#914 Proverbs 9 Oh Folly Girl

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.

The Way of Folly

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. Proverbs 9 ESV 

Proverbs 9 Wisdom and Folly.

Wisdom has built her house - What we know of wisdom thus far, in the Proverbs, would mean a house built with knowledge and understanding. 

11 Then Hiram king of Tyre wrote a letter in reply to Solomon: “Because the LORD loves His people, He has set you over them as king.” 12 Hiram also said: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth! He has given King David a wise son with insight and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal palace for himself. 13 So now I am sending you Huram-abi, a skillful man endowed with creativity.… 2 Chronicles 2: 11-13

She has hewn her seven pillars - Seven is the number of perfection, her house is strong, the foundation is sure. 

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.… 1 Corinthians 3: 9-11

She has slaughtered her beasts, she has mixed her wine - This is quite a spread considering the cost to her and who she will offer it to, the simple and him who lacks sense. It was apparently a common practice in the Middle East, at that time, to dilute wine with water or mix in spices. 

She has also set her table - Wisdom is hospitable, and this is a practice common to much of the Middle East, also taught and commanded in Scripture.

…32 You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD. 33 When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him. 34 You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.… Leviticus 19: 32-34

Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.… Isaiah 58: 6-8

Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight - She offers much and the exchange is to put off the old ways of ignorance. It is like the call of the gospel, "repent and be saved."

“Literally, he that wanteth a heart; who is without courage, is feeble and fickle, and easily drawn aside from the holy commandment.” (Clarke)

…10 Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” 11“No one, Lord,” she answered. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.” 12 Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”… John 8: 10-12

Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse - We have to become teachable in order to have wisdom, and so humility becomes the struggle because the proud cannot seem to find where they left it. "You troubler of Israel", and so many taunts, for the fool has said in his heart there is no God, or that there is, but what He says does not matter. 

Isaiah 28:10 is an example of the scorning and taunting of one who delivers the truth. “One observeth that that was a scoff put upon the prophet; and is as if they should say, Here is nothing but line upon line, precept upon precept. The very sound of the words in the original – Zau le zau, kau lakau – carries a taunt, as scornful people by the tone of their voice, and rhyming words, scorn at such as they despise.” (Trapp)

Reprove a wise man and he will love you - We all have error, we all have need of correction, even Peter was rebuked by Paul. The person who will not leave me in my error, that person I have come to love the most. It is easy to seek approval for it's own sake; their are a million lips that will play back what you said, but are they right? Is it the truth? Are you satisfied with just being told you're right, never thinking that you could be wrong?

Teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning - The wise and righteous are not always right, but they are teachable and will attain unto more wisdom.

…11 He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’… Matthew 13: 11-13

And the knowledge of the Holy One is insight - This is something that we are not by nature, Holy, He is set apart in this. Knowing Who He is, Holy, Holy, Holy, we will then see ourselves in a different light. The hypocrite cannot, for he is righteous in his own eyes. Fear is the logical response of a sinner when met with holiness. Where there is no respect, awe, or reverence, there is little understanding. 

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself - The aim is not vanity, not knowledge to impress, but it is worth it even alone. If you are wise, have prized wisdom, have sought her, you have fed yourself. If you reject her, scoff at her, then you have done this to yourself, and you will bear the consequence. There is a sense of individual responsibility. 

“This is perhaps the strongest expression of individualism in the Bible. Such statements (cf. Ezekiel 18; Galatians 6:4-5) are not meant to deny that people benefit or suffer from each other’s characters (cf. Proverbs 10:1), but to emphasize that the ultimate gainer or loser is the man himself.” (Kidner)

The woman Folly is loud - She is the contrast to wisdom, the alternative, speaking over wisdom. She chants, repeats herself, is boisterous, clamoring for attention. I have met her a million times, and she is never so concerned with what she says, but that she is heard. Truth is a bother to her, or she thinks when she speaks it is true because she has spoken. Facts will enrage her.

She is seductive and knows nothing - What she lacks in understanding, she makes up for in how she says it. It is emotional, cliche, filled with gesticulations and much grandstanding. She knows the key words, the phrase that pays, promises prosperity, and speaks with much passion and enthusiasm, but it's empty, a popularity contest.

…5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.… Ephesians 5: 5-7

Whoever is simple let him turn in here - She makes a similar call to the same people, imitating what she has heard wisdom say, but has already rejected for herself. She needs the simple to remain senseless,  because she wants followers, craves their attention. As misery loves company so does folly love her revelers. 

Stolen water is sweet - "It's much better to take than earn." We call abortion compassionate in our land. People right now are calling looters justified in their behavior. It plays to our depravity, but knowing the law is for the lawless, folly would ask that the law be taken away. Socialism, Marxism, they all come in the name of compassion, but what tyrants they end up being.

But he does not know that the dead are there - But she seemed so nice.

“She calls to the same simple ones and invites them to her house. But if they accept her invitation, they’ll be attending a funeral and not a feast—and it will be their own funeral!” (Wiersbe)

iii. “In every city, on every street, by every door of opportunity, these two voices of wisdom and folly are appealing to men. To obey the call of wisdom is to live. To yield to the clamor of folly is to die, How shall we discern between the voices? By making the fear of Jehovah the central inspiration of life. By yielding the being at its deepest to Him for correction and guidance.” (Morgan)

By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin. 26 He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.… Hebrews 11: 24-26