WWUTT 1399 Wisdom Has Built Her House (Proverbs 9:1-6)

Wisdom continues its appeal, its loving address in Proverbs chapter 9 saying whoever is simple turn in here that we may fellowship with wisdom and learn the ways of God when we understand the text.

This is when we understand the text, a daily Bible commentary to help encourage your time in the word.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we feature New Testament study, an Old Testament book on Thursday and our

Q &A on Friday. Now here's your teacher Pastor Gabe. Thank you Becky. Well being Thursday we continue with our

Old Testament study and we've been in the book of Proverbs today starting in on chapter 9.

The last few weeks we've been listening to the voice of wisdom. Wisdom personified and we still have that here in chapter 9 as well.

I'm going to go ahead and begin by reading through the whole chapter. This is Proverbs 9 verses 1 through 18.

Eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and live and walk in the way of insight.

Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.

Do not reprove a scoffer or he will hate you. Reprove a wise man and he will love you.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

For by me your days will be multiplied and years will be added to your life.

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The woman folly is loud. She is seductive and knows nothing.

She sits at the door of her house. She takes a seat on the highest places of the town calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way.

Whoever is simple, let him turn in here. And to him who lacks sense, she says, stolen water is sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

You can probably spot some similarities between this chapter and the previous one, right? For one, they both end in death.

At the end of chapter 8, whoever hates wisdom loves death.

And at the end of chapter 9, whoever loves folly will go down to the depths of Sheol, down to the grave.

We're looking again here at wisdom personified. And the poetic license that's being used here, personifying wisdom, as the wisdom itself for a person and could speak to us, the writer,

Solomon, has made wisdom a woman. Now, there's nothing about this that's to say that wisdom is more feminine than masculine.

You know, it's not like that. But rather, the word wisdom itself, the Hebrew word for wisdom, is feminine.

So to personify wisdom, it just makes sense to use feminine pronouns. If wisdom were a masculine word, then the author of Proverbs would have been using masculine pronouns to describe wisdom.

So again, it's not because women are wiser than men or anything like that. And it's also not to say that God himself is a woman.

And that's the way some have taken this and twisted it and applied that to God in that way.

William Paul Young, in his book, The Shack, made the Holy Spirit, the third person of the

Trinity, a woman. Well, he made God the Father a woman, too. That tells you something about William Paul Young.

But he based his translation of the Holy Spirit into a woman on wisdom personified in the book of Proverbs.

He also adds a fourth person to the Trinity in The Shack, creating wisdom as a person and, of course, presenting her as a woman named

Sophia, which is a pagan name, surprisingly enough. Max Likado just recently preached a sermon at the

Washington National Cathedral. I listened to it because all the controversy that surrounded Likado's preaching there.

Max Likado is called America's Pastor by Christianity Today. He's a bestselling author.

In that particular sermon, he said that the Holy Spirit is the motherhood of God.

And a lot of times this kind of description of God has come from a misunderstanding of wisdom personified in Proverbs 8 and 9.

We've seen wisdom spoken about in this way earlier in Proverbs as well, but primarily in chapters 8 and 9.

But again, the personification of wisdom, the poetic license that's used here to do that, ascribes feminine pronouns to wisdom because wisdom is a feminine word in the

Hebrew. That's a little more difficult for us to understand. We who speak only English, but there are languages that use masculine and feminine words.

So here we start chapter 9 with wisdom has built her house, continuing with the description of wisdom that we had in chapter 8.

Most of chapter 8 was wisdom addressing us that we might seek after wisdom and not go after folly.

Wisdom doesn't speak as much here in chapter 9, but we still have some beautiful descriptions of her and the call upon the reader to go after wisdom and flee from folly.

So wisdom has built her house. We're now even talking about coming into the presence of wisdom as though we're dining with wisdom.

We become a guest of wisdom that we would become intimate friends with wisdom.

She has hewn her seven pillars, it says. Now, you know, the number seven in Scripture is a number that is commonly ascribed to God, right?

More specifically, the number seven is the number of completeness. So when we see that number seven used, we're talking about completeness and God is full.

He is complete. We are sufficiently provided for when we trust in the

Lord. He is sufficient, as we also talk about Scripture being sufficient.

So the number ascribed to God is seven. And here the wisdom of God, the house that she has built, is held up by seven pillars.

It is a complete house. Whenever we have the wisdom of God or we pursue the wisdom of God, we're going after something that is complete and we need nothing else.

The wisdom of this world will simply never satisfy. I often think about the way that Paul approaches the

Colossians when he wrote his letter to the Colossians. He begins by making Christ big and he uses a word there in Colossians to describe

Jesus that he doesn't use in any of his other letters. It's the word proto you on in the

Greek. And we translate it in English as preeminent, that Christ is top.

