Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her servants, and she calls from the highest point of the city, “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says, “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of insight.” Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse. Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you. Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer. Folly is an unruly woman; she is simple and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way, “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says, “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead. [Proverbs 9:1-18 NIV]
This is a short poem where we have two ladies in opposition to each other. They are both inviting people to a great feast in their respective homes but as we read this passage it becomes clear that Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly are very different people. Perhaps the comments about the figure of speech called personification in the last blog entitled "I was from eternity before the world began," are helpful here. Wisdom and folly are both abstract concepts but the writer of this part of the Book of Proverbs turns them into females. There is more said about Lady Wisdom than Lady Folly, however (12 verses out of the 18 verses are devoted to Lady Wisdom).
Lady Wisdom
Her house is spacious and is a solid construction which will stand the test of time. "Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars." [Proverbs 9: 1 NIV]
She has a plentiful supply of food and drink "She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table." [Proverbs 9: 2 NIV]
She is eager for as many as possible to come to her feast. "She has sent out her servants, and she calls from the highest point of the city, “Let all who are simple come to my house!” [Proverbs 9: 3 -4 NIV]
She invites the 'simple' people to her banquet - but she wants them to change and become wise [Proverbs 9: 4, 6 NIV]
She offers 'insight' and life (verse 6). Insight is defined as 'knowledge of the Holy One' (verse 10)
Lady Folly
She is loud, undisciplined and without knowledge (verse 13)
She also is sending invitations to everyone passing by - (verses 14 and 15)
She is devious and underhand - "stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious" (Proverbs 9: 17)
There are dire consequences for those who follow her but her adherents are oblivious to them. "Little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave" [Proverbs 9: 18 NIV]
There is a straight choice of lifestyle and life philosophy. The invitation is to those who are 'simple.' This is a description of us in our natural state without God. This is not about the amount of education that we have gained or our intelligence. This is our 'unregenerate state.' This is a description of human beings who do not have God in their lives.
There is a straight choice - either to be like everyone else and follow Lady Folly. This is the popular choice because there are no moral dilemmas. This is the way of the crowd and is swimming with the current.
The other choice is less popular and is swimming against the current. This is deliberately choosing a minority route and going against popular opinion. Those who follow this path or to use the metaphor in this poem "enter the house of Lady Wisdom," do not consider themselves to have arrived at a state of perfection. They are acutely aware of their need to increase in wisdom - "be wiser still" or "add to his learning" (verse 9). Those who enter the house of Lady Wisdom are marked by a deep reverence for the Lord "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (verse 10). The longer we follow Jesus as a Christian, and the more we get to know him personally, the more we are aware of our weakness and our need to grow to be more Christ-like.
The important point is that those who want to adhere to the philosophy of Lady Folly do not need any change of heart. They are alright just as they are in all their simplicity. They can continue with the life they have been living. But those who enter the house of Lady Wisdom require repentance (to use a New Testament expression) "Leave your simple ways and you will live" [Proverbs 9:6 NIV]. Notice that there is no need for any such change of heart for those who want to enter the house of Lady Folly (verse 16). You can never be a follower of Jesus Christ if there has not been repentance and a change of heart. There must be a recognition that we have sinned and a deep sorrow for how our sins have affected a holy God. This comes from an appreciation of the significance of the death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. It is when we see that Jesus was dying for my sins that we begin to see things differently. We develop an aversion to sin.
This is the choice that is still offered to us all in 2022. We can side with the majority and live a life which conforms to the values and principle of this world. If we are going to be a Christian, a follower of the despised Jesus Christ, we have to take up our cross and live a life that is in conflict with the values and philosophy of the world. There is a dire warning of the consequences of living a life according to the godless principles of Lady Folly - it ends in spiritual death and eternal punishment.
Here are verses from the New Testament which are stating this same truth.
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. [Matthew 7:13-14 NIV]
Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. [Matthew 10:38-39 NIV]
Photo by Karren McPherson - her creative interpretation of this chapter.
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