Proverbs 1-9 is a series of lectures and interludes which summon a young person to pursue wisdom. Today we’ll look at the final lecture, in chapter 9. This is #2 of our January series of random messages.
The Proverbs use certain images to describe life. The most common one is that life is a path – the young person will have to keep choosing the right path, even as it always intersects with other paths/choices that don’t end well.
In our chapter today we have another imagery to describe life. Life is described as a choice between two invitations to a meal. Lady Wisdom sends out her invitation to a meal of her creation; Lady Folly calls to the same crowd, urging them to eat what she has on offer.
What a strange question to pose to a young person: which invitation to eat will you accept, from Lady Wisdom or Lady Folly?
But the image is a true one, and it builds on the image of life as a path. Not only will one need to make choices, but he is also regularly being compelled, outside of his own mind, to make certain choices.
Let’s read:
9 Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
5 “Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
13 The woman Folly is loud;
she is seductive and knows nothing.
14 She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
15 calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
The structure of this lecture is easy to pick out. In vv. 1-6 Lady Wisdom is calling simpletons to a meal. In vv. 13-18 Lady Folly calls the same group to her meal, which will be a different experience from Lady Wisdom’s.
Between these two invitations is a section that acts as a pivot. We’ll come back to that in a few minutes.
Let’s compare and contrast the two invitations.
First off, let’s notice that both Wisdom and Folly are inviting people to partake of their meals. They are inviting the same group of people: the simple ones, those who are unformed, who are open to influence and direction. We might call them “Everyman.” Everyone is being invited to one of two meals.
Wisdom has gone all in with preparations. She hasn’t just prepared a meal; she has prepared a whole infrastructure that is able to support such a meal. She has built a house.
In building that house she has not been simply utilitarian. The house is adorned with seven pillars – as you might have heard, “seven” is the number of completion. The writer is drawing attention to a total and exquisite READINESS.
Not only is the house made ready. Wisdom has slaughtered beasts from her own livestock. She has mixed her wine, that is, not simply bought wine at market but was involved in shaping its flavor by using different types of grapes that probably she cultivated.
She has set her table – probably with glasses and china and napkins and silverware. Perhaps some flower arrangements or candles? Wisdom thinks there is more (but not less) to satisfaction than just the momentary burst of flavor; there is also the beautiful environment.
A table that is set ready for what’s coming. Yes, a set table is full of anticipation, only guests and food are lacking. A set table is the preface to a drama. The guests at Wisdom’s table are in for a grand experience.
So Wisdom is advertising taste, nourishment (“and live”), delightful ambiance…a splendid and satisfying adventure.
What a contrast with Folly. Folly’s preparation can hardly be called such. She has food but she’s taken some shortcuts… stolen the food from somewhere. There’s no mention of anything having to do with atmosphere.
And one can’t really relax and enjoy Folly’s meal set before him because it was obtained illegitimately. You’ll have to eat it nervously, looking over your shoulder, wondering if something might catch up with you. “I feel a bad moon rising” is playing in the background.
But for all that nervousness, Folly’s not wrong: “Stolen water is sweet.” There’s a thrill in this naughtiness. Some rushes of drama.
So simple people are being invited to two different meals at two places: one is characterized by preparation, beauty, anticipation, interest, cultivation, knowledge, tastes, potential fellowship. All the stuff of joy.
The other is associated with nervous thrills, dangerous pleasure that might very well end abruptly and painfully.
Let’s return to the invitation – we’ve already seen that it’s directed at the same group. Yet the invitations themselves are different. Wisdom sends out her young women to invite. Folly herself issues her invitation.
This is a fundamental distinction: Wisdom’s invitation comes through agents, intermediaries. Might we guess at some? Parents, teachers, coaches, employers, pastors, mentors, friends, enemies, colleagues, grammarians, conscience, traditions, religion, …
V. 13 – Folly doesn’t trouble herself with any processes or middlemen. Hers is an immediate, brazen, sensual appeal. She relies on turned up volume and allure. Sensationalism. Sheer appetite.
People will come to eat her thin gruel, Folly knows, if she is so loud that her call drowns out the voice of counselors. With her overpowering lure, people won’t stop to think and inquire into Folly’s quality and long-term effect. Folly is the master of the immediate appeal to base appetite – perhaps a titillating image, the promise of a burst of pleasure, indulgence in self-pity, the mirage of procrastination, the pull of a sentimental story, being swept up into a fad or popular cause or movement… Living by feelings and appetite and sentiment…ahhh! Easy! Thrilling!
OK.
Question though: why would anyone choose Folly over Wisdom?
In v.6 I think is the answer: Wisdom says to her guests: Leave your simple ways and live/ and walk in the way of insight. Wisdom is challenging her guests to change. On the other hand, folly doesn’t judge, doesn’t challenge, and simply offers immediate pleasure.
For example: Wisdom says change your clothes and go outside and exercise; folly says, remain on this soft chair.
Wisdom pushes you, calling you into a better, more secure future. Folly wants you to ignore the facts about your high blood pressure and sagging body and sourness that comes from not moving around. The voice of Folly is loud and seductive.
