P 9 Women

Reading Proverbs nine recently, I saw it in a new way.  It’s about two women, one is the personification of wisdom; the other, folly.  Each of these women is inviting the “naive” to come into their home.  They each offer something different.  Folly’s offer is short and sweet – she offers juicy, enticing pleasure.  Also, the woman herself is boisterous and ignorant.  And like a siren, she is luring the naive to their death. 

Consider the offer of these two women (the Proverb is below).  Take some time and study each of them, understanding with your mind.  

Now consider yourself.  You are the person walking down the road.  Two women cry out to you, offering you something.  Can you tell the difference between their voices?  Which one sounds good?  Which offer should you accept? 

Wisdom’s offer isn't nearly as enticing as folly’s allure, but once inside the house, Wisdom offers a banquet and a long life, whereas Folly offers us a moment of a sweet treat followed by bitterness and death. 

Remember one more thing: it’s easier to resist Ms. Folly if you’re strong, wise and mature.  She is most vicious with the weak, the immature and the struggling.  May God grant you the ears to heed the wise woman.

  == Proverbs 9 ==  

Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars;

She has prepared her food, mixed her wine & set her table;

She has sent out her maidens, she calls from the tops of the heights of the city:

“Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”

To him who lacks understanding she says,

“Come, eat of my food and drink of the wine I've mixed.  Forsake folly and live, and proceed in the way of understanding:

·       He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, and he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself. Don’t reprove a scoffer, or he’ll hate you, reprove a wise man and he’ll love you. 

·       Give instruction to a wise man and he’ll be wiser still, teach a righteous man and he’ll increase his learning.

·       The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, & the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding

For by me your days will be multiplied, & years of life will be added to you. If you are wise, you’re wise for yourself, & if you scoff, you alone will bear it.”

The woman of folly is boisterous, naive and knows nothing. She sits at the doorway of her house, on a seat by the high places of the city, calling to those who pass by, who are making their paths straight:

“Whoever is naive; let him turn in here,”

And to him who lacks understanding she says,

“Stolen water is sweet; & bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

But he doesn't know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.

Slow Down & Take Caution

Reading Proverbs this morning, I came across this, from 13.3: 

He who guards his lips guards his life…

…but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin 

Most of us have spoken "rashly" and know what Solomon is saying only too well.  We speak before we think sometimes, don't we?  

This reminds me of a certain freeway interchange which has a very steep, circular curve in it.  There are giant signs that say "25" and show the shame of the circle on it ... but for some reason I often forget to pay close attention, and once I'm deep in the curve I remember that it's a lot sharper than I'd remembered.  Then I have to remind myself to SLOW DOWN! 

Consider oil tankers – though they’re gigantic and propelled by zillion horsepower engines, they’re steered by a relatively teeny rudder.  Likewise the tongue is a tiny part of the body, but it’s very powerful.  A whole forest fire can be set by one little match … and so the tongue is a match that can defile the whole body and sets on fire the course of our whole life, and is set on fire by hell.  Every species of animal has been tamed, we've tamed the wind and even the power of the atom – but no one can tame the tongue; it’s a restless evil and full of deadly poison.       James 3:4-8 (KPV) 

Since the tongue has such power, it would be wise to slow down and think and concentrate before you take that sharp turn.  Remember that in your car lives and property are at risk ... but when we speak, we can influence others for God - or away from Him.  

Slow down and think - before you speak.  Better yet, pray before you speak, asking God to help you speak only wisdom. 

love

PS: this message was really just for me, because I need it so badly.  I hope none of you have this problem as badly as I do, but if you do ... then read this again and ask God to make sure you obey this wisdom. 

How to Live Securely and without Dread

Wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square…

At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:

“How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing & fools hate knowledge?

Turn to my reproof: I’ll pour out my spirit on you!

I will make my words known to you!

Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; & you neglected all my counsel & didn’t want my reproof…

I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, when your dread comes like a storm & your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they’ll call on me but I won’t answer; they’ll seek me diligently but they won’t find me –

- Because:

• They hated knowledge &
• They didn't choose the fear of Yahweh.
• They would not accept my counsel,
• They spurned all my reproof.

So … they shall eat of the fruit of their own way & be satiated with their own devices. For:

• the waywardness of the naive will kill them, &
• the complacency of fools will destroy them.

But he who listens to me 

shall live securely & 

will be at ease from the dread of evil.
                     Proverbs 1:20-33

Read this section again and again, and three things become clear:

1. Wisdom is offering herself to us, and trying desperately to get us to listen to her, accept her teachings, and even her rebukes.  She will sometimes be hard to hear, and hard to accept. 
2. Refusing to listen to her will result in our personal calamity – and when it comes, she will not rescue us.  Instead, she’ll laugh at us for deliberately putting ourselves in the situation of our own choosing. 
3. Accepting her words and rebukes … results in a life lived without fear or dread.  We will prevent many disasters in our lives.  Still, some storms will come, but we’ll be prepared. 

Read it again and again until it soaks in.  Then make Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (and this blog) your friend, 3-5 times a week, just a bit at a time. 

Learn and apply the teachings of Mother Wisdom.  She is our guide, and her rewards are huge.