The Wisdom that Makes You Wise

It’s pretty striking that Proverbs 9 presents two women Wisdom and Folly. They both have houses, and they are both serving meals. And they both call to the simple, to those who need understanding. But eating at their tables has opposite results. The one who eats at Wisdom’s table forsakes foolishness and lives. The one who eats at Folly’s table goes down to death and Hell. Probably one of the most insidious lies of Folly is the idea that someone can eat a little bit from both tables. This was the lie of the serpent in the Garden: It’s Ok, you can eat of the forbidden fruit. You will not die. This was what the Israelites attempted in the wilderness, lusting for the food and gods of Egypt while eating God’s manna and drinking the water from the rock. And Paul warns the Corinthians of the same thing: You cannot drink the cup of the lord and the cup of devils. You cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table and the table of devils. So whatever is: fashion, philosophy, food fads, health and fitness, certain friends, alcohol, money, sex – Are any of those things places where you are trying to prove yourself, trying to make yourself acceptable, trying to make yourself feel better about your sin, about your fears? If so they are idols. But coming to this table is you taking an oath to forsake the folly of idolatry. But this is good news because this is a table for the simple, for those who need understanding, for those who know they have been foolish. So come. Forsake your folly and live. This is the body of Jesus broken for you, the blood of Jesus shed for you. This is the wisdom of God that makes you wise.