A Heart in the Door

Writings that failed to gain acceptance into the Old and New Testament canons were described in the writings of some early Christian scholars by the term “apocrypha.” The Greek word means “hidden things,” and when applied to books it described those works which religious authorities wished to be concealed from the reading public. The reason was that such books were thought to contain mysterious or secret lore, meaningful only to the initiate and therefore unsuitable for the ordinary reader. But the word “apocrypha” was also applied in a less complimentary sense to works that deserved to be concealed. Such works contained harmful doctrines or false teachings calculated to unsettle or pervert rather than edify those who read them. The suppression of undesirable writings was comparatively easy at time when only a few copies of any book were in circulation at a given time. Offensive writings would more likely have been burned by the authorities than “hidden” (compare Acts 19:19).

Hidden or esoteric teachings were not part of the Hebrew tradition, which based its spirituality on the first five books of the Hebrew canon. Insofar as mysterious doctrines came into Hebrew life, they did so from pagan sources and generally involved magical practices which were forbidden to Israel. Only when the concept of wisdom emerged in such writings as Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job and certain psalms did Jewish teachers such as Jesus Ben Sirach advise their hearers to search out the “hidden things” of divine wisdom (Ecclus. 14:20-21; 39:1-3, 7). Even so, the emphasis was upon knowing the mind and revealed will of God, not on the study of esoteric treatises of a kind popular among Hellenistic authors and readers.

For I resolved to live according to wisdom,
and I was zealous for the good,
and I shall never be disappointed.
My soul grappled with wisdom,
and in my conduct I was strict;
I spread out my hands to the heavens,
and lamented my ignorance of her.
I directed my soul to her,
and in purity I found her.

We could say more but could never say enough;
let the final word be: ‘He is the all.’
Where can we find the strength to praise him?
For he is greater than all his works.
Awesome is the Lord and very great,
and marvellous is his power.
Glorify the Lord and exalt him as much as you can,
for he surpasses even that.
When you exalt him, summon all your strength,
and do not grow weary, for you cannot praise him enough.
Who has seen him and can describe him?
Or who can extol him as he is?
Many things greater than these lie hidden,
for I have seen but few of his works.
For the Lord has made all things,
and to the godly he has given wisdom.

Whoever throws a stone straight up
throws it on his own head,
and a treacherous blow opens up
many wounds.
Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and whoever sets a snare will
be caught in it.
If a person does evil, it will roll back
upon him,
and he will not know where it came from.

Fear the Lord in every way,
and you will become wise

All wisdom is from the Lord,
and with him it remains forever…
There is but one who is wise,
greatly to be feared,
seated upon his throne - the Lord.

Wisdom is more desirable than wealth…
Wisdom is more useful than knowledge…

Wisdom is both intelligent and holy.
Though one of a kind,
she appears in many forms
and is a spiritual being
that moves freely about.

Chapter 3

9 Hear, Israel, the commandments of life: give ear to understand wisdom.
10 How happeneth it Israel, that thou art in thine enemies’ land, that thou art waxen old in a strange country, that thou art defiled with the dead,
11 That thou art counted with them that go down into the grave?
12 Thou hast forsaken the fountain of wisdom.
13 For if thou hadst walked in the way of God, thou shouldest have dwelled in peace for ever.
14 Learn where is wisdom, where is strength, where is understanding; that thou mayest know also where is length of days, and life, where is the light of the eyes, and peace.
15 Who hath found out her place? or who hath come into her treasures ?
16 Where are the princes of the heathen become, and such as ruled the beasts upon the earth;
17 They that had their pastime with the fowls of the air, and they that hoarded up silver and gold, wherein men trust, and made no end of their getting?
18 For they that wrought in silver, and were so careful, and whose works are unsearchable,
19 They are vanished and gone down to the grave, and others are come up in their steads.
20 Young men have seen light, and dwelt upon the earth: but the way of knowledge have they not known,
21 Nor understood the paths thereof, nor laid hold of it: their children were far off from that way.
22 It hath not been heard of in Chanaan, neither hath it been seen in Theman.
23 The Agarenes that seek wisdom upon earth, the merchants of Meran and of Theman, the authors of fables, and searchers out of understanding; none of these have known the way of wisdom, or remember her paths.
24 O Israel, how great is the house of God! and how large is the place of his possession!
25 Great, and hath none end; high, and unmeasurable.
26 There were the giants famous from the beginning, that were of so great stature, and so expert in war.
27 Those did not the Lord choose, neither gave he the way of knowledge unto them:
28 But they were destroyed, because they had no wisdom, and perished through their own foolishness.
29 Who hath gone up into heaven, and taken her, and brought her down from the clouds?
30 Who hath gone over the sea, and found her, and will bring her for pure gold?
31 No man knoweth her way, nor thinketh of her path.
32 But he that knoweth all things knoweth her, and hath found her out with his understanding: he that prepared the earth for evermore hath filled it with fourfooted beasts:
33 He that sendeth forth light, and it goeth, calleth it again, and it obeyeth him with fear.
34 The stars shined in their watches, and rejoiced: when he calleth them, they say, Here we be; and so with cheerfulness they shewed light unto him that made them.
35 This is our God, and there shall none other be accounted of in comparison of him
36 He hath found out all the way of knowledge, and hath given it unto Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved.
37 Afterward did he shew himself upon earth, and conversed with men.

Chapter 4

This is the book of the commandments of God, and the law that endureth for ever: all they that keep it shall come to life; but such as leave it shall die.
2 Turn thee, O Jacob, and take hold of it: walk in the presence of the light thereof, that thou mayest be illuminated.