He is above all things. There's nothing above Jesus. If you have Jesus, you have everything.

Paul presents that first to the Colossians. And then when you get to chapter two and he warns them about certain false teaching, he has presented

Christ to them first so that they would know they have everything in Christ. And therefore, the false teaching that this world tries to give you is never going to measure up.

He says that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

That's Colossians 2 3. He goes on in verse four to say, I say this to you in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

In verse eight, see to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit.

According to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world and not according to Christ.

For in him, the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.

And you have been filled in him who is the head of all rule and authority.

So in Christ, we have everything. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge bound up in Christ Jesus.

So the the wisdom or you might as well say the folly of this world is just simply never going to compare.

When we devote ourselves to Christ, whenever the world tries to throw something at us and say, hey, I've got a new philosophy for you.

Here's a new spirit of the age. Here is a new cultural phenomenon that you need to get in on.

And if you have this, then you will you'll you'll be hip. You'll be with it. You'll be on the right side of history.

You ever heard that expression before? We're going to look at this stuff and we're going to see that it doesn't compare with Christ, that it is contrary to his word, that it doesn't lead to life but death.

And we're going to look at that. We're going to go, sorry, I got something better. I don't need your way. I have the way, the truth and the life.

As Jesus said in John 14, six, no one comes to the father but by me through Jesus.

And if we have Christ, then we are we are more guarded from false teaching when we're focusing on Christ, because we'll recognize that the lie just simply can't compare with the truth.

So you have wisdom building her house. She has hewn her seven pillars. And when we are pursuing wisdom, we are pursuing something that is sufficient and we don't need anything else.

And this is kind of an intimate setting that's being decorated for us here. Remember that a father is speaking to his son about pursuing wisdom, and he has said to his son to stay away from the adulterous woman who is going to lead you to destruction.

Wisdom is going to lead you to life. And so that's that's the other contrast that you have there with taking that poetic license of making wisdom into a woman.

You have the contrast between wisdom and between the adulterous. Don't go after the adulterous.

It might be titillating to your flesh for a little while, but it's ultimately going to lead to your destruction.

Go after wisdom, which is going to lead to eternal life and treasures forevermore.

So you have the adulterous that's standing by her house that was described in Chapter seven.

And then you're going to see that folly is described in much the same way. Folly's got a house, too.

And folly is also loud and wayward. Remember, Proverbs 7 11. She is loud and wayward, describing the adulterous woman.

And then here in Proverbs 9 13, the woman folly is loud. There's the similarity there.

So don't go after folly. Go after wisdom. And what you have in the wisdom of God is complete.

And you need nothing else. Do not be intimate with the adulterous. Be intimate with wisdom.

Come into her home. She is inviting you in. Wisdom has built her house and hewn her seven pillars.

She has slaughtered her beasts. She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table.

Now, the reference to slaughtering her beasts doesn't mean that she's gone out with sword and shield, and she's, like, fought off these monstrous beasts that are coming upon the city.

So the woman wisdom is therefore a warrior in this sense. That's not what's being shown here.

But slaughtering her beasts means that she's had livestock, that she's gone and killed for a feast, and she has prepared these animals for a good meal that you might come and sit and fellowship with wisdom.

Talk with her. Learn her ways. It goes on in verse two to say she has mixed her wine.

References to wine in the scripture are often references to abundance. It shows God's abundant provision.

One of the most popular verses regarding this is Proverbs 310 that we looked at earlier.

Your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

But we also have the Lord giving this promise in Joel 224.

The threshing floor shall be full of grain. The vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten. The hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which

I sent among you. So when the vats are overflowing with wine, God is abundantly providing.

Think of the words of Christ in John 1010. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly. What was the first miracle that Jesus performed in the gospel of John?

It was at the wedding at Cana, and he turned the water into wine, showing that he gives life and gives it abundantly.

So we have that same kind of a picture here with the wisdom of God. She has slaughtered her beast.

She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table. So there is nourishment there.

You are going to be fed. You are going to receive abundance, and you will fellowship with wisdom and learn from her.

Verse 3, she has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town.

Whoever is simple, let him turn in here. And, of course, the contrast with this is going to be with folly, who says the same thing to the simple in verse 16.

Whoever is simple, let him turn in here. Come to folly and be destroyed. So wisdom calls to the simple, and folly calls to the simple.

But where will the simple find abundance in life? Only with wisdom.

If the simple go the way of folly, they will be led unto their death. Consider the contrast that Paul offers to the

Ephesians. In Ephesians 5, beginning in verse 17, he says,

Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the

Spirit. So don't be foolish, understand the will of the Lord. Getting drunk with wine would be foolish and leads to debauchery.

