Wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square … (Prov. 1:20)

The first wise thing Solomon writes sets the tone for the book. This is a book about knowing wisdom. Of course, as the book unfolds, we will learn that knowing wisdom is not a mental exercise for which God will test us at his judgment seat at the end of time. It is, instead, conforming our minds to the mind of God and acting accordingly.

The Book of Proverbs lays the foundation of choosing between acting in wisdom or acting in folly. (This word “folly” comes up many times in forms like “fool,” “foolish,” and related words.) The benefits of living wisely are outlined in chapters 1–4, pictured as a woman calling out to a young man: “Wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square …” (Prov. 1:20).

In contrast, we read the wise admonition to avoid foolishness, written using sexual temptation that is all too common for youthful males as a metaphor: “My son, give attention to my wisdom, incline your ear to my understanding; that you may observe discretion and your lips may reserve knowledge. For the lips of an adulteress drip honey and smoother than oil is her speech…” (Prov. 5:1–3). Chapters 5 and 6 show in graphic, sexual terms the results of choosing to ignore wisdom and embrace folly. Of course, sexual temptation is very real, but the metaphor illustrates the consequence of rejecting wisdom in general. Chapters 8 and 9, then, wrap up the contrast between wise and foolish living. After that comes the rest of the book, which lays out short proverbial sayings, pithy statements of wisdom in contrast to all that is unwise.

Five categories of responses to wisdom-teaching are presented repeatedly in the book:

• The Naïve/Simple has not learned wisdom or seems incapable of doing so (Prov. 1:22, 14:15).
• The Fool has the capacity for wisdom but consistently chooses what is not wise. He rejects wisdom without malice (Prov. 1:7, 22).
• The Mocker/Scoffer scoffs at wisdom and mocks those who are wise. He rejects wisdom with malice (Prov. 1:22, 13:1).
• The Sluggard may or may not know wisdom but is too lazy to make wise decisions (Prov. 6:9, 26:14-15).
• The Wise has capacity for wisdom and makes wise choices (Prov. 1:5, 8:3)

Lord, I choose to pursue wisdom; help me when I fall into unwise choices.