November 12-13, 2017
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Proverbs? Here’s today’s reading:
Proverbs 9 (ESV)
Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
5 “Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”....Continue Reading
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This just reinforces for me the fact that righteousness, holiness, and wisdom (characteristics of God) are transparent and honest by nature. They are themselves consistent with an honest and truthful God, and therefore their message is honest and straightforward.
Folly (i.e. foolishness), being inconsistent with God, is rooted in deception, because it is not from God. Folly’s tactics are as she is, foolish, childish, indulgent, and again, deceptive.
Wisdom’s projected nature is as she is, wholesome, loving, and truthful to her intentions and the fruits of participating with her. Folly is unwholesome, since she knows too little to see the pattern of destruction in the wake of her past, and cares too little to get wisdom- the only thing that can break the pattern.
Wisdom is not seductive, whiny, or deceptive, but stands steady on her own two feet planted firmly in the Cornerstone, the Word, the Truth, offering out to folks sinking in quicksand, “Come stand on the steady foundation that cannot be moved!”. I think this paints a good picture of evangelism, one of compassion and love rather than insecure declarations of how right we are. If we’re planted firmly in the Truth, we don’t need validation, because we are not sinking, though the earth quake and crumble around us, we stand firm.
For what it’s worth, vs 10 here (and many other places throughout scripture) helped guide my attitude towards a career in science. I chose this direction because of an insatiable desire for learning and experimentation; I wanna know how everything works. Early on, I prayed that whatever I learn, and whatever wisdom I possess, would be because I KNOW Him. That my familiarity and relationship with the Lord would guide my wisdom and give context to my understanding so that I what I have wouldn’t be from academia, but that my understanding of the world would be living and active, like His Word living in me, and that without exception, He would grow an understanding of Himself in me above all else. “For what good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”. I want to know Him, and from the abundance of His riches, I want to explore the mystery of His mighty works.
Knowledge of the Holy One is insight
Insight and wisdom are really quite miraculous given all the distractions and temptations of sin
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
This verse kinda makes sense to me, if we are constantly correcting people and “always having to be right” of course they will despise us. But at the same time, should we call out repeated sins in our brothers and sisters that are harmful to them? How does this connect with rebuking others? Is this scoffer a brother or sister in Christ or an unbeliever? Does that change things?
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Two houses to choose to enter, listen to what each woman says to discern which is the correct one to enter. Wisdom’s invitation is consistent with God’s word, Folly’s is not.
Wisdom: Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.
Folly: Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
What a great comparison of Wisdom and Folly. Both are seated on the highest point of the city making their claims and setting before humankind their wares. Both call out to the simple, one to instruct and lift the simple out of their simplicity and the other to take advantage of that simplicity and lead them to destruction. And the results that come to someone’s life as they seek one or the other is unmistakable. The one who is seeking wisdom will love it when you correct them because in that correction is the possibility to gain further wisdom. But you correct someone who is a scoffer (mocker in the NIV), ie. someone who sees their role is to correct or criticize what others have done, and they will hate you because they want to scrutinize others but don’t want to be scrutinized. They also don’t desire wisdom and therefore are put off by the offer of it.
And with wisdom being so exalted over the past few Proverbs, you might wonder how you get it. So important to see that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of it and as we get to know Him our understanding of things will by definition increase. Naturally this is not the fear that cowers before God. That kind of fear is driven away by God’s love according to 1 John 4. The fear referenced here is one of awe and deep respect. We must understand God’s greatness and the humility that inspires in order to receive the wisdom He has. And that is why the fear of Him is the beginning of it. At least form my perspective…and yours?