Proverbs 9 - Hotel California

You're continually bombarded with choices in life, but only one really matters.

Proverbs 9 (NASB95)

¹ Wisdom has built her house,

She has hewn out her seven pillars;

² She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine;

She has also set her table;

³ She has sent out her maidens, she calls

From the tops of the heights of the city:

⁴ “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”

To him who lacks understanding she says,

⁵ “Come, eat of my food

And drink of the wine I have mixed.

⁶ “Forsake your folly and live,

And proceed in the way of understanding.”

⁷ He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,

And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.

⁸ Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,

Reprove a wise man and he will love you.

⁹ Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,

Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

¹¹ For by me your days will be multiplied,

And years of life will be added to you.

¹² If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,

And if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

¹³ The woman of folly is boisterous,

She is naive and knows nothing.

¹⁴ She sits at the doorway of her house,

On a seat by the high places of the city,

¹⁵ Calling to those who pass by,

Who are making their paths straight:

¹⁶ “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”

And to him who lacks understanding she says,

¹⁷ “Stolen water is sweet;

And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

¹⁸ But he does not know that the dead are there,

That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Canons of Dordt

Point II, Article 6: Unbelief Man’s Responsibility

The fact that many who have been called through the gospel do not

repent or believe in Christ but perish in unbelief is not because the sacrifice

of Christ offered on the cross is deficient or insufficient, but because they

themselves are at fault.

Point III/IV, Article 8: The Serious Call of the Gospel

All who are called through the gospel are called seriously.

For seriously and most genuinely God makes known in his Word what is

pleasing to him: that those who are called should come to him. Seriously

he also promises rest for their souls and eternal life to all who come to him

and believe.

Summary

Imagine yourself coming into an unfamiliar city for the first time, lacking understanding of where you need to go to find food and rest. You are met by two women beckoning you with the exact same invitation: Whoever is naive, let him turn in here! But both of these women, who initially appear equally attractive, point you in opposite directions.

Lady Wisdom is the first to call out. She's worked hard to prepare for her guests, having built her house, prepared food, mixed wine, set her table, and sent out her maidens with invitations. Just to make sure nobody gets missed, she broadcasts her invite from the tops of the heights of the city.

The woman of folly takes a different tact. Unlike her industrious competitor, she's boisterous. Rather than sending out servants with invitations for all the confused to come, she simply sits at the doorway of her house calling to those who pass by. But she's only interested in a certain demographic: those who are making their path straight.

In other words, she seeks to derail those who are generally headed in the right direction in life, attempting to throw a few curves into their seemingly boring straight path by beckoning them with stolen water and bread (she doesn't even bother preparing her own food - she simply takes what's good from Wisdom and corrupts it). It's all fake... she has nothing of her own to offer the naive and those who lack understanding, because she herself is naive and knows nothing.

Still, the crowds throng to her superficially sumptuous spread. But what they don't realize is they've just arrived at the Hotel California, and once they've checked in, they can't check out. The dead are there; all of the guests are in the depths of Sheol (the grave).

  Dig Deeper  

As you stand in the middle of this hypothetical street, being instinctually pulled toward Folly, you feel a firm hand upon your shoulder pulling you back to your senses. That's what the middle section of today's chapter is all about. The first six verses described Lady Wisdom, and the final six verses expose the woman of folly. But those middle five verses help illustrate why you must choose wisdom even though folly seems so much more fun.

Those verses begin by explaining that the scoffers following folly hate correction and reproof. It's not so much that they can't check out, but rather that they dishonor and insult those trying to help them escape. Conversely, the wise and righteous want more and more of what Wisdom offers; they love those who bring them reproof and instruction which increases their learning. Instead of a slow march to the depths of Sheol for those in the house of folly, those who pursue Wisdom have their days multiplied and years of life added.

It's easy to check into the house of folly. Just show up, and they'll quickly and boisterously usher you right into what seems like never ending entertainment. But the check-in process at Wisdom's house is more complicated. You can't take all of your baggage inside. A large sign over the check-in counter reads:

FORSAKE YOUR FOLLY AND LIVE.

Proceed in the way of understanding.

This is exactly what Jesus means when He calls all those who follow Him to repent and believe.

AAA Prayer (About)

• ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the knowledge of whom is understanding;

• ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will, by the power of the Holy Spirit who continually reminds you of wisdom's value, continue to forsake folly and proceed in the way of understanding;

  ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

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