) How is the end to come if the work we have been assigned is shelved because we are more focused on ourselves? Jesus commanded that we “go and make disciples of all the nations … teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.” – Matthew 28:19-20.

Here is how we should use entertainment in this fallen world, or until the return of Christ. We as humans were created to enjoy pleasurable things, and having a good time is truly required, as we need to be happy and find joy in life. However, we need to use it to refresh ourselves for the work we have been commanded to accomplish. Thus, our ministry should be our primary work, which is a heavy responsibility that can wear us down at times. Therefore, we need to be recuperated so that we can continue our work. Thus, we use entertainment as a means to refresh ourselves for the true work.

We are being used by God to find those whose hearts are disposed toward life and help them discover the path of salvation. As Paul said to Timothy, we are to ‘fix your attention on ourselves and on our teaching. Continuing in them, for by doing this, we will save both ourselves and those who hear us.’ (1 Tim. 4:16) ‘For we are God’s fellow workers; we are God’s field, God’s building.’ (1 Cor. 3:9) Listen to Paul, “I have shown you with respect to all things that by working hard in this way it is necessary to help those who are in need and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35) Our work in the ministry gives our lives true meaning, and it ‘makes God’s heart glad, and gives him an answer for those who reproach him.’ Satan has slandered God, raised issues that are being settled, and he has besmirched his great name. (Prov. 27:11) We need to be devoted workers to our assigned work, using entertainment merely to refresh us for that work. When Jesus returns, we are truly going to know what happiness is, for “godliness is profitable for everything because it holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.” – 1 Timothy 4:8.

[1] Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Jeremiah, Lamentations & Ezekiel, ed. F. C. Cook and J. M. Fuller (London: John Murray, 1879), 32.

[2] John MacArthur summarizes Proverbs 8:22-31 The LORD possessed me. Cf. 3:19, 20. Personified wisdom existed before everything that God created, so that divine wisdom, like God, was eternally first. Christ used His eternal wisdom in creation (John 1:1–3; 1 Cor 1:24, 30). 8:24–26 Note how these verses parallel the creation account in Genesis. The earth (v. 23) with day one in Genesis 1:1–5; water (v. 24) with day two in Genesis 1:6–8; and land (vv. 25, 26) with day three in Genesis 1:9–13. 8:27 circle on the face of the deep. The Hebrew word for circle indicates that the earth is a globe; therefore, the horizon is circular (cf. Is. 40:22). This deep that surrounds the earth was the original world ocean that covered the surface of the earth before it was fully formed and given life (cf. Gen. 1:2). 8:29 sea its limit. In creation, God limited the waters on the earth (cf. Gen. 1:9; 7:11; 8:2), commanding into existence shorelines beyond which the oceans cannot go. foundations. This figuratively denotes the solid structure of the earth (cf. Job 38:4; Ps. 24:2). 8:30 master craftsman. As translated in Song 7:1 and Jeremiah 52:15, this term describes wisdom as competent and experienced in the craft of creation. 8:31 my delight. When God rejoiced over His creation (Gen. 1:31; Job 38:7), wisdom was also rejoicing, especially in the creation of mankind, who in the physical creation alone has the capacity to appreciate wisdom and truth. – John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Kindle Locations 25017-25041). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.