Proverbs 9: 1-18 Pictures of 2 women…

Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The woman Folly is loud;
she is seductive and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Comment: I think one gets nothing out of reading the passages which I comment on if you’re not prepared to let your mind wander back and forth over the sentences; translate into pictures the illustrations which have been used; and put yourself into the pictures created to imagine yourself in those situations.

Wisdom sends criers out into the streets to call to her beautifully prepared house the person who wants to learn. She tells her messengers not to waste their time on the scoffer or the wicked as they will only respond with abuse or maybe even physical beatings.

You’ll not find wisdom if you don’t have a right attitude to Wisdom but if you do have that right attitude your wisdom will grow. And what is the right attitude? To have a healthy fear of God! Not a terror of Him but an awe and humility before Him.

Folly calls out, encouraging the simple minded to steal water and eat stolen bread. Water is a very relevant thing as an example if you have needed to walk miles to collect a supply for your family or to stand in long lines at distribution points – as often occurs in developing countries. I think that there are sexual references here but also much wider issues. Wisdom answers – ‘Okay, but if you enter into the foolish woman’s place, remember where it all ends! Sheol or hell!‘