Proverbs 1:20-33

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Turn with me in your Bibles to Proverbs 1:20-33, as we continue our study together in the book of Proverbs. And as you are turning there, allow me to open up a little bit with a pastoral confession. I don’t know if I’ve disclosed this publicly here at VBVF yet. But here’s the truth of the matter. I love, love, love J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. I love those movies. I love the original books. And I love the Hobbit… although I didn’t like the Hobbit movies. Sorry, Peter Jackson, it’s true.

And one of my favorite characters in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy is a mysterious elf named Galadriel. She’s fascinating to me because she’s this interesting combination of both beauty and terrifying power. There are really very few encounters with females in the books. If you know anything about the books, you know that they are predominantly about the friendship of male characters as they embark on a quest. So when Galadriel shows up, it’s surprising. And the male characters are both awed and terror-stricken by her. She’s intimidating, but they love her. She’s wise, and yet she’s powerful. 

Well there’s a similar dynamic in play when we get to the book of Proverbs. Because in this book, there’s a female character that shows up that should both awe and terrify the listener. And since the author of Proverbs writes from the perspective of a father giving sound wisdom to his son (Hebrew:שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי “Listen, my son”), it’s intriguing that he inserts a woman into his lectures. 

But this is a woman unlike any other woman in Scripture. It’s a woman named Lady Wisdom. And just so you know, Lady Wisdom does a few things in our passage today that are quite unladylike. She calls out to men on the public street corners. She preaches at them. She blesses those who heed her counsel. And for those who ignore her counsel (here’s where she gets especially unladylike), she laughs at their demise.   

And what is Solomon trying to convey with this personification of Lady Wisdom. Well, you see wisdom is not just some tool that you put in your tool belt. It’s not like, “Yeah I could use that… that would come in handy… but I’ll be ok without it.” Wisdom is a matter of life and death. Remember “The Fear of the Lord” is the beginning of wisdom. Those who fail to fear God fail to gain wisdom. Those who acquire wisdom avert disaster. Those who ignore it… well… let’s see what happens to them. 

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I’m going to give you five principles for wisdom from the text today. Go ahead and take your notes and write these down. Here’s the first.

1. Wisdom is there for the taking (1:20-21)

Wisdom is not playing hide-and-seek. Wisdom is not saying, “Catch me if you can.” She, that is Lady Wisdom, is getting up in your face. She’s in your grill saying, “Hey, wake up. Pay attention.” She’s not on top of a mountain, in a lotus position spouting clichés to the intellectually elite. She’s in the hustle and bustle of the city. 

20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; 

Now just a quick grammatical nota bene on this verse. The word for “wisdom” here is not חָכְמָה, it’s חָכְמוֹת which is a pluralized form of that. So the question is why does Solomon use a pluralized form of “wisdom?” To make matters even more complicated the verb that is used for “cries aloud” is singular in Hebrew. So you have a plural noun with a singular verb. What’s that all about?

Well this is where the idea of Lady Wisdom emerges. Wisdom is a feminine noun in Hebrew. So in order to personify wisdom as a woman, he puts her in a plural form. Some call this a “plural of majesty,” the “royal we,” so to speak. And he gives her singular verbs. It’s really quite striking and poetic and artful. And it grabs your attention. It’s as if Solomon is saying, “Let me tell you son about a great lady named ‘Wisdom.’ Listen up and let me tell you her story.” 

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: 

Now before we get to the specifics of what she says, let me just comment on where she is speaking and to whom she is speaking. The street and the marketplace in ancient Israel were thriving with activity throughout the day. People would throng to these places for matters of business and for the business of living. The entrance of the city was another place where people would gather. This is where people would enter and exit throughout the day. People would go out to the fields for work and return at night. Elders would gather at the gates of the city and set policy for towns and families. There’s even some evidence that children would go to school near the gates of the city.

And these are the locations that Lady Wisdom frequents. She is not unwilling, aloof, or standoffish. She is not unapproachable. She is not hiding it under a bushel. She is not a reluctant or reclusive teacher. In fact, she comes boldly to the people. 

And neither does she discriminate against young or old, rich or poor, distinguished or undistinguished. She doesn’t discriminate against people of different backgrounds, social-economic conditions, or education. She cries aloud to one and all, seeking someone who will heed her counsel. For all of us in this room, “Wisdom is there for the taking.” 

