Welcome to week three of the Wise Worship study. This week we got into a couple of the chapters that contain the proverbs as we typically think about them. But before we talk about that, let’s finish up the introductory chapters.

Chapter 8 contains wisdom’s second set of instructions. Wisdom is again personified as a woman in this chapter. Similar to chapter 1, wisdom is again calling out in public places “on the heights beside the way, at the crossroads” (v. 2) and “beside the gates in front of the town” (v. 3), which is where business was usually conducted by the residents of the town. This underscores that wisdom is for everyone. The ordinary need her just as much as the high and mighty.

In verses 6-9, wisdom’s words are described as “noble,” “right,” and “righteous,” not “twisted or crooked.” We should want the words of wisdom because they are truthful and consistent. Wisdom and evil speech cannot coexist because wisdom is honest, there is nothing false or deceptive about her. Those who understand the words of wisdom will follow after her, and she will lead them into the right way of living.

Verse 12 gives three benefits of living with wisdom (or we could also say, benefits for those who fear the Lord). These are prudence, knowledge, and discretion. Once we have wisdom, yes we have knowledge, but we also have the ability to distinguish between right and wrong (discretion) and we can put wisdom into practice (prudence). More benefits of living with wisdom are given in verse 14. Wisdom gives good, practical advice (“counsel and sound wisdom”), and it is discerning, understanding, and strong (“insight,” “strength”).

Fear of the LORD is mentioned in verse 13 as “hatred of evil.” When we fear the LORD, we must love what He loves, and hate what He hates. Specifically here, that is the attitude of “pride and arrogance,” evil actions, and “perverted speech.” We’ve said before that humility and wisdom go hand in hand. Where there is pride in one’s heart there is no space left for wisdom.

Verses 15-16 deal with the government. In the US where I live, there is no king, but these two verses still have very practical principles for our rulers today. No matter what title a governing body goes by, they all need wisdom to do “what is just.”

Verse 18 gives us a few more benefits of living with wisdom. Remembering that these are general principles, wisdom says she holds “riches and honor.” “Enduring wealth and righteousness,” however, are what I want to highlight. Walking in God’s wisdom brings wealth that truly lasts because we are storing up “treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:20). Righteousness, more than money and positions of prominence, is what will really serve us well. And since wisdom continually walks “in the way of righteousness” (v. 20), it is impossible to live with wisdom and without righteousness. The fruit of wisdom “is better than gold” (v. 19), so we should pursue that above all else.

Verses 22-31 are a beautiful section about the role of wisdom in creation. I encouraged you in the lesson to reread this section slowly, thanking God for the wise way He orchestrated this world, so if you didn’t get to do that, pause this podcast and do that now! To me, this section just speaks so clearly for itself, so the only thing I’ll say is that if wisdom played this huge role in creation, then by ignoring wisdom and her ways we are ignoring the way the world was set up. What an amazing thing it is that God makes His wisdom, the very same wisdom He used at the creation of the world, available to us!

In verse 32 wisdom calls like a mother to her children: “And now, O sons, listen to me.” The previous ten verses have given us reason a plenty to listen to wisdom, yet still she feels the need to ask for our attention so she can impart blessing on those who accept her. “Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors” (v. 34). Wisdom doesn’t come on our timetable. Yes, it takes intentionality and a true seeking on our part, but sometimes it means waiting and placing ourselves in contexts where wisdom is likely to be found. But this is worth it, because “whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord” (v. 35). Like other chapters before this, chapter 8 ends with the flip side of these benefits if you choose not to accept wisdom. Instead of life and favor, those who reject wisdom find injury and death. Not following wisdom will lead you to a destructive path, so heed her instruction in this chapter.

Chapter 9 compares lady wisdom and lady folly, and the type of feasts the two give. The chapter begins by showing wisdom as a diligent worker who “has built her house” (v. 1), whereas folly “sits at the door of her house” (v. 14). The imagery in verse 2 is that of a rich, festive banquet, but folly is seen serving “stolen water…and bread” (v. 17).

Wisdom displays gracious hospitality by putting out the invitation far and wide in verse 3. Her invitation, although given in the same words as that of folly, is for the simple to come and learn from her. “Leave your simple ways and live” (v. 6). To answer her invitation, we must stop going our own way, and go God’s way. The invitation is freely given, but we must choose to respond.

Verses 7-9 show that the basic difference between a fool and a wise person is in their attitude, not necessarily their intelligence. Because of their pride, fools reject guidance, even to the point of hating those who offer advice. They respond aggressively towards anyone who tries to help them. The wise, in their humility, are not only open to advice or correction, but they invite it.

Verse 10 is similar to the theme verse of Proverbs we read in 1:7. This verse could be the motto for the wise, and we would do well to remember that wisdom begins with a right relationship with God.

