Written by: Christopher Sernaque
Dear Readers,
Solomon opens by personifying wisdom as a woman hosting a banquet. He continues by saying that wisdom has built her house. The house represents the church, or the Bride of Christ. Thus, the church of God is built by wisdom. (1 Tim 3:15, Eph 5:25) Solomon further describes wisdom’s actions by saying that she hews out “her seven pillars” and “hath killed her beasts.” (Prov 9:1, 1 Timothy 3:15) This indicates that wisdom sets up seven alters for sacrifice. The number 7 in the Bible represents completion. (Gen 2:2-3) Thus, the seven alters indicate that to be wise is to make a complete sacrifice for the Beloved of God.
The idea of seven alters is found in the book of Numbers, although it was not wisdom that erected the alters in the 23rd chapter of Numbers. Balak had hired Balaam, a prophet who professed rather than practiced his belief in the True God of Israel. Under Balak’s command, Balaam constructed seven alters and was willing to offer sacrifices, not for the Beloved of God, but with the hope of cursing Her. (Num 23:1)
Balaam repeatedly tried to malign God’s Bride, nonetheless, his words of wickedness were overshadowed by the encouraging power of the Holy Spirit. Though Balaam had full intentions of cursing the marriage between God and His people, the Holy Spirit refused to allow one false word be uttered because the Bride of Christ was spotless in His eyes and the voice of the King overruled all other voices of opposition. (Numbers 23:21)
Though the Devil may repeated try to persuade us to feel as though we are forsaken of God, just as He tried to tempt Christ to doubt His Father’s Word in the Wilderness, we can overcome with the shout, or the Word, of the King. (Matthew 4) Let us go un the way of understanding until we reach the banquet of the Bride. (Prov 9:6, Rev 19:7)
