“Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, ‘Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!’” (Proverbs 9:1-4a, ESV)
Wisdom is a characteristic of God, one which He shares with human beings. In the book of Proverbs the author teaches this wisdom. He personifies it as a means of teaching truth and Godliness. He tells us that Wisdom has built her house on 7 pillars. Seven is the number of perfection so this indicates that her wisdom, God’s wisdom is complete. We need nothing more for life and holiness than this. The willing student recognizes the words of Wisdom and heeds them so that he may discern the truth from lies and make decisions that are godly, ethical and moral, not grounded in greed or selfishness. Wisdom and folly both call out to the simple and both set out a meal. Yet the meal provided by wisdom is delightful. Though often accompanied by strong teaching and rebuke, it is a blessing that brings wholeness.
The choice we have is between Wisdom and folly, God and self, life and death, and truth and the illusion created by lies. Making the proper choice is not as easy as it seems for wisdom is accompanied by rebuke and correction that is often hard to accept while folly seduces with promises of pleasure and an easy life. The person who scorns correction is a fool who turns on the wise and shuns the Lord. The wise person is humble, willing to accept rebuke, to learn from mistakes, for this leads to spiritual growth, godliness and contentment.