Chokmah is the top sphere on the Pillar of Mercy and is associated with ideal wisdom, which only comes from knowing God. At the sphere of Netzach you learned that the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). This Fear represents the mercy of God who made His judgments known so that we might follow Him. At the sphere of Netzach you first begin modifying your behavior to follow God, seeking victory over your emotions.

As you progressed up the Pillar of Mercy you learned more about the nature of God, as you studied the gift of freewill and predestination in the path connecting Netzach and Chesed. God has a plan and purpose for your life, but you can affect changes in your destiny through choices and consequences. You grew in wisdom as you saw that everything works according to God’s plan and that He has been working to bring about your salvation ever since the world was created. At the sphere of Chesed your wisdom increased and you began to follow God out of love instead of fear. You understood the promise that all things work for the good of those that love God (Romans 8:28) and witnessed how the love of God can grow in your life.

In the path connecting Chesed and Chokmah the mercy of God is further displayed as you learn how Jesus Christ now serves as your High Priest continually making intercession for you to God, and you develop discernment between the true church and the false church. In the sphere of Chokmah you master the ability and reaffirm your devotion to the Great Work you began in Malkuth. Chokmah represents ideal wisdom; wisdom of knowing and understanding God, and living in accordance with His commandments. Binah is the sphere opposite of Chokmah on the Pillar of Severity. Binah represents Understanding. Wisdom is the ability to use that which you understand appropriately.

The name of God associated with the sphere of Chokmah is YHVH, the Tetragrammaton. The Tetragrammaton is the true name of God that has been kept sacred over the years. It was only spoken one day how of the year on the Day of Atonement. The exact pronunciation is not known, because the Hebrew letters Yod Heh Vav Heh are only continents. In the Bibles of today whenever the name of four letters is used it is replaced with either the word LORD or GOD in all capital letters. Two of the English spellings of the name are Jehovah and Yahweh.

Isaiah 26:3-4 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

Wisdom is to trust in Jehovah. If you master your emotions and thoughts and keep your mind on Him, He will keep you in perfect peace. Have faith in the promises of the Lord and trust in Him, and He will be your everlasting strength. We are to devote our lives to the Lord through fear, love, obedience, understanding, and in wisdom. As you climbed the Pillar of Mercy you grew in knowledge and understanding of God, and the way He works in your life. In this sphere you learn devotion to the Most High God through wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to apply the knowledge that you have gained for your benefit.

Job 23:12-14 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? And what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

John 4:34-35 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

1 Samuel 12:24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you.

The lesson of this sphere of the Qabalah is to master devotion and utilize wisdom. Remaining devoted to the commandments of God is wisdom. We are to seek to understand God and be of one mind with Him, acting in accordance with His commandments. What are soul desires is what we should commit ourselves to bringing about, which if we have obtained wisdom, would be the will of God. We are to place God first in our lives, and value Him more then the food that He provides for our nourishment.

Jesus set the example for us to follow. We are to work according to God’s will, being of one mind and working in one accord with Him, that His will be done. The harvest is ready, now is the time for us to utilize our wisdom and live our lives according to the will of God. We are to show God reverence, serve Him in truth, contemplate how He has been working in our lives, and we should be thankful for the many blessings that He has showered upon us.

Romans 6:12-13 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Romans 14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

Philippians 1:20-21 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Our lives are to be devoted to God and the Great Work; not only the Great Work of purifying our souls, but also the Great Work that God is completing on the earth. We are called to be a royal priesthood and to work in one accord to spread salvation throughout the earth. We are to commit our lives to God. We are to live holy lives, removing all sin and wickedness from our bodies, and we are to present our members to God as instruments of righteousness that God can use to fulfill His will on earth.

We live or die for the Lord; for the Christian, there is no fear in death, because to die is gain – knowing that it is God’s good pleasure to share His kingdom with us (Luke 12:32). We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) and do all things for the glory of God.

Exodus 20:2-6 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

We are to be devoted to the commandments of God and live our lives to serve Him. He is a jealous God visiting the iniquities of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations. God is not unjust, and does not punish anyone wrongfully. When He states that the sins of the fathers will be visited upon their children He is warning the people of the magnitude of their sins and what all they entail. If a father is a sinner he will likely raise his children to behave in the same manner, and it will take several generations to correct the sins that the children have learned from their ancestors. God is warning the people that by living a sinful life they are not only destroying their own souls, but also the souls of those around them.