Wisdom repeats a benefit of living with her in verse 11 “your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.” It is generally true that wise people live longer than fools because they are more careful. Where a fool might run towards risk without thought for the consequences, the wise avoid unnecessary danger.

The final section of this chapter describes lady folly as loud and senseless, the opposite of the quiet character of the wise. In her laziness, she calls “to those who pass by…’whoever is simple, let him turn here” (vs. 15-16). In the lesson, you were asked to think about how you can discern between the voices of wisdom and folly when they are calling out with the same words. I believe this comes down to the theme we see over and over in Proverbs: the fear of the LORD. When your life is dependent on the Lord for guidance, He will give you the wisdom to discern the calls you should follow.

Because lady folly lacks the riches of lady wisdom, she is offering “stolen water” to her guests, claiming that it is “sweet” (v. 17). You can just hear lady folly trying to convince her guests that it feels good to be bad. But the hours or days of pleasure you may get from whatever folly is trying to entice you into will ultimately lead to death and misery. As yourself the same question Moses must have “choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25). The question is this: Are these few moments of what is sweet/pleasant worth my eternity? Just as Satan denied the connection between sin and death in the garden, folly is still trying to get us to do the same. Stand up to her in the fear of the LORD and answer wisdom’s call instead.

Chapter 10 begins the section of what we typically think of when we think of Solomon’s proverbs. Most of them are short two liners that compare something wise and something foolish. Because of the sheer volume, we won’t go into detail on each verse, however if there is one that intrigues or confuses you, I would encourage you to break it down using the questions I give you at the beginning of each week to help you meditate on the memory verse. These questions are meant to help you get to the heart of the proverb and understand it in the context of Scripture, so they can be a good tool to use. Some of these proverbs are hard to understand, and while I will address some of them, it would take longer than this podcast to address them all, so again, spend time praying through and meditating on these verses, then find a trusted commentary that might provide some extra context.

Verse 1 jumps right in by comparing a wise and foolish son, and the impact they have on their parents. There are many ways this proverb could prove true, but the underlying idea is that our choice to pursue wisdom or folly does not just affect us, but others around us, such as our parents.

Verse 2 underscores that righteousness brings a benefit that money can’t buy. Righteousness assumes you are living by God’s wisdom, and that is what will ultimately bring about a reward.

Verses 4 and 5 both deal with laziness and work, and how that relates to poverty and wealth. Those who are hardworking generally get rich, while the lazy become not only poor, but shameful.

Verse 8 is one of my favorite proverbs. The wise not only “receive commandments,” but they willingly obey them because wisdom shows them what is best. Meanwhile, the “babbling fool” who lets his mouth get away from him will find no success. This phrase is also repeated in verse 10, so we know the warning not to be a babbling fool is important! I also think it is significant that this phrase surrounds the next verse.

In verse 9 we see a contrast between the person who “walks in integrity” and the person who walks crookedly. The path of the wise is always straight because it follows the truth, whereas the path of the fool has to follow all the twists and turns of the lies that have come out of his babbling mouth. The integrous are secure in the truth, but the fool’s lies will always “be found out.”

Verse 11 compares two mouths: that of the righteous and that of the wicked. The words of the righteous are a fountain of life because they have a positive outcome, like encouragement or correction. In contrast, the words of the wicked are deceptive, because they cover up violence. But this is not in the same way that “love covers all offenses” from the next verse (v. 12). In this case, the offenses are covered by true forgiveness.

Verse 15 fits in with the earlier verses on laziness and work. The diligent generally become rich, and have the protection of their wealth, while the lazy generally become poor, and this leads to their ruin. Overall in Proverbs, what people chase after and how are more important than the end result of riches or poverty, because these things will not be carried into the next life.

Verse 19 is another good one to remember. There are many modern day sayings that echo the idea of this proverb, such as “God gave us two ears and one mouth so we’d do twice as much listening as speaking.” The book of Proverbs, and the Bible as a whole really, shows us over and over again how important our speech is. Every word that comes out of our mouths has a sin-potential, but it is very hard to sin when you are listening.

Verse 23 tells us where our joy should come from. Those who enjoy doing wrong are fools who have no fear of the LORD. Wisdom is a “blessing of the LORD” (v. 22), and in it the believer can find joy.

Verse 25 reminds me so much of the story from Matthew 7 that I had you read in the lesson. The wicked, or foolish, stand on unstable and dangerous ground, and so they easily fall. The righteous, or wise, take the time to build upon a firm foundation, so they are “established forever.”

The comparison of the lazy person in verse 26 to “vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,” which are both irritants, honestly makes me laugh. I think back to group projects in school, and it is true! The lazy person is irritating because they are not dependable.

