The Two Ways
Proverbs 1:7-33
From Adam and Eve onward, the root of human tragedy lies in wrong choices. Man lost all because he chose to listen to the deceiver rather than to Him who is Truth. The book of Proverbs is all about helping us to make right choices, to choose the way of God and not that of the deceiver.
There are three types of people wisdom she cries out to:
• The Simple – a silly person, one who is easily persuaded
• The Scorners – mockers – one who mocks at God’s wisdom.
• The Fool – one who is stupid and arrogant.
In our culture, fools are often thought of as silly or ridiculous, and foolishness is described as a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person unaware that his behaviour is leading to trouble, annoyance, or offense. However, the biblical usage of the term fool is not primarily about someone who is silly Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ Who then is a fool?
Fools willingly reject the Lord and hold God’s wisdom in contempt. They choose not to fear the Lord (Proverbs 1: 7, 29). They ignore the advice and refuse to walk in His wisdom, and do not follow His ways (Proverbs 1:30). Instead, fools rely on themselves. In trusting himself (Proverbs 28:26), the fool does not recognize that his own heart is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). It is no surprise, then, that fools are corrupt and their ways are vile (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). They enjoy wicked schemes (Proverbs 10:23), proclaim folly (Proverbs 12:23), mock at sin (Proverbs 14:9), and are deceitful (Proverbs 14:8). Fools despise the wisdom found in knowing the God of all wisdom (Proverbs 2:6–8).
In our Introduction to the Book of Proverbs we touched on the basics:
(1) What is a Proverb.
(2) Meaning of a Proverb
(3) Reason for the Book of Proverbs
And we will not be repeating these ideas here.
The specific goal of Proverbs is stated in verse 4: “to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth.”
The “simpleton” in Proverbs is not a “stupid” person in an intellectual sense. The simple person is one who is uncommitted, unaware, undiscerning, and so easily led or misled.
Notice the phrases: “to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth” . We all know the proverb in Proverbs 22:15: “foolishness is bound in heart of a child.” We’re all born with a bent to being self-independent . Solomon recognizes that, and so he wants very much to impart wisdom to his son before he ruins his life. What Solomon wants for his son is to see him mature and develop the ability to make well-considered decisions, and not be driven by thoughtless foolish impulses.
So Proverbs begins by offering this attractive prospect: “I can teach you how to live so that you don’t have to learn from mistakes and regrets. Do you want to make a mess of your life? Or do you want to live successfully, without regrets? Listen –it’s for your own good.”
To impart this wisdom, beginning in 1:8 and all the way through the end of chapter 9 Solomon gives these extended lectures, exhorting his son to pursue wisdom. And then from chapter 10 onwards he gives us specific proverbs – wisdom in specific life-applications.
But before he gets to any of that, he gives us the whole in verse 7 is the basic creed of the book: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
This is his theme. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” If you want to live successfully, you must fear God
Now then, what does it mean to “fear” the Lord? You are no doubt aware that this is often translated “reverence” or “awe.” These ideas are certainly involved.
As someone has said, this fear of God, for the believer, is not the kind of fear that makes you run away, but it is the kind of fear that makes you bow. It overwhelms and humbles us.
In verses 1:8-19 Solomon warns his son about the danger of bad company. The young must resist the enticements of these men.
Significantly, this first instruction and warning in the book of Proverbs speaks to the company we keep and the friendships we make.. It has been said, "show me your friends and I can see your future." It speaks to the great need for God’s people to be more careful and wiser in their choice of friends.
Verses 10-14 begin with a warning and then describe a potential temptation; then verses 15-19 begin with a warning and give the reason for the warning.
While the Bible does warn of the danger in having wrong friends (2 Samuel 13:3; 2 Chronicles 10:6-15; 1 Corinthians 15:33), these verses in Proverbs focus upon the temptation which comes from the wrong friends. The wrong friends (i.e. those who are disposed to do wrong) will entice others to join with them in their evil deeds. Verse 10 warns the youth of those who might “entice” him into joining forces with them in an evil venture (v. 14). The word “entice” means “to allure, persuade, entice, or seduce” which may not necessarily carry tones of subtlety, but merely persuasion. Here, the persuasion is wrong because the object of the enticement is to encourage the youth to participate in evil.