Now if we could step out of the metaphor for just a second, let me say that wisdom is more accessible today than it has ever been. The ultimate source of wisdom is obviously the Lord. And the Lord has provided for us a book that speaks wisdom into our lives. That book is more accessible today than it has ever been before.

In the U.S. today the literacy rate is above 99%, and the global literacy rate is close to 90%. Approximately 99% of the people in our country and 90% of the people in our world are able to read the Bible. That’s really quite remarkable when you compare it to literacy rates throughout human history. A recent study revealed that “On average, 85 percent of U.S. households own a Bible; the average number of Bibles per household is 4.3.” Yet despite the prevalence of the Bible as the ultimate source of wisdom in our country… despite the preponderance of Bible translations and Study Bibles and Study aids online and at the local bookstore, that same study reveals that 36% of Americans read the Bible less than once a year or never while 33% read the Bible once a week or more.” Wisdom is literally there for the taking, and too many people ignore Lady Wisdom’s impassioned plea.

I’m not someone who spends a lot of time bemoaning the spiritual state of our country. I think that our country is stuck in a state of spiritual apathy bordering on hostility towards spiritual things. That makes me sad. But what I care about more than the spiritual apathy outside of the church walls is the spiritual apathy that exists in this room… that exists even in myself. 

You see it’s too easy to point and mock and bemoan what’s going on in our country. That’s easy. How’s it going with you? Are we heeding the instructions that God is giving us in his Word? Are the busyness of life and the distractions of this world making you indifferent to Wisdom’s plea? For some of you, this is a wake-up call. Have you gone this entire week without any substantive time in God’s Word? And if you are reading God’s Word, are you being both a hearer and doer of God’s Word? Consider this a challenge this morning to heed wisdom’s clarion call. There’s no excuse for spiritual slothfulness. 

Just so you know I’ve been convicted throughout this week on the little ways throughout the day that I ignore Wisdom’s call upon my life. There are times when I am a hearer but not a doer of God’s Word. There are times that I use “weariness” as an excuse for “laziness” or “wounded-ness” as an excuse for “bitterness.” I need to grow in some of these areas. The Bible is not silent on these issues.

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So wisdom is there for the taking. Write this down as well. 

2. Wisdom is the cure for foolishness (1:22-23)

Solomon writes in verse 22.

22 “How long, O simple ones, 

Notice the exasperated tone with Lady Wisdom: “How long.”

22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? 

Notice in verse 22 there are three categories of foolishness: 1) the “simple” 2) the “scoffers,” and 3) the “fools.” These are the three Hebrew words פֶּתִי, לֵץ, and כְּסִיל respectively. 

The first category is the “simple” (the פֶּתִי). In verse 4 the “simple” was a neutral term: “to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth.” The simple ones in that verse were vulnerable and gullible. They were innocent and impressionable. But here in verse 22, we don’t just have “simple ones” we have “simple ones who love being simple.” That’s different. Ignorance is bliss. They love being simple. They love being naïve. They love being juvenile.

One of the things that is absolutely epidemic in our society is something I’ll call “perpetual adolescence.” Grown men who act like teenagers. Grown men who behave like children. Grown men who refuse to grow up and take responsibility for themselves or God-forbid their wife and kids. Lady Wisdom’s got a few choice words for these simpletons who love being simple.

The second category of foolishness is “scoffing.” This is the worst of the three categories. These are scoffers who delight (literally “covet”) after scoffing. These are mockers who delight in mockery. 

When I was in High School, my friends and I perfected the art of scoffing. We made fun of everything. This was when “Seinfeld” was the most popular show on TV, and so we envisioned ourselves as little Jerry Seinfelds going around and making fun of everything. We made fun of people. We made fun of situations. We made fun of even sacred things. We were wrong for that. We were devoid of wisdom, and wisdom was calling.

The third category is this word for “fools.” The ESV says “fools who hate knowledge.” I’m not sure that “fool” in modern English really captures the force of this Hebrew word (כְּסִיל). A better word would be the word “dullard” or “dolt” or “idiot” or maybe even “meathead.” Lady Wisdom doesn’t mince words. She says essentially in this verse, “Listen up, you simpletons. Listen up, you scoffers. Listen up, you meatheads.” Wisdom is the cure for your foolishness!

And let me say two more things before we move on. 1) Let’s let Lady Wisdom do the name-calling, okay. Jesus warned us against unrestrained name-calling in the Sermon on the Mount, and I think we should heed that. 2) Let’s remember that we all were and we all are guilty of this from time to time. Who in here doesn’t need a “hey, wake up, knucklehead!” from Lady Wisdom from time to time? 