Ezekiel 18:14-21 "If, however, he begets a son Who sees all the sins which his father has done, And considers but does not do likewise; Who has not eaten on the mountains, Nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, Nor defiled his neighbor's wife; Has not oppressed anyone, Nor withheld a pledge, Nor robbed by violence, But has given his bread to the hungry And covered the naked with clothing; Who has withdrawn his hand from the poor And not received usury or increase, But has executed My judgments And walked in My statutes-He shall not die for the iniquity of his father; He shall surely live! "As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother by violence, and did what is not good among his people, Behold, he shall die for his iniquity. "Yet you say, 'Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?' Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. "But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

God makes it clear that everyone will be judged according to their own actions. The children possess freewill and can make the decision not to follow in the sins of their fathers, but to instead abide by the commandments of God. If they do so they will be saved. In the same way those that turn from their sins may also be saved. Visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children was stated for the people to be aware of all of the consequences of their actions. Those that understand and are trained by this wisdom will raise their children in subjection to the commandments of God, as they have been instructed to do (Deuteronomy 11:19).

We are God’s people and have been instructed to follow His commandments. We are to have no other God’s before Him, for He is a jealous God. When we put our earthly desires before God or if we serve other gods, we commit adultery against our creator, and play the harlot.
Leviticus 20:5-7 'then I will set My face against that man and against his family; and I will cut him off from his people, and all who prostitute themselves with him to commit harlotry with Molech. 'And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people. 'Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.

Numbers 15:38-40 Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God.

Psalm 73:27 For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works.

God is against those that betray Him to serve other gods. God is our refuge; He is the one that we are to seek guidance from. Those who choose to turn to mediums over the guidance God has provided them, commit adultery against the LORD. We are to follow the commandments and the guidance that God has given us – we are to place our faith and trust in Him. The entire Bible is full of examples of God’s trustworthiness and His faithfulness in fulfilling all of His promises.

We are to recognize this and learn from the many examples that He has given us. We are to utilize our wisdom and act in accordance with the spiritual truths that we have learned. We are born with a sinful nature and our hearts and eyes were inclined toward harlotry since our births. It takes wisdom to overcome our earthly lusts, and discipline to abide in the truth that we have learned. We are to devote ourselves to God, and remain faithful to Him as He does for us. We are to keep the commandments and be holy for our God.

In the Bible wisdom is personified as the Woman Wisdom, due to the nurturing nature of women. In the same way that women instinctively nurture and care for their children, wisdom nurtures and cares for our souls. God gave us the commandments for our own good, and it is in our own best interest to abide by them. In wisdom we follow the guidance of our heavenly Father, and it is through the wisdom given to us by God that we preserve our souls.

Proverbs 7:1-5 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

We are to cling to the commandments of God and learn from the wisdom that He has provided us; in doing so we will not fall into the snares of temptation. We are to use the wisdom that we have learned to keep us from going astray, so that we do not succumb to the temptations of the harlot and commit adultery against God.

Proverbs 7:10-18 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

The harlot (adulterous woman) lies in wait to tempt the foolish into joining her in her folly.
Proverbs 7:21-27 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

Proverbs 9:14-18 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, To call passengers who go right on their ways: Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

Those that lack wisdom may succumb to the flattering speech and enticements of the harlot. The foolish are led astray, following after their own lusts to their own demise. Her house is the way to hell and her chambers are death. She tempts the foolish telling them that stolen water is sweet, but those that follow her are dead and her guests are in the depths of hell. Hearkening to the voice of wisdom will protect you from falling into the snare of the harlot, and will preserve your soul.

Proverbs 8:1-4 Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.

Wisdom is abounding and is made available to us all. God has not hid wisdom from men, but has made it readily available to everyone. God has given us commandments and has given us examples of how we are to live ever since the world was created. His judgments, mercies, and even the very path of salvation have been made known to us. Those that chose to study His word will grow in wisdom, but fools do not recognize the wisdom that is staring them in the face; which is available everywhere and crying to be heard at the gates of the city.

Proverbs 8:5-9 O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

Wisdom has been poured out to us abundantly, if we will only learn from it. The truth has been made known to us, to those willing to listen to her. There is no deceit or wickedness in her lips. The teachings of God can only nurture us and guide us into righteousness. The truths of the scriptures are plain to those that have understanding, and make perfect sense to those that find knowledge. We will understand the scriptures and the will of God more completely as we grow in wisdom and in understanding of God.

Proverbs 8:12-16 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discernment. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. By me kings reign and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

Wisdom lives carefully utilizing her knowledge appropriately. The fear of the Lord is to recognize the results of evil, and to abstain from it in reverence to God. Listen to His counsel and receive His strength. Abide in the guidance of your heavenly Father and you will be successful.