But being filled with the Spirit would be wise. Getting drunk with wine will certainly lead to some kind of a pleasure, but it's a temporary pleasure, it's fleeting, it doesn't last.

Being filled with the Spirit is an eternal pleasure. You receive the pleasures and the rewards of God now, but then you will also receive them forevermore in His eternal kingdom.

So you have the same sort of a thing going on here with wisdom in Proverbs 9. Come and drink her wine, which does not lead to drunkenness, it leads to wisdom.

And she has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town. Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.

Who would the young women of wisdom be? We'll remember that previously in chapter 8, we read that there are things that come along with wisdom, right?

Like prudence, and strength, and riches even, and honor.

And we've also had it said here that years will be added to your life. That's in verse 11. By me your days will be multiplied and years will be added to your life.

These are the maidens that come along with wisdom. Those benefits that you get when you go after the wisdom of God personified, using that poetic license here, these are the maidens of wisdom, the young women that call from the highest places in the town.

To him who lacks sense, wisdom says. This is still Proverbs 9, verse 4. To him who lacks sense, she says, come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine

I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.

Back in chapter 4, verse 5. I'm going to start in verse 5 here.

The father talking to his son says, Get wisdom, get insight. Do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

Do not forsake her. Talking again about wisdom personified there. And she will keep you.

Love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this. Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.

Prize her highly, and she will exalt you. She will honor you if you embrace her.

She will place on your head a graceful garland. She will bestow on you a beautiful crown.

The spiritual gains that we receive from pursuing the wisdom of God are greater than any of the material gains that we might have in this world.

Recently, I called out a false teacher online, a woman who has led many, many people astray.

And I have a feeling that with the direction she's going, she's just going to get worse. And so I was calling out this person's false teaching and the way that she twists scripture.

And I tied it to 1 Corinthians 4, 6, where the apostle Paul instructs, learn by us not to go beyond what is written.

False teachers go beyond what we have in the word of God, or we'll twist the word of God and make it say things that it doesn't really say.

An anonymous person responded to me calling out this false teacher. And the person said, you are just jealous that this false teacher is far better and far more of a successful teacher than you are.

And I replied to this anonymous individual, I seldom do that, but I did in this particular instance.

And I said, I would not call twisting truth and palling around with prosperity heretics better or successful, not even a little bit.

Yeah, this false teacher may have six houses, may have a private plane that she gets flown around in, may have book sales out the wazoo, which

I will never see in this lifetime. It would be very easy for me to have what it is that she has.

But in order to do that, I would have to trade in the wisdom of God. I would have to twist the scriptures to make it mean things that tickle itching ears, because that's exactly how she has made the prominence that she has gained by twisting the word of God, by not going after wisdom, by saying things that appeal to the wisdom of this age, not the wisdom of God, but the way of the world.

She may gain all kinds of material possessions. She may gain recognition and popularity and fame and acclaim.

But the scary thing for the false teacher is they will lose the kingdom of God. A day is coming when death will knock on that door.

And then what will happen to all that you have? You don't get to take it with you. Anything that you achieve in this world doesn't get to go with you into the next.

What matters is not what you have, but rather who has you.

Do you belong to Christ? On that day when you stand before him in judgment, will he say of you,

Depart from me, you worker of lawlessness, I never knew you. Or will he say to you,

Well done, good and faithful servant. Now great is your reward. Go after the things of Jesus, not after the things of this world.

Maybe it is God's will for you that you would have a lot here on this side of heaven.

I consider myself immensely blessed. I don't have a big house by any stretch of the imagination.

All of my cars are older than my kids. We just have two vehicles between my wife and I, but they are older than our oldest child.

And yet I would consider myself immensely blessed. I don't need any other material possessions than what

God has given me. But even greater than these things that he has blessed me with is

Christ. So go after Jesus. And in him, you will have great reward.

You already have the greatest treasure you could possess. And that is

Christ. Let's finish with prayer. Heavenly Father, thank you for these good words that we have been given.

And help us to leave our simple ways and live in your ways.

Walking in the way of insight. Going after the things that you have shown to us according to your word.

Make us more like Christ. Give us the mind of Christ. Let us not be after the passions of our flesh.

Or the ways of this world. The things that the world says you need in order to be successful.

Or in order to fit in. All of these things are coming into judgment. All of these things are wasting away around us.

They are transient. They will vanish in a moment. Like a mist that is here for a moment and then is quickly swept away by the wind.

May we put our trust in Christ. Give us hearts that long for Christ Jesus. And the ways of God according to your word.

Forgive us our sins. And lead us in paths of righteousness for your name's sake.

It's in his name. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen. This has been

When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabriel Hughes. For all of our podcasts, episodes, videos, books, and more, visit our website at www .utt

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