Proverbs 9

Proverbs 9:1-18

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.

• "Why is wisdom a she?”, you might ask.  Well, it’s not to be taken literally, just like many areas within the bible.  It is poetic.  Wisdom is not literally a woman who prepares a banquet; wisdom is an intangible quality, even though Proverbs seems to describe it as if it were an actual person.  The grammatical necessity of using “she” was not necessarily driven by any intrinsic femininity within wisdom. As such, men should not be insulted nor women puffed-up at its reading.
• Wisdom is ready to answer any question.  God’s wisdom it prepared.

 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.”

• And she is not just sitting and waiting for you to come to her.  She is pressing herself onto the people.  Wisdom shouts out to be told.
• Consume wisdom – let it fill you.  We are all “simple” and “lack sense” in some ways.  Equally, we get dull and forget wisdom if not “sharpening” ourselves often.  Just like your body must eat often to keep fueled and ready for what is must face, so does your spirit and your mind.  
• Wisdom is Mind-Food.  Yeah, I just made that up.  You’re welcome.

 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.

• Scoffers aren’t to be taken seriously.  Don’t waste your time.  They aren’t looking for a logical, reasonable conversation.  They are just looking to smirk and arrogant in their ignorance.
• Imagine speaking the gospel to Bill Maher.  Oy.  Wasted breath.  He needs to be broken, humbled before he will hear wisdom.
• But convey wisdom, even through correction, and he will appreciate it.  Do you appreciate it when you are corrected in your understanding of God’s wisdom?  Might tell you if you are wise, or a scoffer.

 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;

teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

• A wise man knows he is not all-knowing.  Only one is all-knowing and that is God.  So, he will always receive and absorb more wisdom, making him even wiser.

 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

• Before you can receive wisdom, you must fear the Lord.  As discussed in previous Chapters, fear means to revere, to understand fully that He is great and we are not.
• With that understanding – that we have nothing good to learn unless it is from God – we can receive insight.  If we are arrogant, thinking we know better, we will not grow in understanding or wisdom.

 For by me your days will be multiplied,

and years will be added to your life.

• With wisdom, your days will be fuller.  
• Will you live longer here on Earth?  Maybe, maybe not.  But remember that life has two meanings:  Earthly and Heavenly life.  

 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;

if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

• Your wisdom will help you to grow.
• If you scoff, it’s to your own downfall.

 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

• Folly means “things fools do”.
• It’s tempting to be an idiot.  Being wise and responsible takes work.  It’s much more fun to be simple.  Ignorance is bliss, right?
• Ever notice the biggest idiots always seem to have the most to say?  They shout out at those who are wise and are doing things the right way.
• Sometimes people do bad things simply because they are bad.  Foolishness, but it’s human nature.  Your own water – good.  Water taken from someone else – somehow better.  But it’s foolishness.
• And this foolishness is the path to spiritual death.