Wisdom or Folly?

Proverbs 9:1-6 (NIV)

1Wisdom has built her house;

she has hewn out its seven pillars.

2She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;

she has also set her table.

3She has sent out her maids, and she calls

from the highest point of the city.

4“Let all who are simple come in here!”

she says to those who lack judgment.

5“Come, eat my food

and drink the wine I have mixed.

6Leave your simple ways and you will live;

walk in the way of understanding.

I like how Proverbs 9 shows us the contrast between how the wisdom of God (here personified as a woman) and Folly present themselves to people.  In the passage above wisdom builds her house and shows how well it is built, and how strong a foundation it has.  With it she  prepares a sumptuous meal, showing us how enjoyable and filling it will be.  Then, she sends out her maids to call out to all from the highest point of the city, so that all may see what she has prepared.

God’s wisdom for His people is not offered blindly to us.  He shows us how it is built, how strong the foundation of His wisdom is.  He also shows us how enjoyable and filling it is to walk according to His Word, His wisdom.

Of course this does not come magically into the mind of a believer.  We need to seek Him and His word, that we may know and understand what He is offering us.

But His wisdom is there…always available, and clearly explained to each of us.

This is in contrast to Folly.

 Proverbs 9:13-15 (NIV)

13The woman Folly is loud;

she is undisciplined and without knowledge.

14She sits at the door of her house,

on a seat at the highest point of the city,

15calling out to those who pass by,

who go straight on their way.

Folly is loud, undisciplined and without knowledge.  No explanation how her house was built or how strong it is, there is no preparation of any meal or of sending out her maids to call.

She just tempts.  All folly does is tell us what we can enjoy.

Proverbs 9:16-18 (NIV)

16“Let all who are simple come in here!”

she says to those who lack judgment.

17“Stolen water is sweet;

food eaten in secret is delicious!”

18But little do they know that the dead are there,

that her guests are in the depths of the grave.

 Notice that there is no presentation of how it will benefit us, or what good it will bring us.  It just says that what it offers is sweet and delicious.

Folly does not call out to those who have judgment, but to those who lack it.  She does not want anyone thinking or judging whether their actions will be good for them or not.

Then she offers the effect - the sweetness and deliciousness of what folly does, not focusing on the fact it is stolen and done in secret.

And, there is no explanation of the eternal effect of what they are going to do - for all sin leads to death.

Wisdom and Folly will always battle for victory over our minds, fighting for someone to follow them.

Will we stop and look at what God’s wisdom offers us, or will we simply  follow the temptation of folly, look to what we can enjoy for a few moments, without understanding its eternal effect?