Proverbs 1:20-22 NIV Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; (21) at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: (22) How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
Have you ever wondered who are the “simple ones” who love their “simple ways” being referred to here? The NASB version translates it as “naïve ones”, being “simple minded”. The contrast is seen when you read it together with verse 20-21. Here wisdom is personified, described as a person who is calling aloud in the street, raising her voice, and crying out. The "simple ones" who love their "simple ways" are those who do not heed the voice of wisdom, who do not hear her cry.
Let’s set the foundation first. How does Solomon describe “wisdom”? There are so many sources of "wisdom" in the world, it is important for Christians to know the source of our wisdom. In Proverbs 1:7 Solomon writes "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction".
Wisdom, for God’s people, is founded in the fear of the Lord. The teachings and sayings that Solomon compiles for us in this book are not just wise sayings that we are to try and follow. Without the fear of the Lord, all these sayings become useless, and simply become “life tips” we should try and follow. To walk in wisdom is to walk with the fear of the Lord, therefore desiring to know His will and His ways. We literally become afraid to walk apart from His ways and His Word.
This is the wisdom that Solomon speaks of here, and in the whole book of Proverbs. In chapter 1 he continues by personifying “wisdom”, describing it as if it was a person. So, he describes wisdom as “calling aloud in the street, raising her voice, crying out!”.
In other words, the wisdom of God is not hidden, it is not a mystery, to those who fear God and who seek to know His will and His ways. It is right in front of us. For Israel it was the “law and the prophets”. For us today we are blessed to have the Bible, God’s Word compiled in 66 books.
So, who are the simple minded who love their simple ways?
The simple minded are those who do not heed the cry of wisdom, who do not listen to what God has to say. They are “simple minded” because they just want to make life simple, not complicated, no need to pray or seek for God's wisdom and will. They walk in this life naïve, not realizing that walking apart from God’s wisdom is folly, it is foolish, and it has its consequences. For Filipinos it’s living life with the “bahala na” attitude. We just face life, live as we want, without seeking God and the knowledge of His ways.
Solomon continues and writes:
Proverbs 1:23-31 NIV (23) If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. (24) But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, (25) since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, (26) I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-- (27) when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
Wisdom rebukes, pours out its heart and makes its thoughts known to us. And when we reject it, do not give heed to it, ignore its advice, what happens? Wisdom laughs at our disaster, mocks us when calamity overtakes us.
Again, this is wisdom personified. This is not talking about God laughing at us or mocking us when we reject wisdom. This is “wisdom” laughing at us.
Have you ever walked apart from God’s will, and then afterwards, when facing the consequences of your action, feel as if you should have obeyed God? You knew the right thing to do, as God and His Word reveals, and yet went the opposite way. Our usual response is “I should have followed, obeyed, God”. There it is – it sounds like wisdom saying “I told you so…”.
And, have you ever been in a situation where, as you are facing the consequences of your action, and then begin to cry out to God for help, for wisdom, you cannot find it? Look what Solomon wrote:
(28) Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. (29) Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, (30) since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, (31) they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
When we walk away from God’s wisdom, we will eat the fruit of its ways. If we choose not to walk in the knowledge of God’s will or without the fear of the Lord, we will see its consequences.
There are so many people who ask for God’s blessing, who ask their pastors to pray for blessing, and yet make no effort at all to walk in His ways. Those are the “simple minded”, who walk naïve of God’s ways and of the truth that walking apart from God’s wisdom has its consequences.
Walking with God is not just about walking with God’s blessings. It is walking in God’s ways, in His wisdom. This is the life that God blesses.
But are we even capable of doing that? Our sinful heart tells us that we have our own wisdom to trust in, that we gained from our education, our experience. Our self-centeredness naturally moves us to trust in ourselves, our own judgment. We do not naturally seek God, or His wisdom. They seem so far and illogical, not applicable to everyday life.
But this is why we need a new heart. This is why we need a Savior who will cleanse us from this sinful heart, forgive us of our sins, and give us a heart that knows Him, seeks Him, and treasures His wisdom.
This is why Christ Jesus came. He was the sacrifice that reconciled us to God. This is why we need Him so much. Then, and only then, can we truly say that we have a heart that fears the Lord, that seeks His wisdom and knowledge, that we need for our everyday life.
With the new heart that God gives us, we need to step back, take time to seek God and His Word, pray for His will, so that we live life with the wisdom and knowledge of how He wants us to live. Yes, it does take effort, and it does take time. But walking in God’s wisdom has the blessing of God. Isn’t this what we desire to see in our life? It's not just about seeing God bless us, but seeing the blessing of living according to the wisdom and knowledge of God and His ways.
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