Lady Wisdom says:

22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? 

 Now watch this. This is one of the few hopeful moments in this passage. Watch what she pledges…

23 If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. 

Now that’s good news right there. That’s something positive that we can hang our hat on. If the simple or the scoffers or the meatheads will turn at her reproof, then she will pour out her spirit on them. Literally in Hebrew she says, “I will gush out, or spew out, my spirit all over you.” That is a wonderful statement. You don’t have to remain in a state of simplicity or stupidity, you can have wisdom.

Now just a few points of clarification here. First of all, the word “turn” does not mean “try.” It doesn’t mean let’s dabble in this wisdom stuff and see how it goes. The word itself implies repentance. It’s not a “half-hearted, let’s take this wisdom thing for a test drive and see what happens” kind of thing. You’ve got to sell out for this. You’ve got to want it. You’ve got to burn the “stupid” ships and give Lady Wisdom your full attention.

Let me just comment on this verse Christologically for a second. As I mentioned a few weeks back, Jesus Christ, according to 1 Corinthians 1:24, is “the wisdom of God.” To repent and embrace Jesus Christ as the wisdom of God is not a “let’s take this gospel thing out for a test drive and see if I like it” kind of thing. You don’t make Jesus your life coach or your consultant. He’s the Lord. 

I’ve seen enough half-baked, half-hearted, half-repentant confessions to Christ to know that nothing short of total repentance and confession of Christ as Lord has lasting value. If he’s not Lord of all, he’s not Lord at all. Turning or repenting means an about-face. I was headed in this direction and now I’m repenting and turning the exact opposite direction. 

Let me also say this. You should know that “reproof” in verse 23 is a strong word. It’s the Hebrew תּוֹכַחַת. A תּוֹכַחַת “reproof” is not a suggestion. It’s not a gentle reminder. It’s a verbal punch in the face. The word itself intimates the idea of punishment or disciplinary action. 

Lady Wisdom says, “If you heed my wake-up call, I will pour out my spirit upon you.” “If you listen to me, you will receive a blessing.” We’ll see more about that blessing later. 

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But before we see the blessing that awaits those who regard Lady Wisdom, we will see the curse that awaits those who disregard her. The following verses confirm that “hell hath no fury as a [Lady Wisdom] scorned.” Scorners may scorn and mockers may mock, but Lady wisdom gets the last laugh. 

Look at verse 24.

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. 

Here’s the third principle from the text today: 

3. Wisdom will not tarry forever (1:24-28)

These verses may seem a little harsh to you—Lady Wisdom laughing at the misfortunes of another. Derek Kidner, in his commentary on Proverbs says this, “[I] will laugh is not an expression of personal heartlessness, but of the absurdity of choosing folly, the complete vindication of wisdom, and the incontestable fitness of the disaster.” 

But even so, the picture of wisdom laughing is in keeping with other OT passages. In Psalm 2, after the nations of the world take their stand against the Lord’s Anointed, the Psalmist writes: He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury” (2:4-5). Also in Psalm 37, King David writes, “The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming” (37:12-13). The church father, Augustine, said “If God laughs, you have good reason to cry.”

Personally I see these verses as a great corrective for the way that God is portrayed in today’s culture. Some seem to think of God as just a big cuddly teddy-bear in the sky who is devoid of wrath or rage or fury. I assure you that’s not the case. Even a cursory reading of the OT (and the NT for that matter) will put that notion to rest. 

Now these verses need to be balanced with passages that speak of God’s mercy and his longsuffering. Numerous times throughout the Bible we are reminded that God is slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness (Exod 34:6; Ps 103:8; Jonah 4:2). But slow to anger does not mean “devoid of anger.” And for those who continually reject the God of wisdom, they will reap the whirlwind. Remember the rejection of wisdom is implicitly a rejection of God. “The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov 1:7). 

Just so you know, those who reject Christ as their Savior will experience eternal separation from God. They will dwell eternally with the righteous wrath of God abiding upon them. God will not grieve their suffering. God will not mourn for them. God will not provide a way of escape for them in the afterlife. 

God is willing to receive you. He is uttering his plea to all of humanity even now. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28, KJV). God is crying out from the rooftops and throughout the city square, “whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, KJV). Salvation is here. Salvation is available to you. Don’t hesitate. Don’t procrastinate. Don’t lollygag your life away. Salvation is available to you now. But trust me when I say this, “God will not tarry forever.” And soon it’ll be too late.   

