Lady Wisdom’s work speaks for itself. The question is, will we listen to her instruction and write it on the tablets of our hearts?
We live in a society where there are a lot of voices vying for our attention, all of them suggesting how we should live our lives. Many of these voices are unhelpful, but the loudest voices of our day are much worse: they are actually calling for us to follow them down a path that leads to destruction. Anyone with children must feel like they are whispering in the wind, drowned out by the voices of this age. Now is a time, more than ever, where we need the wisdom of God’s Word.
If this is your first time attempting to read “A Proverb a Day in May,” then let me provide you with an introduction. We are all familiar with the various one line statements that make up the bulk of Proverbs, but the opening chapters are not what you would expect and could be potentially overwhelming.
Before we get into the proverbs themselves, the book opens with nine chapters of poetry where the main narrator, the Wise King, introduces his son to the two contrasting characters who will walk beside him throughout his life. These voices are known as Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly. They are the personifications of good and evil. One will lead to prosperity, happiness, and long life, the other will lead to poverty, misery, and destruction.
Lady Wisdom
Lady Wisdom is first introduced in Chapter 1 where she is crying out to be heard amongst the cacophony of voices seeking to drown her out. “How Long, O simple ones, will you love being simple” (Proverbs 1:22)? This isn’t the first time Lady Wisdom has cried out and been ignored. She has been down this road before, watching as her advice is neglected.
There is a warning here to not harden our hearts to the instruction of Lady Wisdom. One reaps what they sow. We cannot procrastinate and be lazy and then at the last hour call on Lady Wisdom to rescue us. That’s not how she operates. If we ignore her, we do it at our own peril.
Throughout the next several chapters, the Wise King exalts Lady Wisdom for all of her glory and splendor. She is a beauty to behold, greater than any earthly treasure (3:13-18). When she is treated with honor, love, and respect, Lady Wisdom rewards those who cherish her (4:5-9).
But it is not until the end of the introduction that Lady Wisdom has her shining moment. In Chapter 8 she sings her song. It is, in some sense, her resume. She begins by pleading with the reader to hear her cries, “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of men…” (8:4-11). Then she provides her references, “By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just…” (8:15-16). Finally, she provides her work experience. Through her, God created the heavens and the earth and all that are in them (8:22-31). Lady Wisdom’s work speaks for itself. The question is, will we listen to her instruction and write it on the tablets of our hearts?
Lady Folly
In contrast to Lady Wisdom, we are also introduced to Lady Folly. She is described as the forbidden woman, an adulteress who is smooth with her words and dishonest in her deeds. She is a siren who leads anyone who follows her to certain destruction (2:16-19).
The Wise King warns against her deceitful ways, “For the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword…”(5:3-6).
Lady Folly also has her own solo. She is described as being loud and boisterous. She dances through the streets, drawing attention to herself. Her words are enticing, offering guilt-free pleasure. She is persistent and persuasive. She will not take, “No,” for an answer. And she leads her victim like an ox to the slaughter. She oversells and underdelivers, but once her deed is done, it is too late (7:6-27).
Once again, we are offered a warning from the Wise King, “Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death” (7:24-27).
Lady Folly is more than just a reference to the perils of infidelity. She stands as the personification of foolishness: being led by our fleshly desires and trusting in our own reasoning. It is the voice of our day that is calling us to throw off all restraints and chase after our passions with unbridled abandonment.
A Guided Tour
As we get into the tenth chapter, we are finally introduced to what the book of Proverbs is named after. The various collections of short sayings offer advice on a wide variety of topics. Let’s examine one of them to see how Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly would differ in their council.
We have already been told, in the introduction, that wisdom is more valuable than riches (3:13-18), but the proverbs still have a lot to say when it comes to wealth and prosperity. Riches are not the most important thing in life: they don’t last forever (27:4), and even the poor can be commended in certain aspects of life (28:6, 11).
However, Lady Wisdom loves to reward those who honor her (4:5-9), and one of the ways she does so is through prosperity. This primarily happens when we follow her direction with diligence (10:4). Lady Folly, on the other hand, encourages a more laid back attitude, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man” (6:10-11 & 24:33-34). This is often depicted in Proverbs as the sluggard who refuses to do any work, but still expects to be rewarded (20:4, 21:25).
It is important to hold prosperity in its proper perspective. It cannot provide everything we need, “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death” (11:4). “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf” (11:28). “The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the Maker of them all” (22:2). In this, Lady Wisdom warns us to seek the things that matter most and to keep our treasures in the proper order: fear the LORD, seek wisdom, and delight in God’s blessings.
A fool and his money are soon parted, but riches in the hands of a righteous man can do great things, “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want” (11:24).
Proverbs 30:8-9 sums up an ideal relationship with prosperity, “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.”
The Wise King wants us to understand that Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly will follow us throughout life. But if we listen to Lady Folly instead of Lady Wisdom, our hearts will end up hardened, leading us to calamity (28:4). So make sure to take heed to the teaching of Lady Wisdom. Those who can pick out her cries in the deluge of voices and follow her instruction will find life and favor with the LORD (8:32-25).
Adam Miller is the President and host of Songtime Radio and serves as the pastor of South Chatham Community Church.
You can hear his teaching on our daily broadcast on the radio or online, watch his preaching live on Facebook, and read his articles on our website.
