Wisdom Truck 36

 

Proverbs 8 begins as it ends- with a call from Wisdom/the Holy Spirit.  Let's take a look at first, where she calls...

Pro 8:1  Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? 

Pro 8:2  On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; 

Pro 8:3  beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: 

Quick stop:  Wisdom calls from the heights beside the way- where NOBODY can miss her.  At the crossroads- where life can turn one way or the other.  Beside the city gates- calling to a group; at the door- calling to ONE person.

Rom 1:20  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 

But if she is everywhere, how do you find her? where do you go when you here her call? See on the other end of the passage, in chapter 9:

Pro 9:1  Wisdom has built her house; she has carved out her seven pillars; 

Pro 9:2  she has killed her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. 

Pro 9:3  She has sent out her young women; she cries upon the highest places of the city

She has a home, built on seven pillars.  This is God's house, seven being His number of completion.  And this is no church building, empty except on Sunday ( and Wednesday nights, perhaps).  It is OPEN, it is ready, and everything you hunger for is waiting there!  And this time she sends out her "young women"; her witnesses, her evangelists, your Christian co-worker.

The next thing to look at is, what does she call?  Back to the start:

Pro 8:4  To you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. 

Pro 8:5  O simple ones, understand wisdom; and, fools, be of an understanding heart. 

Once again, we see the simple (the one who has never heard the Gospel) and the fool ( who is a god unto himself- until he hears), are called.  And both are called to understanding- both are called to Jesus.  You do not find Jesus for real unless you have heard the call of the Spirit.  But, note the scoffer- who knows there is a god, but doesn't care- has nothing here.  He has made his choice.  And soon, Wisdom will speak to that.  But how do the witnesses- the young women- call out?

Pro 9:4  The simple one, let him turn in here. To one lacking heart, she says to him, 

Pro 9:5  Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. 

Pro 9:6  Forsake the foolish and live; and go in the way of understanding. 

Again, calling you to understanding- but one call is to salvation, and the other is to the rewards you gain thereby.  Next she explains what to do with the call:

Pro 8:6  Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. 

Pro 8:7  For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is hateful to my lips. 

Pro 8:8  All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; nothing twisted or perverse is in them. 

Pro 8:9  They are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. 

So you are to listen, and when you do, you hear truth and righteousness- PLUS it becomes plain to understand.  The more you listen, the easier it is to understand.  And the flip side?

Pro 8:32  And now listen to me, O sons; for blessed are those who keep my ways. 

Pro 8:33  Hear instruction, and be wise, and do not refuse it. 

Pro 8:34  Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. 

Pro 8:35  For whoever finds me finds life, and shall obtain favor from Jehovah. 

Pro 8:36  But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all who hate me love death. 

In the end, it is a choice- life and death:

Deu 30:19  I call Heaven and earth to record today against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, so that both you and your seed may live, 

Deu 30:20  so that you may love Jehovah your God, and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, so that you may dwell in the land which Jehovah swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give it to them. 

42 verses in our passage; and 20 of them yet to go!  And they are the ones that hit me hard, because they are the ones that taught me that God's Wisdom and the Holy Spirit are one and the same.