Out in the open wisdom calls aloud…
Repent at my rebuke!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.
Summary: We are not equipped to be able to discern the difference between good and evil on our own. That is why we need Wisdom.
In this passage, Solomon paints a picture of Wisdom calling to you and me. Wisdom does not just whisper to us. She is out in the open calling aloud! She wants our attention. Wisdom is the voice of someone older and wiser saying, “Don’t touch that hot stove!”
Wisdom has a tough job. Mankind has been given the ability to see both good and evil (Gen 3:5), but without Wisdom, we cannot tell the difference. Because evil is clothed in lies and deception (John 8:44), it is always made up to be enticing. Evil puts on makeup and perfume and dresses in exotic clothes. Evil wants to be noticed.
Wisdom wants us to be safe. She wants us to be happy and healthy. She wants us to know God’s love. Unfortunately, there is a stark contrast between peace and adventure. Satan convinces us we want adventure while our heart is longing for acceptance and peace.
So what is Wisdom to do?
She stands out in the open and calls aloud.
Those who are seeking wisdom are not far off. They respond at once to her call. But for those who are seeking the gratification promised by evil, Wisdom’s words sound like a rebuke.
“Repent!” she cries, “Repent!” Change course! Steer away from the rocks! Don’t touch the hot stove!
The problem with a rebuke is that it triggers our pride. Who likes to be wrong? Does anyone like to be called out for doing something stupid?
Solomon understands this. His words are an attempt to inoculate us against pride by warning us this will happen. He offers instruction on how to respond to Wisdom’s call: Repent. And then he explains the gift that is waiting for those who choose to repent.
Wisdom is not wanting to shame anyone. She is not calling out “Repent!” to control you or me. It is a sincere warning. For those who will repent, she embraces them. She holds them close and encourages them. And then she pours out her thoughts and reveals her teachings.
Why should I care?
Wisdom knows the difference between right and wrong. She knows what works and what does not work. She understands when it is good to be quiet and when it is okay to speak. Wisdom is amazing! She is like a guardian angel that takes you by the hand and leads you around every danger. She coaches you in making the right decisions and counsels you when obstacles block your path.
And what does she ask in return?
Simply that we listen and follow her advice. She is content to know that we are safe.
Application: Listen to the voice of Wisdom.
Food for Thought: What does Wisdom’s voice sound like?
True Wisdom comes from God. Therefore, it will sound like God speaking to us through His word and through the Holy Spirit. Those who follow Christ can identify their Shepherd’s voice because they have a relationship with the Shepherd. To hear His voice we must listen to His voice by being in His word. The Spirit will then convict us of truth and lead us into the wisdom of His voice. Jeremiah 33: 2 – 3; Isaiah 30: 19 – 21; John 10: 7 – 16, 27; John 16: 13
Rich,
Thank you! I especially like the last two verses you reference:
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” – John 10:27
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” – John 16: 13
My wife,..
Nice, John!
You are a fortunate man! I marvel at the wisdom the Lord gives my wife as well. 🙂
Lol. Good one John.
01-29-2022, Proverbs 1: 20a, 23, What does Wisdom’s voice sound like?
There is no shortcut to growing from an infant into an old man. It takes time and patiences to go through all the years in between. We all have different experiences in the physical maturing process, and the same is true with our spiritual maturing. However, God and His word remain consistent no matter who, when or where we are. If we want to hear God’s voice, we must spend time with Him. The more we are with Him, the better you will know His voice. Gods speaks to our hearts as we read and meditate on His inspired and preserved written word.
2Timothy 3:16.
And Jesus tells us. “Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear” Matthew 13:16.
God’s voice to me has been seen, heard and felt. I have separated myself from the world and spent weeks, physically alone in the deserts and mountains of Eastern and Western Oregon. I have become small as I have seen the vastness of our Omnipotent, Omnipresent Gods creation being held together for His Glory. You cannot spend a week alone with God, surrounded by His creation and not know He exists.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1
There is nowhere in all of creation where God is not.
Psalm 113:4-6, 139:7-12, Proverbs 15:3, Isaiah 57:15, Hebrews 4:13.
1.) God Spoke to Us Through His Son, He speaks to our hearts through the Holy Spirit,
John 16:4-15
2.) God Speaks Through Circumstances,
Proverbs 3:3–13 and Romans 8:26–32
3.) God Speaks Through Others,
I Samuel 13:13–14, 15:23; II Samuel 12:7–15; and Acts 9:10–18, 10:1–33
4.) God has written His law in the minds and hearts of men.
Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10,10:16
5.) God gives us His love to give to others.
1 John 4:7-8
In the past, God has communicated in many ways, including angels, His chosen prophets, dreams, visions, miracles, and even through a donkey that He enabled to speak as a man speaks.
See Luke 1:5–38, II Samuel 24:10–25, Genesis 40:1–23, Daniel 2:1–45, Acts 9:10–18, Exodus 7:8–11:10, and Numbers 22:21–35.
Ron,
What a profoundly beautiful testimony to the Voice of God.
Thank you!
Do you ever feel tears of Joy when singing a hymn in Church? God making the words real in your heart.
We are so very Blessed.
Ron one thing that I try not to share too much ( because I enjoy others singing and wouldn’t like it if everyone else tried it when I’m doing it ) while everyone is singing hymns, sometimes I will pray out loud. Not as to distract anyone or even loud enough that many could hear me. I just feel His presence more when many of us are gathered glorifying God. I just hope that everyone doesn’t try it at the same time.
Yes. We are blessed!
Well after all your description I think she sounds sweet. I enjoy her voice. When she sings and dances. I love it when she reads the bible to me and reminds me of scriptures. Almost like A kind voice, A loving voice, A voice that knows God, A voice that loves Jesus, A voice I love.
Amen Tim.
The voice of God is unlike any human voice you will ever hear. It resonates with our soul. There is something called a sympathetic vibration. Guitar players can pluck a note on one string and another string tuned to the same note will start to vibrate. Our souls are like that when Wisdom / God’s Spirit speaks.
I want to take this in the original context for a moment because this is one of a handful of things that proverbs gives more than a one or two sentence summation:
20Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square;
21At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
22“How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge?
23“Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.
24“Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof;
26I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes,
27When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
28“Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me,
29Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD.
We spent several days discussing scoffers and how we should be wary of engaging them. Here we have wisdom ‘herself’ pleading with them and the naive, and the fools. Yet even when the epitomy of wisdom speaks they don’t listen. Yet it goes further, they hear but neglect and reject. They are described twice as HATING knowledge. They will not fear the Lord.
Sometimes wisdom’s voice doesn’t sound peaceful and encouraging. Sometimes it’s the wake up call you would rather not have heard. But as believers we are responsible for sharing truth (oh, how wisdom and truth go together) and for representing God. Yep, we represent the God of the universe – the earth, every living thing, every person in His image that you meet your whole life long – to His entire creation….. So, if that’s our responsibility, shouldn’t we make every effort to listen to wisdom while ‘her’ voice is sweet so that we aren’t the stubborn ones making ‘her’ yell after us?
I think Christianity today leaves us with a lot of ‘Protestant-Pharisees’ that make wisdom yell, “you’ve missed the point!”. How many places does scripture say “eyes to see and ears to hear”?