Solomon seeks to instill in his son a sense of right and wrong.. Companionship can be a powerful influence in one’s life to pursue good ways or evil (Psalm 1:1-3). The specific enticement in verses 11-14 involves the acquisition of quick wealth by means of joining forces with others in attacking and robbing an unsuspecting victim. In verses 11-12 the evil plans are disclosed: “lie in wait” and “lurk secretly.” In verse 13 the lure is described as “find all kinds of precious possessions.” The proposed aggressive action is justified by the financial gain they would experience.
The temptation in verses 11-14 focuses upon the temporal benefits of walking in the way of sinners, but the reader must understand the ultimate consequences should he choose to associate with them. Often times, one merely thinks of the temporal gratification which can be gained through wicked actions and fails to look into the future to imagine the consequences of such behaviour. God gives us ample warning as to what we can expect using violent means to obtain temporal benefits. The wise person will heed the warning and realise that the consequences are not worth the little pleasure disobedience will bring. God ensures that ultimately, sin has its full “reward.”
Verse 15 begins the second mini section and like verse 10, it begins with a warning for the young. Verse 15 says, “My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path.” In essence, the command is the same as, or an extension of, verse 10. The son was commanded to not be enticed by sinners. Being enticed by sinners results in walking “in the way with them” and walking in “their path.” The language is used to show that yielding to the enticement of the wicked results in doing or acting like the wicked.
Finally, verses 16-19 speak of the consequences of the sinner’s actions. According to verse 16, the wicked are quick to “run to evil.” Solomon then contrasted the unsuspecting wicked to wary birds. It is a “vain” thing to set a snare in “the sight of a bird” – the wary bird will be alerted to the danger. However, in contrast, the wicked are blinded to the future hazards before them. They “lie in wait for their own blood.” In other words, though the wicked hasten in their sinful actions in order to find gratification, ultimately, their choices lead to their harm. The reason why the son (or anyone for that matter) should not yield to temptation is that ultimately, a sin which promises a quick and pleasant reward results in harm to the perpetrators. In other words, sinners are so focused upon the bait that they fail to see the hook. They are blinded by the lure of immediate gratification, that they cannot see the harm that will come to them.
Solomon ended in verse 19 by saying, “So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners.” In other words, there are consequences to sin. Those who are greedy for gain rationalize unrighteous means of acquiring what they desire only to find that their life is sapped out of them, slowly but surely.
Greed and covetousness are powerful motivators to commit acts of violence, we witness this same thing today in our society – much of violence is motivated by greed. The idea is that the sinners assure the novice that their task will be “easy pickings” and will not endanger them, thus the temptation is not only for financial gain, but for financial gain which has no risk. Sinners who seek financial gain at the expense of others are deceived into thinking that they are invincible.
Verse 19 ends with a general warning about the sin of greed, of which the Bible has much to say.
“You shall not covet …” (Exodus 20:17)
In verses 20-21 Solomon introduces wisdom as personified as a woman. In these verses, and at least two other times in the Book of Proverbs, ( 8:1–36 and 9:1–6) .wisdom is personified. In other words, wisdom is imagined as a person speaking to us. In verses 20 to 33 wisdom speaks, and wisdom’s words are both warnings and promises.
Some people think of wisdom as a synonym for knowledge – simply a list of impersonal facts or truths. Not so according to the Bible. Wisdom gives those who are rightly related to God the ability to skillfully live life in a way which pleases God – therefore, wisdom, properly defined, comes from God and only those who are rightly related to Him can gain wisdom.
The wisdom can be heard and its meaning is very clear and loud
“Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
she raises her voice in the public square;
on top of the wall she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech.” (vs. 20-21)
Wisdom speaks loudly.
