Proverbs 8:24-26 (ESV)
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
Wisdom continues to describe her existence before God’s work of creation. She gives a series of markers to show that she was present before anything we know came into being. There was a time when there were no depths, no oceans or waters beneath the earth, yet she was already there. Genesis 1:2 says, “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.” Even before that unformed state, wisdom existed, preceding all that God would bring into being.
She also existed before there were springs abounding with water, before anything on earth was sustained or nourished. Wisdom is not reacting to creation but stands prior to it. She is fully qualified to give counsel because she was present before the world began, witnessed its formation, and understands how it is meant to function.
Further, wisdom was there before the mountains had been shaped and before the hills. These seem as though they have existed forever and together convey a sense of age and timelessness. Although the mountains and hills represent stability and strength, they are not ultimate. What appears firm and lasting to us came after wisdom. She stands above what we might consider the most enduring parts of creation.
Finally, wisdom existed before God made the earth, its fields, and even the dust. Genesis 2:7 says, “then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground,” and Genesis 3:19 reminds us, “for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Man was made from the dust, lives in the dust, and will return to the dust. Wisdom stands outside of all of this. She existed before the very substance from which we were formed. If we are so limited and dependent, and wisdom came long before us, then surely we should listen to her.
So consider where you are looking for guidance. If God created the world with wisdom at his side, how much more should we employ her counsel in our daily lives. Do not be drawn to what is new or novel. Do not drift toward what feels fresh at the expense of what is true. Return to God’s word, open it, and submit to it. The wisdom that existed before creation is the same wisdom that will lead you rightly today.