Title: Wisdom: Two Invitations (Proverbs 9) Post by: nChrist on September 23, 2007, 09:26:10 PM Wisdom: Two Invitations (Proverbs 9) From A Voice In The Wilderness "Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out her seven pillars; she has slaughtered her meat; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her maidens; she calls out from the highest places of the city:" (vs1-3) These opening verses have a striking resemblance to the parable Jesus tells about the wedding feast and the invitation to it. (Mt22) Here, Wisdom has prepared a banquet; the preparations even include the building of the building, the "house". Jesus promised "In My Father's house are many mansions...I go to prepare a place for you" (Jn14:2) and gave the invitation to partake of the "Bread of Life" (Jn6:35), to "come to Me and drink" (Jn7:37) and the invitation is given "without money and without price" (Is55:1) WHAT IS THE INVITATION? "Whoever is simple, turn in here...come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine that I have mixed. Forsake simplicity, and live; and go in the way of understanding" (vs5-6) And again, what is the essence of Wisdom and Understanding? "The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (vs10) What are the benefits of answering this invitation? "For by me your days shall be multiplied, and the years of your life shall be increased." (vs11) Now, while Proverbs is written to and for the soul, when Wisdom is part of God's essence, the soul becomes entwined with the spiritual. While in this life, a wise person eschews the foolishness of wickedness, which typically translates into "clean living". A person characterized by clean living, not carousing and living a life of lasciviousness, due to such a lifestyle tends to live a longer healthier life. And when the person of wisdom knows the Almighty, and God makes Himself known to that person, drawing them to His Son (Jn6:44), they receive God's testimony... "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." (1Jn5:11) Who is the beneficiary of this wisdom? "If you are wise, you shall be wise for yourself..." (vs12a) Just because a person comes from any given family, and is wise, does not guarantee that the rest of his family is also wise. Just because a person knows the Lord, does not guarantee that their spouse also knows the Lord, even though they may verbalize such claims. Each person is accountable, -themself-, to God. "So then each of us shall give account concerning himself to God." (Rom14:12) "For each one shall bear his own load." (Ga6:5) BUT THERE IS ANOTHER INVITATION: Something Proverbs addresses repeatedly: the "foolish woman". She is described as being boisterous, naive and "knows nothing" (vs13) and she "calls out to those who pass by" (vs15a) Is this not pretty much a definition of our present lascivious Western Culture! Is not calling out to passers by a definition of 'commercials'! What are a majority of commercials characterized by? What is a primary theme of sitcoms and movies? What is a primary topic of conversation amongst the non-wise who engage in wickedness? The liberated, saucy, in-your-face, somewhat naked, you're-not-the-boss-of-me... FEMALE. ____________________________________ Title: Wisdom: Two Invitations (Proverbs 9) Post by: nChrist on September 23, 2007, 09:27:21 PM Wisdom: Two Invitations (Proverbs 9) From A Voice In The Wilderness Her invitation is: "whoever is simple, let him turn in here...stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant" (vs16-17) This is such a common-place experience in today's society, that a 'funny' line can be written for a sitcom; I've not seen it, but heard the line in a promo for one of this coming fall's lineups. The female, in a rage, yells at the man something like, "How DARE YOU lie to the woman you are cheating on your wife with!!" She is "naive". She is what is called elsewhere, many times, the "strange woman", the "seductress". The invitation is that the secret rendezvous is fun. It is exciting. Being 'forbidden', it is alluring. Now... where Wisdom promises life, and the Foolish Woman promises excitement; the reality is that following her is the path to death. "But he does not know that the spirits of the dead are there; the ones she summons are in the depths of Sheol" (vs18 ) And to whom does she call? The passers by "who are going STRAIGHT on their ways" (vs15b) The "good" men... she seduces, allures, corrupts... and ruins. And when this happens... whose 'fault' was it? Where does the blame fall? "...and if you scorn, YOU ALONE shall bear it" (vs12b) "He who sins against [Wisdom] does violence to HIS -OWN- SOUL" (8:36) Nobody else to blame. Yes, she might have been "irresistible". But the choice is always before us. Wisdom or foolishness. "Turn in here" (vs4) to Wisdom's Life, or "turn in here" (vs16) to the ways of death and Sheol. Two invitations. Two responses. Two outcomes. And the outcome is between the -individual- and God. The one who does the enticing is answerable for -themself- to God. If a person allows oneself to be enticed, all a person can do before God is acknowledge one's -own- guilt. ("I acknowledge my transgressions.." Ps51:3) Yes, the serpent was judged for seducing, but Adam and Eve paid for their own guilt...and their sin then passed to the rest of the earth and humanity. Two invitations. Good or Bad. Righteousness or Wickedness. There are no (proverbial) "gray areas". "No one is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. It is not possible to serve God and mammon." (Mt6:24) And we are responsible for our own -individual- choices... how we respond to the various "invitations" of life... If we are filled with wisdom, we have the necessary "prudence" to ferret out the enticing evil "devices" (8:12) and avoid them. "I Jehovah search the heart, I examine the soul, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. "For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his practice. "...who will render to each one according to his works: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to what his work shall be." (Jer17:10, Mt16:27, Rom2:6, 2Co5:10, Rev22:12) "I call Heaven and earth to bear witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live;" (De30:19) "..knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Let us walk decently, as in the day...putting on the Lord Jesus Christ.. ...redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Romans 13:11-14~ Ephesians 5:16 ____________________ From A Voice In The Wilderness Free E-Mail Subscriptions: http://www.a-voice.org/mail |