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Look at verse 29 with me.

29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

There’s the theological piece there. To reject wisdom is to reject God, to reject the fear of the Lord. And the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It all ties together.

 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 [there’s that word again, תּוֹכַחַת “reproof”], 31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. 

Here’s the fourth principle from the text today: 

4. Wisdom’s absence results in disaster (1:29-31)

When I was in college, I went to watch a movie in my friend’s dorm-room on top of his loft. The cool thing to do in my dorm was to make a loft in your dorm room. We had these tiny dorm rooms, but some of my dorm-mates would build these wooden lofts on top of their beds and they would double the size of their dorm room. And the ones who did that, we thought were really cool. 

Just so you know, I went to an engineering school, and we were all kind of nerdy. Don’t judge us. It was true. The school was called LeTourneau University in East Texas. And all the people from the cool schools in East Texas, like Sanja’s, called us “Le-Nerd-eau University.” And the cool thing to do at Le-Nerd-eau was to build these lofts in our dorm rooms.

So I went to my friend’s dorm room to watch this movie and we piled in about ten guys on top of this loft. We were about six feet off the ground. I remember asking at one point, “Is it safe for us all to be on top of this loft? Is this thing going to hold us?” And they responded, “Of course, Tony. It’s fine. We’re engineers! We did the calculations.” 

Little did I know that disaster was looming. About halfway through the movie, I heard a “crack.” There must have been a miscalculation somewhere. And the loft sank about six inches. And let me tell you, you have never seen a group of ten men exit a room so fast. This was a Christian school by the way. And as we were vacating this loft, there wasn’t a lot of brotherly love if you know what I mean. Some of my friends from that night now work for airline companies, just so you know. Keep that in mind next time you board a plane.

Wisdom’s absence results in disaster. The wise person in that scenario would have said, “Ten men on top of a small loft in a dorm room? That’s probably a bad idea.” But what are some examples of wisdom-less action that can lead to disaster in the spiritual realm. Well let me give you five examples of that now. 

Five wisdom-less actions that can lead to disaster:

1) Sex outside of marriage – Are we all clear on that one? I could preach a whole sermon on that topic, but I’ll save it for when we address this issue more directly in chapter 2. If you choose to sin, you choose to suffer. God is gracious, I know. There is forgiveness for sin in these areas, I know. But that doesn’t negate what Lady Wisdom says here: “Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way and have their fill of their own devices” (1:31). God doesn’t always remove the consequences of our sin. STDs still happen. Marriages are sometimes broken by infidelity. If there are any here this morning teetering on the edge of marital unfaithfulness, premarital sex, or an extramarital affair, let me just plead with you—don’t do it. If you choose to sin, you choose to suffer.   

2) Uncontrolled Anger – I notice that there are people that pride themselves on having a fiery temper. That’s nothing to be proud of. Proverbs 29:22 says, “An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.” You might say, “Well God gets angry, why can’t we?” Well God is in perfect control of his anger. His anger never violates his righteousness. If you can be angry and not sin, than good for you. Pursue that! But watch yourself. Uncontrolled anger can lead to disaster. Remember James 1:20, “for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

3) Loving Anything More Than God (i.e. Idolatry) – I read recently about a famous professional athlete who committed suicide after his retirement. Friends of his said that he had a hard time adjusting to life after sports. It’s sad. It’s heartbreaking. But it’s also evidence of an idolatrous heart—somebody who valued sports above the God of the Universe. Be careful that you never ever put anything above your love for the Lord, and that includes your family, your job, your spouse, your hobbies, your political ideologies, etc.   

4) Unforgiveness, Resentment, Bitterness – This is a type of poison that kills slowly. Bitterness is like drinking poison and thinking it will kill another person. The end result is disaster. 

5) Enabling Doubt and Believing Lies – These are two areas where Satan will wreak havoc on your life, if you let him. Jesus called Satan a “liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” By the way if wisdom originated from the Lord, where do you think stupidity originated from? Satan wanted to compete with God for his glory. How many people think that’s a smart thing to do? Satan convinced Adam and Eve to disobey God. How smart was that?

I know that this list is not exhaustive. I just wrote out five things that I’ve observed, but I would encourage you to take some time and make your own list. Personalize it if you have to. Write down, “I vow to never do this __________, because the consequences could be disastrous.” 

