Thursday, August 4, 2011

The Christology of Proverbs 17:2?


A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully
and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
Proverbs 17:2 may have a Christological emphasis. The wise servant who replaces the foolish son calls to mind the younger son motif of Genesis, in which the younger or youngest son replaces the oldest son as the favored or designated heir (Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Reuben and Joseph). This is in turn typological of Christ, the second Adam who replaced the first Adam as covenant head of God's people and mediatorial executor of God's plans. While Christ is the Son of God, he is also the Servant of Isaiah's songs.

Thus, there may be more going on in Proverbs 17:2 than a warning against nepotism.


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