Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Wisdom’ s Feast” and is found in Proverbs 9:1-18.
For the fourth consecutive Sunday, the Sunday School is about wisdom from the book of Proverbs. In these lessons, the writer has attempted to get the readers to see Wisdom as a person to be befriended, sought after and listened to. Sometimes no gender is expressed and at others the feminine gender is used.
In today’s lesson, it is the feminine gender making an invitation. The passage contrast between two women. The first woman is Wisdom. She builds a house. The house is no ordinary house. It has seven stately pillars or columns. The number seven is significant because it is the spiritual number of perfection.
Within the house, Wisdom prepares a special dinner and table complete with furnishings and wine. After everything is ready and prepared, she sends her servants to elevated peaks so that everyone can hear her invitation to come and dine with her. She specifically calls to those who are simple.
Who are the simple? They are those who are naïve, gullible, inexperienced and at risk of being unknowingly taken advantage of. It is crucial for those who desire wisdom to acknowledge their lack and need of it. In other words, they must be teachable and desire understanding. Her invitation is to those who desire understanding.
Her food and drink are the words she imparts that if heeded will lead to life and understanding of purpose. Jesus said not to cast your pearls before swine. That’s another way of saying those who despise wisdom, knowledge and understanding will not only not appreciate anyone trying to give them any, but will express hostility toward them.
But just the opposite occurs with those who seek wisdom. They will love and appreciate those who try to help them. The text then contrasts Wisdom with a foolish woman. The foolish woman is unlearned, loud, gullible and has no shame.
She sits in the door of her house calling to those who pass by and inviting them inside. She is like a harlot seeking to consume the life of men. The simple and those who despise wisdom will turn and go into her house. It is the house of death. It is like the mouse who desires the cheese on the trap not realizing that eating it leads to death.
The text portrays two women. Wisdom is virtuous, caring, wise and empowering. The other is ignorant, unscrupulous, selfish and disabling. It’s up to us to decide which invitation to accept and into which house we will enter. It is literally a matter of life and death.
Well, I hope you will be able to attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you cannot attend your own Sunday School, you are invited to join us online at 9:00 am live and interactive at our website. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
