Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20110807.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Proverbs: Motivating Teens And Adults To Align With God's Fixed Moral Order
Part II: Explaining The Value Of Heeding God's Fixed Moral Order, Proverbs 1:8-9:18
R. Call To Love The Right Of Two Contrasting, Appealing Life Paths
(Proverbs 9:1-18)
  1. Introduction
    1. The spiritual battle of maturing teens and young adults in particular is not that of learning to say "no" to what is unattractively evil, but to avoid loving what is alluring but wrong, cf. 1 John 2:14b-15a.
    2. Proverbs 9:1-18 ends an extended section by summarizing Solomon's words in Proverbs 1:8-8:36 where he contrasted "the invitations of wisdom (9:1-6) and of folly (vv. 13-18)," and "(b)etween the two invitations is a brief series of tersely stated proverbs" contrasting "the nature and consequences of those who respond to each invitation (vv. 7-12)." (Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament, p. 923)
    3. We view this chapter that calls us to love the right path of what are two contrasting, appealing pathways:
  2. Call To Love The Right Of Two Contrasting, Appealing Life Pathways, Proverbs 9:1-18.
    1. Solomon presented the appealing call of upright "Lady Wisdom" to the young adult in Proverbs 9:1-6:
      1. Appealing "Lady Wisdom" has built her spacious house of seven pillars, that number implying fulness, and signifying the high station in life wisdom presents to those who choose her, Proverbs 9:1; Ibid.
      2. Appealing "Lady Wisdom" has set her table for an elaborate feast of blessing (Proverbs 9:2; Ibid.) and sent out her maids to the most public realms of the city to invite people to attend, Prov erbs 9:3.
      3. Appealing "Lady Wisdom" thus invites the naive (peti) and "those who lack judgment" (Proverbs 9:4 NIV), those most needing her help, to come and dine at her banquet table of blessing, Proverbs 9:5.
      4. Heeding this appeal will lead the naive to depart from their naive ways, and for those who lack judgment to walk in the ways of understanding so that they will enjoy a blessed life, Proverbs 9:6.
    2. In Proverbs 9:13-18, Solomon presented the appealing call of evil "Lady Folly" to the young adult:
      1. "Lady Folly" has some unappealing characteristics: she is loud and naive like her guests (Ibid., p. 924; Proverbs 9:13), and instead of searching them out by sending maids to invite them to her banquet, "Lady Folly" merely coarsely sits at her door and calls out to passers by, Proverbs 9:14.
      2. However, "Lady Folly" appeals to the naive and those who lack judgment, calling from the highest point of the city (Prov. 9:14b, 16) interrupting those who are going straight in their regular courses of life (Proverbs 9:15) to turn in to her, implying she urges them to depart from upright paths.
      3. The sole APPEAL of "Lady Folly" is her claim that "stolen waters" and "bread eaten in secret" are sweet and pleasant, that pleasures gained by sin are more gratifying than upright ones, Prov erbs 9:17.
      4. Nevertheless, the naive and those who lack understanding do not know that the dead are in "Lady Folly's" home, that her guests are in the depths of "Sheol," the abode of the dead! (Proverbs 9:18 NIV)
    3. Critical to consider are the contrasting RESULTS of the choice of which "Lady" to love, Prov. 9:7-12:
      1. If a party chooses to love "Lady Folly," he becomes a scoffer, and scoffers are hardened and spitefully, abusively injure those who try to correct them, Proverbs 9:7-8a. His route that will end in disaster is thus hardened by choosing "Lady Folly" so that there is no stopping his coming to a tragic end.
      2. However, if one chooses to love "Lady Wisdom," he loves those who reprove him, and accepts added insight to his own increase in wisdom and its results of blessing in life, Pr. 9:8b-9. This occurs because wisdom has as its essential component ("beginning" NIV - reshit) reverence for God (Pr. 9:10; Ibid., p. 908, 924), and that results in a long life in contrast to those who choose "Lady Folly," Pr. 9:11; 9:18b.
    4. In summation, Solomon noted that if one chooses "Lady Wisdom" to become wise, he takes a course in life that unavoidably ends up in making him wise and thus blessed (Prov. 9:12a ESV), but if he chooses "Lady Folly," he inescapably becomes hardened as a scoffer against all who try to correct him, and he alone will bear the responsibility and effects of his choice in his bitter end, Proverbs 9:12b ESV.
Lesson: Maturing teens and young adults in particular must realize that God's wisdom appeals as good in EVERY way, where folly appeals as good ONLY in luring one to indulge in what is SEDUCTIVE but EVIL. Considering the RESULTS of these two paths shows one is FAR BETTER choosing WISDOM.

Application: May we realize a big choice exists regarding which path to love, and so love the right one!