Wisdom speaks clearly.
Wisdom is given “omnipresent” characteristics – she appears everywhere (“out in the open…public squares…at the city gates”) seeking for students to learn from her. Lady Wisdom…is no gentle persuader. She shouts, pleads, scolds, reasons, threatens, warns, and even laughs at the antics of those who do not respond to her.
Wisdom is not calling out to the wise, but rather she is scolding those who are unresponsive to her invitations. The following verses 1:22-23 are a dire warning to those who refuse to follow Wisdom (to walk in God’s wise counsel). Just like sinners “invite” young people to participate in unrighteous lifestyles (vv. 11-19), so Wisdom sends out her alternative invitation to the youth to learn to live in wisdom. In verse 22 three specific people are mentioned.
The writer singles out three categories of people who will refuse wisdom’s voice.
(1) the “simple” person, the naïve, the gullible
(2) the “mocker,” the cynic who takes pleasure in ridiculing others for their ways of thinking.
(3) third, the “fool,” who doesn’t care to know what’s right because he’s so determined to do what he wants.
Wisdom is graciously calling out to the simple and warning the simple not to be like the scorner who mocks at truth or the fool who hates knowledge. However, though an invitation goes out, the verse has a note of pessimism. Therefore the consequences of not listening are fully justified. This is hinted at in verse 23. Wisdom calls out for the simple to respond to her correction (reproof). The greatest tragedy is that there’s so much noise that people do not want to hear the things they really need to hear. God is trying to get through to them with the voice of wisdom, but all they hear are the confused communications clutter, foolish voices that lead them farther away from the truth. Why? Because that is all what they want to hear.
However Wisdom’s appeal was given with a promise. Only those who seek wisdom will find it. The simple ones are gullible and believe anything, even the words of scoffers and fools. This leads the simple into the path of progressive hardening, which is seen in the “scorners” and the “fools.”
The simple one’s refusal to heed Wisdom’s call results in Wisdom’s denunciation.
The question that needs to be asked at this point is: “How does one recognize whether he is a fool, a scorner, or a wise person?” The answer is that he simply needs to look at how he responds to God’s wisdom recorded in His Word. Wise people change when they are rebuked for their sin – they accept the reproof and use it for their correction. Those who are indifferent, complacent, or even hostile to God’s truth are those who are either simple, scorners, or fools. Those who resist God’s truth are those who are complacent (smug, self-satisfied) in their own positions and do not believe there are consequences for wrong living (v. 32) (see also 1:5; 9:8, 9; 10:8, 14; etc.).
Wisdom is not hawking her wares like a merchant. She is like of a prophet in the Old Testament. Her first speech is nothing if not straightforward, and it is strongly reminiscent of several of the prophets. The irony is that so few people do listen to her voice. Wisdom is, after all, on the busiest corner where everyone can hear. Everyone can, but not everyone will.
The passage takes an even worse turn by describing how Wisdom will laugh when the foolishness of her audience comes back to roost. A few things should be said about Wisdom’s attitude here, which seems unfeeling . The first is that Wisdom not only says she will laugh when misfortune happens, but also that she will not answer when her audience finally comes to its senses and calls out to her (verse 28a). Indeed, even if they search diligently for her, they will not find her (verse 28b). These sentiments are very similar to those found in the prophets (see Isaiah 1:15; Jeremiah 11:11, 14; Ezekiel 8:18; Amos 5:23; and especially Isaiah 66:4). Wisdom is not alone, that is, in adopting such a firm tone with her audience. She has a host of distinguished company in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Amos — not to mention the God in whose name these prophets speak.
Wisdom is a preacher discussing life-and-death issues (see verse 32; cf. also 1:11-12, 16-19; 3:16, 18; 8:36). These statements also indicate there is a statue of limitations on such important matters. One cannot live foolishly forever without reaping the “benefits. of such foolishness” And when those results come in, it is too late to undo the path that produced them.