VV. 7-12 falls in the middle of these two invitations and, as I mentioned earlier, acts as a pivot that turns the focus from wisdom to folly.
The theme of this middle section is responding to correction… or facing criticism. That’s the practical thing in mind throughout this entire lecture.
Wisdom says “Leave your simple ways and live/ and walk in the way of insight.” It is the way of Wisdom to correct, to rebuke, to criticize.
What you do with that criticism equals whether you’re accepting wisdom’s invitation or responding to folly’s invitation. If you are open to critique and change– you’re eating at wisdom’s table. If you react angrily, with stubbornness, frigidly – you’ve accepted Madam Folly’s invitation, and headed in the direction of Sheol.
V. 7 – You can tell who is inclined to visit Folly’s table – here these folks are called scoffer and wicked man – because whoever criticizes them is in for a world of hurt. If this person is reprimanded, critiqued, challenged, or even disagreed with – watch out. He’s going to snarl. Or pout. Or ghost you. Or passively-aggressively post something about toxic narcissists.
Perhaps someone criticizes you…and a little ways into that discussion you insert a phrase like this: “Well, what about what you did…”
How easy all that is!
V. 8a: Fundamentally, a scoffer, one who sits at Folly’s table, will hate you when he’s corrected. Now he might not choose that word because it sounds extreme to the modern ear. But what it means is that he’s done with you – again, perhaps not totally, but in some important way he’s through dealing with you. There will ever be a chasm between the two of you.
VV 8b-9: Contrast his reaction with that of the wise man, the man who responds to Wisdom’s invitation because he likes the taste of what Wisdom offers, the environment, where the whole thing is going: When you rebuke a wise man, he’ll appreciate the fact that he’s being challenged. He likes you because you’re not a yes-man or a group-thinker.
A wise man lives in the world with the notion that he doesn’t know it all, that he’s often wrong, that there’s much to learn, that he hasn’t arrived – and so he’s open, in a way eager for contrary voices.
Let me point out a phenomenon: When you’re rebuked, the one who is critiquing you is often wrong about much that he says. Many allegations brought against you are simply incorrect. There’s some caricaturing going on. But here’s the thing: at the bottom of the accusation there’s quite often a grain of truth.
And so the wise person doesn’t spend a lot of time defending himself against the details. He hears the thrust of the criticism and assumes there’s probably something to it. Or perhaps even the thrust was wrong, but there’s some truth next to it.
Learn to lean into correction. To welcome criticism. Oh! Not because you have self-esteem issues. Nor because you’re a masochist. But because scrumptiousness and nourishment and beauty and progress are on the other side of taking rebuke.
Here in the sermon I’ll spotlight a certain type of person. He/she is responsible. Sometimes remarkably so. Takes initiative. Reliable. Trustworthy. Smart. Accomplished. Good with people. And yet, behind all their uber-responsibility, sometimes even unbeknownst to them, lies the fear of ever being wrong, criticized, shown up as having missed something important. And so, after dwelling next to these types peaceably for many years, even after having built something alongside them, when criticism is finally directed at them, the furies are released! Though they might not look so furious but rather frosty and distant!
I think there’s a lot of this on the loose today. Moderns especially are averse to criticism. Perhaps because our parents have doted too much on us and we’ve lived under the slogans of ‘you’re the best’? Perhaps we’ve lived in an environment of fearing to be anything but 100% nice? Perhaps all our relationships come with an unspoken ‘be nice and agreeable, or else…’?
When adult children have their child-rearing criticized by their parents… watch out! When someone’s discernment is questioned, or work habits are challenged – roar!
But none of this umbrage makes sense. In the Garden, humanity was given a fundamental task – to work. Then we fell. Of course, that Fall will show up in our work, be it in laziness or sloppiness or obsession or arrogance.
We live in a world of lies manned by a prince of lies – of course we’re going to get some things wrong.
Who has dealt with his money perfectly? Who can write the textbook on rearing children?
Folks, open your arms to criticism. No, literally: let’s practice.
In v. 10 – the fear of the LORD is brought up. That is, your response to rebuke – which remember arrives through the agents of wisdom – has much to do with your relationship with God. If you were already walking before Him humbly, if You are in the habit of being corrected and rebuked and instructed by His Word, you’re already positioned to admit mistakes, to look for better perspectives, to own up to sins and bad habits.
V. 11 – Remember… living under the fear of God, which our passage tells us has much to do with responding well to critique, which is tantamount to accepting the invitation of Wisdom… remember that this is good for you. You are better off not running or hiding or dreading criticism… but opening yourself to it.
Friendships that are not premised on ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ – but include the occasional hard words, rebuke, awkwardness – yes, those friendships will take you somewhere.
Families that don’t sweep issues under the carpet but discuss them – there is life and health in those families.
Believe “faithful are the wounds of a friend.” Believe “better is open rebuke than love that is concealed.” Believe in the virtues of criticism.