Proverbs 8:17-21 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

Love God and seek Him, and you will find Him and obtain wisdom. The wisdom of the Lord is better then any material thing you can achieve. By following God you will inherit substance and true treasures that are far better then the treasures found on the earth.

Proverbs 8:22-23 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

Wisdom existed with God before the world was created. God has a plan and purpose in everything He does, and wisdom was included in His plan even before the world existed. God placed the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the midst of the Garden of Eden knowing that it would give us choices and consequences. Through the knowledge of good and evil, wisdom entered into the world to guide us into salvation.

Proverbs 8:32-36 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

If we listen to and learn from wisdom we will be blessed. By learning and applying wisdom we receive favor with the Lord and find life.

Wisdom 6:16-20 For she goeth about seeking such as are worthy of her, sheweth herself favourably unto them in the ways, and meeteth them in every thought. For the very true beginning of her is the desire of discipline; and the care of discipline is love; And love is the keeping of her laws; and the giving heed unto her laws is the assurance of incorruption; And incorruption maketh us near unto God: Therefore the desire of wisdom bringeth to a kingdom.

Wisdom 7:14 For she is a treasure unto men that never faileth: which they that use become the friends of God, being commended for the gifts that come from learning.

Wisdom 7:25 For she is the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty:

The Woman Wisdom – as described in the Apocrypha – seeks out those who are worthy of her; seeking those who would learn from her instructions. Wisdom begins in a person when they first desire discipline. The care of discipline is love, meaning those who desire to follow God out of their hearts, will learn wisdom through discipline. God disciplines those He loves, those He has accepted as sons (Hebrews 12:5-10).

We learn wisdom from the discipline of the Lord, and we grow spiritually through it. We purify our souls and come nearer to God. As we learn wisdom we are brought closer to the Kingdom of God. Wisdom comes from God, and those that use wisdom are the friends of God.

John 15:14-15 “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”

Jesus has made known all things to us. As we grow in our understanding of God, we progress from servants into the friends of God. When we first begin to follow God it is out of fear, which is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). As we grow in our understanding of God, we follow Him out of love – and in wisdom.

Sirach 1:1-5 All wisdom cometh from the Lord, and is with him forever. Wisdom hath been created before all things, and the understanding of prudence from everlasting. The word of God most high is the fountain of wisdom; and her ways are everlasting commandments.

Wisdom was created before all things, and is made available to us through the word of God in the scriptures.

Sirach 1:8-10 There is one wise and greatly to be feared, the Lord sitting upon his throne. He created her, and saw her, and numbered her, and poured her out upon all his works. She is with all flesh according to his gift, and he hath given her to them that love him.

Sirach 1:26-27 If thou desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord shall give her unto thee. For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and instruction: and faith and meekness are his delight.

The Lord is the source of all wisdom and He gives wisdom to those that love Him and keep His commandments (John 14:15). We receive wisdom from the Lord through discipline and instruction. He delights in our faithfulness.

Sirach 2:4-11 Whatsoever is brought upon thee take cheerfully, and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate. For gold is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity. Believe in him, and he will help thee; order thy way aright, and trust in him. Ye that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; and go not aside, lest ye fall. Ye that fear the Lord, believe him; and your reward shall not fail. Ye that fear the Lord, hope for good, and for everlasting joy and mercy. Look at the generations of old, and see; did ever any trust in the Lord, and was confounded? or did any abide in his fear, and was forsaken? or whom did he ever despise, that called upon him? For the Lord is full of compassion and mercy, longsuffering, and very pitiful, and forgiveth sins, and saveth in time of affliction.

We are to endure our trials and tribulations faithfully and patiently, knowing that it is for our benefit. We are to put our faith in Him, and He will give us strength. We can trust in the Lord’s faithfulness to us, and can believe in His promises. We can know God and trust in His faithfulness by examining how He has dealt with people in the past. God has never let down anyone that has trusted in Him or abided by His commandments. He is full of compassion, mercy, and loving-kindness. He is faithful and we can believe in His promises.

Sirach 1:11-14 The fear of the Lord is honour, and glory, and gladness, and a crown of rejoicing. The fear of the Lord maketh a merry heart, and giveth joy, and gladness, and a long life. Whoso feareth the Lord, it shall go well with him at the last, and he shall find favour in the day of his death. To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and it was created with the faithful in the womb.

Sirach 1:18 The fear of the Lord is a crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect health to flourish; both which are the gifts.

Sirach 1:20-21 The root of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and the branches thereof are long life. The fear of the Lord driveth away sins: and where it is present, it turneth away wrath.