Proverbs 9:13-18 – The price of foolishness

In the first 12 verses, Proverbs 9 gives us a description of wisdom. Now in the last six verses it presents folly as a boisterous woman. She’s an empty vessel that makes a lot of noises. Like wisdom, folly also invites the simple, the inexperienced and those lacking understanding, hoping to sway the indecisive into taking her path and do life her way. But unlike wisdom, her intention is to trap them and lead them into a lifestyle of death. The simple lacks the ability to differentiate between good and evil, especially in their fleshly appetite. Hence, they can be easily enticed into gratifying their base nature. On the other hand, those lacking understanding are swayed because they lack a strong resolve to follow the path of virtue. Knowing their gullibility and indecisiveness, folly appeals to these two categories of people urging them to pander to their desires.

In verse 17, folly makes her sales pitch. She proposes that “Stolen water is sweet; and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”  Figuratively speaking, drinking and eating refer to sexual relationship. The word stolen is suggestive of an illicit tryst, an adulterous affair. Notice that wisdom offers food and wine i.e. food for thought to her guests, folly offers bread and water. They are in direct contrast. Food and wine are rich and satisfying whereas bread and water are fit only for beggars. Meagre bread and water appear more attractive because forbidden food, they say, always tastes sweeter. But is it? The godly man will not eat stolen bread nor drink stolen water. For in Proverbs 5:15 wisdom dictates he will only drink water from his own cistern i.e. he will have sexual intimacy only with his wife. Folly suggests that illicit liaison is more exciting and enjoyable than godly marriage. The covert nature of this activity adds to the excitement, giving the idea that common sense has been outwitted. How dumb can one be?   

What is the end of heeding the call of folly? Verse 18 says that gullibly the simple enter the house of folly. Bear in mind that there is no free meal for immorality. Those who are baited by the invitation of folly will soon realize the huge moral price they’ll have to pay. Thinking that they are truly living, they are dilly-dallying with death. They fail to realize that they have just walked through the gateway of death, both moral and spiritual death. It is imperative that we consider life carefully. The wise man builds his life on the Word of God and the solid Rock of Christ. The foolish man panders to his base desire, has a jolly good time but ends up in the house of death. Remember, the wise man says only fools rush in.