Wisdom’s statements about laughing (verse 26) and not listening (verse 28) are bracketed by “because-clauses.” Note the structure:
because I called and you refused… (verse 24)
and because you ignored my counsel… (verse 25)
I also will laugh…I will mock… (verse 26)
I will not answer… (verse 28)
Because they hated knowledge,
didn’t choose to fear the LORD,
were not interested in my counsel,
and rejected all my correction,
they will eat the fruit of their way
and be glutted with their own schemes.
For the turning away of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them. (verses 29 -32)
This structure indicates that Wisdom’s attitude of laughing is actually caused by the foolishness of those who are disobedient to God. She is not hoping that they fail so she can laugh. It is their failure to listen to Wisdom that brings about their problems in the first place. That is, the improper behavior in question is not the cause of Wisdom’s laughter or mockery, but the audience’s foolishness. Verse 29 underscores this by leaving no doubt that hating knowledge is equivalent to rejecting the fear of the LORD.(verse 29)The matters at hand, therefore, are deeply religious as well as practical.
By this stage wisdom’s patience has run out. Disaster comes. Judgment falls. And wisdom, so to speak, has the last laugh - a quiet laugh at such utter stupidity of refusing to heed the voice of wisdom.
Wisdom’s laugh is that, and it is also a laugh of judgment because wisdom warned, people ignored her words, and now the obvious and inevitable trouble overwhelms.
Hosea 8:7 says: “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.” We still use that saying. It applies when people thought their actions were a small thing to do but they’ve had massive consequences. Ignoring the voice of wisdom seems of little consequence at the time, but in verse 27 Solomon describes the severe reality that descends:Disobedient behavior, in the end, is not just foolishness, it is rebellion against God.
Wisdom could announce the greatest and most important of truths, but they won’t heed it. It’s not that they can’t hear but that they don’t want to hear.
“Repent at my rebuke!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.”
Verse 23 states " I will pour out my thoughts to you." but this is contingent on our responsiveness to wisdom. We must respond to wisdom's " rebuke." If you heed the commands to turn to the way of wisdom , wisdom will help you to walk in the way of truth.
Your situation is not hopeless, says wisdom. If you will heed my rebuke, repentance is still possible. But here’s the point: there is a moment, an opportunity, when turning back – repenting – is possible. But it’s not a moment that’s there forever. Wisdom’s voice has to be heeded when it speaks. It cannot be put off.
Hardly anything seems worse than realizing you’ve gone too far to ever step back. You’re too late to change your mind. You’ve lost your chance of putting things right.
Wisdom presents the hard reality that for some everything is too late:
“Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me..,
Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.” (vs. 28, 30-31)
There was a time when they could have listened. There was a time when they could have changed, reordered their lives, put right what was wrong and gone the way of the Lord. But they didn’t listen and didn’t change and didn’t put anything right. And now they face the dreadful reality of judgment, the time when regret achieves nothing for the day of opportunity has gone to be replaced by the day of accountability.
How dreadful to have invested your life in things that don’t matter, and now to realise that all your efforts were "“Meaningless! Meaningless!”. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” - Ecclesiastes 1"1
Verse 33 says:
“Whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
There is still a moment. There is still time. The Apostle Paul writes: “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).
That word “now” is so significant. The moment of salvation, the moment of change, is not tomorrow, next week, next month, next year or any ‘next’ in the future. Now means now. It’s this moment, this exact moment. It’s this day, this hour, this minute. Living God’s way and being reconciled with God through Jesus Christ can never be delayed. Now is the time to change, to hear wisdom’s words, to turn to God through Jesus Christ for forgiveness, and then to do what is right. That is the only way to “live in safety, and be at ease, without fear of harm” (v. 33).
Wisdom says “Listen and live.” Listen while God’s wisdom is still in your ear, while there is still time, while there’s a moment you can change. And then you will live with peace, with security, with hope for this life and the next, and one day experience the fullness of life eternal.
For men today there are only two ways, the way of sin and death, and the way of salvation.
Wisdom is the way to life, not just a way of life.
