[Please note: The first two paragraphs below are repeated each day for new readers. My amateur comments are offered below each of today's verses from Proverbs.]
Have you ever noticed that, like most months have 31 days, the Book of Proverbs has 31 chapters? Fascinating right? Well, it is at least interesting, and coincidentally beneficial to those who would like to read a portion of thought provoking scripture every day of the month. You might like to read the calendar coordinated chapter from Proverbs every day this month (I've included the whole chapter below!) and then see if my comments on a few of those verses line up with your own observations. My plan is to go through the year, writing my response to about one seventh of each chapter's verses every day, during each of the 7 months that have 31 days. Clear as mud? That's what I thought.
I hope you check in, and leave a comment. Especially if I say something really off base and need to be corrected, because, as we will learn this month on the 27th, Proverbs 27:5 says
Have you ever noticed that, like most months have 31 days, the Book of Proverbs has 31 chapters? Fascinating right? Well, it is at least interesting, and coincidentally beneficial to those who would like to read a portion of thought provoking scripture every day of the month. You might like to read the calendar coordinated chapter from Proverbs every day this month (I've included the whole chapter below!) and then see if my comments on a few of those verses line up with your own observations. My plan is to go through the year, writing my response to about one seventh of each chapter's verses every day, during each of the 7 months that have 31 days. Clear as mud? That's what I thought.
I hope you check in, and leave a comment. Especially if I say something really off base and need to be corrected, because, as we will learn this month on the 27th, Proverbs 27:5 says
"Better is open rebuke than hidden love."
Today's inspired verses, Proverbs 8:6-11, are in red
and my questionable comments are in blue.Proverbs 9
Invitations of Wisdom and Folly
1 Wisdom has built her house;
she has set up[a] its seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her servants, and she calls
from the highest point of the city,
4 “Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense she says,
4) Wow! Yesterday I had six verses to comment on, and today's dose is only one! I divided each chapter roughly into sevenths so I could comment on a section each day of each of the seven 31 day months. Now that I look at my system again, I think I would have kept verses 3 and 4 of chapter 9 together or maybe 4, 5 and 6 but...I am no Solomon, and even he suggested they divide a baby in an inopportune manner! (1 Kings 3:16-28)
So here we have wisdom calling from the highest point of the city. She is ever inviting. Always open. The perfect hostess, wisdom is willing and able to minister to every need freely. There is no problem great or small that wisdom can not help ameliorate, if not eliminate. But few of us partake! If you needed money would you not accept an offer from a millionaire? Why do we decline God's wisdom simply because it is offered by...God? There is no other equivalent source for smarts available. Whatever good ideas you might find in the world are merely the detritus; the broken off parts and castaway talus of God's perfect vision of applied truth. Following is God's offer, and a better deal can not be had anywhere:
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5
And from James 3:17, we have this additional good news regarding God's beneficent gift: the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
There. I wrote almost as much on one verse today, as I did on six yesterday!
5 “Come, eat my food
and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live;
walk in the way of insight.”
7 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.
8 Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you;
rebuke the wise and they will love you.
9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For through wisdom[b] your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;
if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.
13 Folly is an unruly woman;
she is simple and knows nothing.
14 She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat at the highest point of the city,
15 calling out to those who pass by,
who go straight on their way,
16 “Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
food eaten in secret is delicious!”
18 But little do they know that the dead are there,
that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.
Footnotes:
Proverbs 9:1 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew has hewn out
Proverbs 9:11 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew me
she has set up[a] its seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her servants, and she calls
from the highest point of the city,
4 “Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense she says,
4) Wow! Yesterday I had six verses to comment on, and today's dose is only one! I divided each chapter roughly into sevenths so I could comment on a section each day of each of the seven 31 day months. Now that I look at my system again, I think I would have kept verses 3 and 4 of chapter 9 together or maybe 4, 5 and 6 but...I am no Solomon, and even he suggested they divide a baby in an inopportune manner! (1 Kings 3:16-28)
So here we have wisdom calling from the highest point of the city. She is ever inviting. Always open. The perfect hostess, wisdom is willing and able to minister to every need freely. There is no problem great or small that wisdom can not help ameliorate, if not eliminate. But few of us partake! If you needed money would you not accept an offer from a millionaire? Why do we decline God's wisdom simply because it is offered by...God? There is no other equivalent source for smarts available. Whatever good ideas you might find in the world are merely the detritus; the broken off parts and castaway talus of God's perfect vision of applied truth. Following is God's offer, and a better deal can not be had anywhere:
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5
And from James 3:17, we have this additional good news regarding God's beneficent gift: the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
There. I wrote almost as much on one verse today, as I did on six yesterday!
5 “Come, eat my food
and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live;
walk in the way of insight.”
7 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.
8 Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you;
rebuke the wise and they will love you.
9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For through wisdom[b] your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;
if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.
13 Folly is an unruly woman;
she is simple and knows nothing.
14 She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat at the highest point of the city,
15 calling out to those who pass by,
who go straight on their way,
16 “Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
food eaten in secret is delicious!”
18 But little do they know that the dead are there,
that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.
Footnotes:
Proverbs 9:1 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew has hewn out
Proverbs 9:11 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew me
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