Christians, fight against ours becoming a society of scaredy-cats, avoiders. Tell your pastor when he isn’t being clear. Don’t shield your children from the chiding of their teachers. Managers, tell your subordinates if you don’t believe he’ll ever be able to do the job, that he’s in over his head. Ladies, tell your boyfriend exactly why you’re breaking up with him, and don’t tell him that he’s like a brother to you.
We don’t want a society of pure critics, of complainers, of abrasive people… but we do want a society where criticism is allowed, welcomed; not dreaded.
V. 12 – Ultimately, the decision to take criticism, no, to welcome it, is a decision to prosper yourself. Brothers and sisters, when your pastor calls you and points out something, I’d like the smell of steak to waft into your nostrils.
Conversely, if you insist on baring your teeth at criticism, always threatening to quit when people question you, or creating a surly or arrogant disposition in which people fear saying what they really think around you… you end up only hurting yourself.
Brothers and sisters, our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world with an implied “no.” You’re not making it. All your so-called righteousness and virtue signaling is like menstrual cloths. You’re not doing well, you’re sick. You’re not a wealth of moral astuteness, you’re poor. You’re not insightful, you’re blind. You’re not clever, you’re wretched. You’re not triumphant, but actually an object to be pitied.
The possibility of our salvation is tied to our accepting the rebuke that Jesus brings. And not just accepting it as some high-level, abstract doctrine, but looking at our lives, or at least some part of our habits, and recognizing the validity of Jesus’ rebuke.
For instance, perhaps admitting that you’re always getting into fights, resenting people, hating. Perhaps admitting that as long back as you remember sexual lust has factored into much of your thinking. Perhaps owning up to the fact that you’re at heart a coward who is afraid of work or afraid of controversy or afraid of being different. Or maybe recognizing that throughout your life you’ve lacked self-control, and thus done damage to yourself and others. Or that you’ve constantly been trying to drop things about you into conversations to show that you’re important or virtuous. Or that you regularly gossip or slander or complain or throw pity-parties.
You needed to sit before Jesus’ rebuke. And then take it. Own up to its general and particular validity.
Accepting Jesus’ “No” is the way to life; to not do so is to court death!
Here’s an exact quote, from John 9: “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘we see,’ your guilt remains.”
Once you hear Jesus’ rebuke, and receive it, you’re able to hear the total situation behind the rebuke, that your sin-guilt was imputed to Jesus and His death was nothing less than a judgment on your sin and that justice was completely satisfied.
When God raised Jesus, that Son of Man, from the grave, He said Yes to Jesus Christ, and Yes to those whom Christ saves by their faith in Him.
So first you hear the “No” so you can then hear the “Yes.”
If God’s call to us that ends with our salvation begins with a divine “No,” why should we be amazed or annoyed or hide from lesser rebukes that come from messengers of heavenly Wisdom?
[Open wide your arms]. Folks, receive the rebukes of wisdom and enter further into God’s salvation!
Let me conclude with some short statements:
- Don’t be tricked into thinking you’re humble when you’re not. Perhaps you can easily say “I’m a sinner.” Or “my life is messy.” You’re ok accepting the slogans. All too easy. But what happens when someone points out where you’re particularly failing in your role as a mother?
- Don’t discount criticism because of its source. Why should I listen to that donkey or that charlatan? Well, Balaam’s ass. And Paul saying if those charlatans preach Christ – good. You can learn from almost anyone who are driven by any motive.
- Don’t get overwhelmed by criticism from others. Don’t allow rebuke to fester and eventually eat away at you. Each of us is a work in progress. When we look back at ourselves now five years hence, we’ll be embarrassed about a lot. And what change will occur in us in this life is nothing compared to the Great Change that we await at the coming of our Lord. What I’m saying is that whatever faults people discover in ourselves and then share with us only capture a tiny bit of our overall gloomy situation. We’re much worse off than anyone understands at the moment, including ourselves. There’s something freeing about accepting that.
- Oh! Oh! This is so hard. This is so important. We hear about listening to rebuke in Proverbs 1; we hear it again in Proverbs 9. The lectures of Proverbs are bookended by the issue of dealing with rebuke. Open wide your arms. There’s a Chesterton line that I came upon years ago that struck me as kind of schmaltzy. As time goes on I like it more: “Angels fly because they take themselves lightly.” Don’t be so scary or uptight or perfect or mature or dignified or learned or accomplished that you can’t be scolded or told you’ve been wrong for some time.
- Finally, be confident. There’s nothing wrong with thinking, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve gotten pretty good at this. I’ve passed through major challenges and I know what to do. I’m ready for what’s next (by God’s grace and with His help). Here’s the thing: combine this confidence, even a little bravado, with welcoming critique, disagreement, resistance.
The Trinity knows you and is for you through Jesus Christ. The good angels are on your side. You belong in the company of the Church, both the quick and the dead. The Lord Jesus has staked His reputation on protecting your body and soul. You are victors through Him.
Thanks be to God for His grace. When sin surmounts, grace rises even higher. When our faults are exposed, it’s His grace that is exposing them so as to do away with them. Hallelujah!
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