Encore Post: O Wisdom, proceeding from the mouth of the Most High, permeating all creation, mightily ordering all things, Come and teach us the way of prudence.
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter, suaviterque disponens omnia, veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
In the formal language of the church, important days are celebrated for eight days. The eighth day is called the Octave (Latin for eight) of the festival. It is a symbol of eternal life. Since there are only seven days of the week, the eighth day is thought of being beyond time in the presence of God himself, where angels, archangels and all the company of Heaven worship the Lamb-Who-Was-Slain. In a sense, all worship services are conducted on the eighth day. The Octave of Christmas is New Year’s Day, when the church remembers the Circumcision of Jesus and begins the new year in the Name of Jesus. December 17th in kind of an octave in reverse. On this day, the O Antiphons begin.
The first prayer meditates on the title “Wisdom.” In the popular philosophy of Greece and Rome, Wisdom is taught by the Word (the Logos — λόγος) which is a part of God Himself that comes to the world to instruct the worthy in Wisdom. (σοφία — Sophia) Isaiah prophesied that the Spirit of Wisdom would be in the Messiah. (Isaiah 11:1-9) In the Scriptures, knowledge is about knowing facts and the way things work. Wisdom is about knowing the best way to apply knowledge. Wisdom is not about what you know, but who you know. It begins with the fear of God and is built upon trusting God to keep his promises. (faith) Wisdom hears the Word of God, judges possible actions by it and acts deliberately according to it. In this prayer, we ask the Lord to teach us to live in this way.
The highest form of wisdom is the cross. Here God himself is sacrificed to pay the price of our evil. It seems foolish to the world — the good dying for the sake of the evil and conquering it once and for all. Yet for us it is the most profound Wisdom of all. (1 Corinthians 1:18-25) The way of prudence, then, teaches us to confess our sins, receive pardon for them and lay down our lives for others.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, Who ord’rest all things mightily; To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Lutheran Service Book, 357, Stanza Two
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, Indiana
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