I’ll end the discussion of this chapter with the last two verses: “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverse” (vs. 31-32). If you were keeping count, I listed 17 separate references to the mouth or speech in this chapter. This is clearly an important topic, and one we won’t get away from, but the main idea I want to reiterate is that Jesus said our mouth speaks out of what is stored up in our hearts (Luke 6:45). So be wise and “lay up knowledge” (v. 14) in abundance so that what is in you will be reflected in what comes out of your mouth.

Chapter 11, and the whole rest of Proverbs, will continue to repeat themes we saw in chapter 10. When something is repeated, it is generally important, so take note when something sounds familiar, and go back and compare it to a verse you have already read.

Verse 1 of chapter 11 presents a contrast of dishonest and just business practices. In Old Testament times, a scale was used to measure out payment, and a business owner could offset the scale, or use a modified set of weights in order to charge someone more than they should. This is the practice Solomon is referring to in this proverb, and the idea is still the same for business owners today. Set your prices fairly, and don’t deceive someone into paying more than a fair price. Wisdom dictates that you operate your business with honesty, because this pleases the Lord.

Verses 2, 3, and 4 are all comparisons of ideas we have already seen, so we will just review them briefly. Verse 2: Pride bad, humility good. Remember that wisdom and humility always go hand in hand. Verse 3: integrity guides, treachery, or wickedness destroys. We saw something very similar in verse 9 of the last chapter, with the righteous being secure and the wicked walking a crooked path that will ultimately lead to destruction. Verse 4: earthly wealth is limited in power, but “righteousness delivers from death.” In the end, your riches won’t get you into heaven, but a righteous life lived out of the fear of the Lord will.

Beginning with verse 4, most of the verses in this chapter mention in some way the righteous and/or the wicked. Sometimes the righteous are referred to as “upright” (v. 11) or “blameless” (v. 20), and the wicked are referred to as “treacherous” (v. 6), “godless” (v. 9), or “evil” (v. 21). But in each verse, there is something positive associated with the righteous and something negative with the wicked. Also, a quick note about the word righteous. When we speak of the righteous, we are not talking about people who are perfect in everything we do. We are talking about people who have been declared righteous by God because they have trusted in the person and work of Jesus Christ. If you are a believer, you fall into the righteous category, and if you are not, I would encourage you to talk with your small group leader or someone from your church about how you can be forgiven and declared righteous by God.

Verse 8 can be confusing to some, because we know we all will experience trouble on this earth, righteous or not. In fact, Jesus promised His followers: “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). But for the righteous, those who are living in right relationship with God, the worst trouble we will ever experience will be on this earth. We have the hope of deliverance in the life to come. But for the wicked, their greatest trouble is ahead, when they must live separate from God for eternity.

In verse 10 we see cities celebrating over the well being of the righteous and the death of the wicked. Verse 11 tells us this is because the righteous bring blessing the city, but the wicked bring destruction. So when “it goes well” (v. 10), for the righteous, it generally goes well for the city, and vice versa for the wicked.

Verse 12 reminds me of the saying “silence is golden.” Wisdom demands that we treat our neighbors with love and respect, and even if they “belittle” us, we can turn the other check (Matthew 5:38-40) by “remaining silent.”

Verse 14 encourages us to find guidance from “an abundance of counselors.” In order for this wisdom to work, however, we must make sure our guidance is coming from the right place. Especially in today’s day and time, when just about anyone can put just about anything they want out on the internet, we have to be careful with the voices we’re allowing to speak into our lives. Find friends who are spiritually mature, and are therefore able to speak truth into your life. You want godly counsel, not just the latest fad craze the world is following after. While it’s good to listen to podcasts and sermons and follow people online that you find encouraging, you need to let real people into your life to get to know you so they can pray with you and speak to your specific situations.

Verse 21 encourages us to have faith in God’s justice. Even when it seems like the evil person is flourishing, we can trust that God will hold people responsible for their sin.

Verse 22 is a laughable image that shows wisdom should be valued above beauty. Nothing you do on the outside can make up for a lack of sense on the inside. Especially as women, we can get very caught up in our appearances. This verse is just encouraging us to keep our priorities in check. “Do not let your adorning be external – the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear – but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:3-4).

Verse 24 may seem backwards, but that’s typically how things are in God’s economy. The generous person grows richer, not necessarily money-wise, but definitely character-wise, because God blesses those who bless others with what they have, but keeps back His blessing from the greedy.

Verse 27 reminds me what ever we look for is what we will find. If we are diligently searching for good and wisdom, we will find it, but if we search for evil, we will find that. Verse 30 mentions the tree of life for the second time in Proverbs. In 3:18, wisdom was called a tree of life, and now Proverbs says this will be “the fruit of the righteous.” The righteous, those who are living in the fear of the Lord, will emit wisdom, and this will affect every area of their lives.

Now that we have gotten into the proverbs of Proverbs, I hope you are not just breezing past these wisdom statements, but taking the time to think through them and apply them to your lifestyle of worship.