Proverbs 9:13-18
Proverbs 9:13-18
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Way of Folly
13 A foolish woman is clamorous;
She is simple, and knows nothing.
14 For she sits at the door of her house,
On a seat by the highest places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by,
Who go straight on their way:
16“ Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”;
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
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 hell.
My Thoughts:
- So let’s start with (v. 13) we read “A foolish woman is clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing.”
- This is in contradiction to the wise woman, to me I see the verse saying that every man must choose to walk with the wise woman or follow the load and foolish woman. Who will you follow? We must choose, and when we do we must be willing to live with the outcome of our choices.
- In (v. 17) we read “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
- The foolish woman only offers a kiss in the night or a night which at the time taste sweet (Prov. 7:18), but in the morning her sweet taste will become bitter.
- Is sin pleasurable? Yes, but only in the short time. When we say to the temptress leave and never come back, we are saying to God come in to my life.
- And we will finish today with (v.18) “But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of hell”
- We see again Solomon telling us that the only thing that comes from following the foolish woman is death. This life leads to nothing but secrets and lies and in the end we are haunted by our past deeds which we cannot escape.
Thought of the Day
Twice over this invitation is given first by wisdom, and secondly by the foolish woman. To every young life, in its first setting forth, many voices and inducements speak. Wise, grave voices mingle with siren songs. The strait gate into the narrow way stands side by side with the wide gate that leads into the broad way. The counsels of the fathers lips, the tears and prayers of the mother, amid the enticements of sinners, and the blandishments of the world. Here the true Shepherd, there the hireling; here the true Bride, there the apostate Church; here that which condemns the flesh, there that which takes its side.
Life is full of choices. There is no day without them. We are perpetually being reminded of the way in which the Creator introduced lines of division into his earliest work. For it is thus that He proceeds with the work of the new creation within. Repeatedly we hear his voice as He divides the light from the darkness, calling the one Day and the other Night. Would that we ever acted as children of the Light and of the Day, choosing the one and refusing the other! We are always being exercised in this, and our beat life depends on the keenness and quickness with which we refuse the evil and choose the good
Wisdom appeals to conscience. She says nothing at the outset of the sweetness of her service, or the pleasantness of her paths; but bases her appeal on whatsoever things are just, pure, lovely, and of good report. Yet she has rich rewards to those that choose her. Length of days, honor, a heart at leisure from itself, sure satisfaction, the assurance of the favor of God, a sure and certain hope of blessedness for evermore.
Personal Reflection and Discussion
- What do you think (v. 18) when we read “that her guests are in the depths of hell”?
- What other things do you see in the text?
Prayer Activities
- Call your Partner and discuss this devotional.
- Continue to have a prayer list and continue to praying for them.
- Pray with them and ask for the following;
- For God to help us stay on the path of righteousness and stay away for the foolish woman.
- For God to help us see the foolish woman before we are miss lead.
- For the individuals on your pray list.
- Let’s use (Ps. 27:1) for today’s prayer verse.
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Interesting the foolish woman is simple and doesn’t understand anything, yet she’s somewhat repeating the same invitation as wisdom, Whoever is simple and lack understanding come; but she adds a twist… she never actually offers to teach, or really anything of of her own…she’s offers what not even her’s to begin with stolen bread and stolen water. Never content with want she has or could earn herself, she always wants what others have. Bread and water…isn’t that like prison food. Wisdom has prepared and done so much and is offering a feast with meat, bread and her speicality mixed wined… on top of teaching wisdom. The foolish is offering nothing hardly, but clearly potential problems. She doesn’t just leave them in their foolish state, she adds sin (if nothing else crime by assoication) and death in the long run. You could see the different approaches; wisdom has gone out of her way, prepared a banqet, and is standing where all could easily see her giving the invitation. The foolish on the other hand didn’t prepare much, other than stealing even what would of been free…water was free in that time… you just needed to go to the right well; then she sits while giving the invitation. There’s no respect for the invited, or for her self image. She just comes across as lazy and someone who doesn’t care. Interesting Wisdom invites people to go in the way of understanding (of the straight path), the Foolish calls those who are on the straight path to her house which leads to death. The wise tries to convince using lots of words and reasoning; while the fool is simple and has to be clamorous in the attempt to draw attention to herself. She draws them through their senses; while wisdom appeals to their intellect.
Very good Amalia, I think we can all be taken in very easily by the foolish woman, if for no other reason that she seems to have the easiest path. But Christ never said that His path was easy just righteous and that it would bring an everlasting reward.