Monday, December 6, 2010
Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
O Sapientia -- O Wisdom
In the ancient church there were seven special prayers which were used for one week preceding Christmas, December 17-23. Each of these seven prayers begins with a different name for Christ. Because they all begin with an "O", they are often referred to as the seven "O" Antiphons. These antiphons are at least as old as 480 AD. In the 12th century they were set to music and finally in the 19th century John Neale translated this hymn into the extremely popular "Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel." These prayers are well suited to Advent preparations since they focus on repentance and the coming Christ. In this series I will use Neale's translations but place them in their original order.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
And order all things, far and nigh;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And cause us in her ways to go.
The personification of wisdom is not unique to the Bible, it is a common theme in much of the world's literature. But in Christ alone does it cease to be merely a literary device and finds life and breath and fulfillment. It is fitting that these prayers and all prayers begin with asking for wisdom from the only source of wisdom. Our society is obsessed with individualism, where every man is encouraged to believe that truth comes only from his own mind, that the only measurement of good and truth is found within ourselves. And even within our own synod and churches how often hasn't pride in one's own wisdom caused discord and strife. We must begin here to crush our pride, dismiss our own opinions, repent of our sins, and trust only in Christ's wisdom.
O come Lord Jesus and grant us Your truth, Yours alone.
