Proverbs 9:1-12 – The path of wisdom

Proverbs 9 gives us a description of both wisdom and folly. In thinking about what’s written here, we must keep in mind the parable that Jesus told in Matthew 7:24-27. It’s a parable that encourages us to build our life on the right foundation. It tells of two houses with different foundations. The two houses were symbols of two lifestyles. The wise build it on solid rock but the fool, on sandy ground. Both houses or lives are tested by the same storm of life. The one that is built on solid rock stood firm and strong in the storm, whereas the one built on sandy ground fell because of its weak foundation. Wisdom encourages us to build a strong life that comes from listening and applying God’s Word to life. Folly suggests that we do not need the Word of God. The result is obvious – disaster. When our lifestyle is based on the principles of God’s Word we are likened to that wise man. When we have no regard for God’s Word, we have in fact engaged in a foolish lifestyle that will end in utter destruction. Here in Proverbs 9, the teacher also sets out before us two ways to do life – one through the eye of wisdom and one through the eye of folly. We must carefully consider each and decide which of the two we prefer. They serve as two invitations as well as two warnings.

Verses 1-12 talk about patterning our life on wisdom and verses 13-18, on folly. In verses 1-3, wisdom is depicted as a house with seven pillars hewn from stones. It is no ordinary house. It is a strong mansion perfectly supported by its seven strong pillars. The emphasis is not so much on the pillars but on the number seven. In the Bible the number seven is a symbol of perfection or completeness. On the table in this house, wisdom has set a banquet of rich and nutritious food and well mixed drink. It is a figurative way of telling us that wisdom always provides us with plenty of rich food for thought. The maidens represent the messengers who are sent out to invite all to come and taste of her wisdom.  Two categories of people need to come. First category is the simple, referring to those who are thoughtless. The second category refers to those who lack understanding, meaning those who are teachable. But to profit from wisdom, they must choose not to remain simple and to pursue understanding. Bear in mind that the life wisdom offers is not about prosperity but about a quality of life that’s much richer and better.  

Verses 7-10 show us the type of people who will never feel the need for such wisdom. They are referred to as scoffers. They are people who are perverse, wilfully and consciously. Their preference is for evil rather than righteousness. They will be excluded from the feast that wisdom has set forth. People who try to correct the scoffers will be rebuffed. It suggests that such people feel that they know it all and have no need for correction. Any attempt to correct them would be wasted on them. In contrast, the wise and the righteous are open to and appreciate correction. They are quick to assimilate the lesson and increase in knowledge. In verse 10 we see that the fear of the Lord is the pre-requisite to wisdom.  If we want to have wisdom, we need to have holy reverence for the Almighty. He is the source of all wisdom. Verses 11-12 describe the incentives wisdom offers. With wisdom we will be guided to conduct our life with increasing length. Know it or not, every one of us has the capacity to choose wisdom and enjoy its reward. But we can also choose to ignore wisdom like the scoffers and pay the price. Whatever choice we make, the result will be clearly experienced – godliness and righteousness versus perversity and evil. The right choice to make is clear!