Day 3
Yesterday we considered the purpose of Proverbs and defined what the book means by “ḥokmâḥ” or “wisdom.” In Proverbs 1:7 we saw that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Today we’ll look at another section of Proverbs where that phrase is used. We’ll also meet an impressive figure, Woman Wisdom.
In the first nine chapters of Proverbs, four major characters emerge. We have the good and wise Father who is instructing his son (1:8, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1), and Woman Wisdom (1:20, 3:13, 8:1) who boldly speaks truth and life to those who will hear. They are contrasted with another male/female pair, wicked men (1:10, 1:12) and the “alien” woman (1:16, 5:3, 7:5) who entice people into making sinful choices that lead to destruction.
Woman Wisdom remind us of the fear of the Lord in the passage we’ll look at today.
Read
Proverbs 1:20–31
20Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square; 21on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech:
22“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
23Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.
24But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand, 25since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke,
26I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you— 27when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28“Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me, 29since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord.
30Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, 31they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
Ask Yourself
- What is Woman Wisdom’s plea? What is she asking people to do?
- To repent means to turn and go a different direction. Wisdom is calling out to people to change course. If they repent, what will Woman Wisdom do? What will she do if they don’t?
- What does it mean to “fear the Lord” in the context of these verses?
Read what others say
Understanding “woman wisdom.”
From Tremper Longman:
“We begin with Woman Wisdom. She is bold. We find her in the streets, the squares, the city gates (1:20–21). She shouts out from the hilltop near the road and at the crossroads (8:1–2). These are public places where crowds gather. She is not afraid of strangers. As we will see later, she carries an important message for them.”
“We know people by the company they keep and the people they avoid. Wisdom is closely associated with righteousness (8:6), truth (8:7), wholesome behavior (8:8) and good judgment (8:12); with common sense, success, insight and strength (8:14–15). On the other hand, she tells us that she stays as far away as possible from deception, evil, pride and arrogance (8:7–8, 13). Wisdom, then, is not just an intellectual category but is closely entwined with ethical behavior.”[1]
From Amy Pauw
“The reward and punishment Woman Wisdom promises are not arbitrary or capricious but rather the expectable result of human actions that either respect or defy the justice and order of God’s world. The disaster that awaits those who hated knowledge and would have none of Wisdom’s reproof (vv. 29–30) is one they have brought on themselves: ‘They shall eat the fruit of their way and be sated with their own devices’ (v. 31). By contrast, to those who listen to her teaching, Woman Wisdom promises security and ease.”[2]
Explore on your own
The Bible project has a video that explores Woman Wisdom in Proverbs 8. See what you think.
If you didn’t have time yesterday, be sure to take a look at the Bible Project’s five minute Book of Proverbs video.
Pray
Part of what it means to have a healthy fear of God is that we are willing to confess our wrongdoing, repent, and receive the forgiveness that is available to us through Christ. Confession, repentance and forgiveness are an ongoing part of our relationship with God. They are also part of our relationships with others.
In prayer, ask for the Spirit’s gentle but firm conviction of sin. Confess to your Father. He’s ready to forgive you. If there is someone you need to seek forgiveness from, do so. Ask the Spirit how you need to repent with your words and actions.
Talk about it
- Discuss the role of repentance in the passage we read today. Why would repentance be evidence of someone’s fear of the Lord? Repentance is not just an internal process. Although it starts with confession to God, it must be lived out. How does that fit with our understanding of wisdom as “skill in living.”
- Share a time in your life when you responded to Woman Wisdom’s call and took her outstretched hand (1:24). What was the result? What about a time when you didn’t respond? Did you end up in a “storm of calamity”? What saved you?
[1] Longman, 30.
[2] Pauw, 23.