In the sermon notes there is a “Put it into Practice” section with some questions. It says, 

Describe some ways that wisdom’s absence can result in disaster. What are some ways that disaster has materialized in your life when wisdom was absent? What would you have done differently in hindsight? What will you do differently in the future? Write out some vows before the Lord that will help you avert disaster. 

I would encourage you to work through that individually or with some trusted friends. Several years ago, I was at a men’s conference, and I wrote out some vows. I was really moved by some of the vows that the psalmist made in Psalm 101. So I decided to imitate what he was doing. And I wrote out the following.

1. I would rather die, than cause my wife to ever regret marrying me.

2. I would rather die, than be identified by my son as a man who lacks integrity.

3. I would rather die, than destroy my marriage or my ministry by a momentary act of unfaithfulness.

4. I would rather die, than abandon a passionate pursuit of God at every stage of life.

5. I would rather die, than bow to the pressures of this world to renounce my faith.

You might think that sounds severe. But I’m serious as a heart attack about this stuff. Disaster is lurking in this world. I take Lady Wisdom seriously. 

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Here’s the fifth principle from the text today. Now I know that this is a severe text of Scripture. I make no bones about that. But once you get to the final verses, there is a glimmer of hope. Lady Wisdom returns to those who listen to her counsel and heed her reproofs. As we’ve seen already “wisdom’s absence results in disaster” but: 

5. Wisdom’s presence results in peace (1:32-33)

Look at verse 32 with me. 

32 For the simple [there’s that word again “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.”

Now remember, we’re dealing with truisms in Proverbs not promises. Verses 32-33 communicate a truism not a promise. Are there exceptions to these statements? Yes. But all things being equal and more often than not, wisdom’s absence leads to disaster and wisdom’s presence leads to peace. 

Notice there are two terms in these last two verses that communicate the idea of “ease” or “security.” In verse 32 the fool is lulled into a false sense of security. The ESV uses the word “complacency” for the Hebrew word שַׁלְוָה. It’s a word that means “security” but it’s a false sense of security because it leads to their death. Remember the image of the bird who is lulled into a false sense of security in verse 17? Remember the men in verse 18 who lie in wait for blood, only to realize that they set an ambush for their own lives? That’s the idea here.

But the security of the one who listens to Lady Wisdom, according to verse 33, is real security. They experience rest. They experience peace. They are freed from the dread of disaster. 

And for those of us who are on this side of the cross, even when we deal with disaster in this life… even if we die early of cancer… or get enmeshed in some tragedy on this side of eternity… if we know Christ, if we’ve surrendered to Christ… eternal disaster will elude us. We “dwell secure” even in a topsy-turvy chaotic world. 

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Let me close with this. There’s a great parallel text to Proverbs 1, and it’s found in both Deuteronomy 30:12-13 and also Romans 10:6-8. In fact, Romans 10 is a quotation of Deuteronomy 30:12-13. Probably most of you could recite Romans 10:9: “[I]f you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” But how many of you can quote the verse right before that, Romans 10:6-8? 

It says, “But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say?”

I remember being confused about that passage when I first read it. But what is Paul saying there? Well he’s saying something that is awfully similar to Proverbs 1. He’s saying that the Word of God is right there for the taking. You don’t have to be a superhero to go and get God’s Word. You don’t have to climb Mount Everest to talk to some guru about your spiritual state. You don’t have to descend into the abyss to find Christ or know Christ. The word is near you. It’s right there. It’s in your mouth. It’s in your heart. It’s there for the taking. That’s how close it is. It doesn’t require any superhuman feat. 

Here’s how easy it is. Here’s how accessible this is for you right now. “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim).” because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Just like Lady Wisdom in the OT, God is out there calling folks to himself. And you don’t have to earn your salvation. You don’t have to work to find it. All you have to do is receive it by faith. 

And for anyone who says this morning, “But I’ve made so many mistakes, Pastor Tony. I’m too far gone. Is there any hope for me?” Listen, hear me on this. As long as you have breath in your lungs… as long as you have a beating heart and a functioning brain, it’s not too late for you. It’s not too late to repent and embrace the wisdom that God gives. It’s not too late to embrace the gospel. But don’t delay on that score. You only get one life. Don’t waste it. Don’t waste your opportunity. 

Taught by Tony Caffey

Senior Pastor of Verse By Verse Fellowship

Proverbs