Learning Warnings of Wisdom and Wisdom of a Lady

Saturday, May 7, 2022

Lady Wisdom

20-21 Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts.

    At the town center, she makes her speech.

In the middle of the traffic, she takes her stand.

    At the busiest corner, she calls out:

22-24 “Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance?

    Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism?

Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn?

    About face! I can revise your life.

Look, I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you;

    I’m ready to tell you all I know.

As it is, I’ve called, but you’ve turned a deaf ear;

    I’ve reached out to you, but you’ve ignored me.

25-28 “Since you laugh at my counsel

    and make a joke of my advice,

How can I take you seriously?

    I’ll turn the tables and joke about your troubles!

What if the roof falls in,

    and your whole life goes to pieces?

What if catastrophe strikes and there’s nothing

    to show for your life but rubble and ashes?

You’ll need me then. You’ll call for me, but don’t expect an answer.

    No matter how hard you look, you won’t find me.

29-33 “Because you hated Knowledge

    and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God,

Because you wouldn’t take my advice

    and brushed aside all my offers to train you,

Well, you’ve made your bed—now lie in it;

    you wanted your own way—now, how do you like it?

Don’t you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots?

    Carelessness kills; complacency is murder.

First, pay attention to me, and then relax.

    Now you can take it easy-you’re in good hands.”

-Proverbs 1:20-33 The Message

The Call of Wisdom

20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street,

    in the markets, she raises her voice;

21 at the head of the noisy streets, she cries out;

    at the entrance of the city gates, she speaks:

22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?

How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing

    and fools hate knowledge?

23 If you turn at my reproof,

behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;

    I will make my words known to you.

24 Because I have called and you refused to listen,

    have stretched out my hand, and no one has heeded,

25 because you have ignored all my counsel

    and would have none of my reproof,

26 I also will laugh at your calamity;

    I will mock when terror strikes you,

27 when terror strikes you like a storm

    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

    when distress and anguish come upon you.

28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;

    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

29 Because they hated knowledge

    and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

30 would have none of my counsel

    and despised all my reproof,

31, therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their way,

    and have their fill of their own devices.

32 For the simple are killed by their turning away,

    and the complacency of fools destroys them;

33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure

    and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

Verse 20 study: Imagining wisdom shouting in the streets is personification, meaning this is a literary device to make wisdom come alive for us. Wisdom is not a separate thing, but it is the mind of God revealing his advice to you. Reading about Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry shows us his wisdom in action. To understand wisdom, we listen to wisdom calling and instructing us in the book of Proverbs. The New Testament calls for wisdom. God may have offered wisdom to you; accept it.

7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

-2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

-James 1:5 ESV

Verse 22 study: In the book of Proverbs, “simple-minded” or a fool is not someone with a mental deficiency but a character deficiency. For example, rebellion, laziness, or anger. The fool is not stupid, but they can tell right from wrong or good from bad.

Verses 23-28 studies: God loves to pour his heart out to let us know his thoughts. But we have to be willing to listen to receive his advice. Pride lets our own thoughts get in the way; it is thinking our wisdom is better than God’s. If we feel we have no desire or need for God’s direction, we have fallen foolish to pride.

Verses 31-32 studies: The consequences many people face is the “fruit of their own way.” Proverbs points this out, and many people have experienced this in life. When you are faced with choosing God’s wisdom or rebellious independence, many people will go at it alone. The problem with this plan of action is people tend to destroy themselves when issues are created. Ignoring God’s advice is painful. It’s even more distressing when we choose to follow his advice, but in the end, it will keep you from more significant pain in the future.