20241030

we can’t handle this

Proverbs 1:20-33 (JDV).

Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom sings out in the street; she makes her voice heard in the public squares.
Proverbs 1:21 She cries out above the commotion; she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:
Proverbs 1:22 “How long, morally naive ones, will you love ignorance? How long will you mockers enjoy mocking and you fools hate knowledge?
Proverbs 1:23 If you turn at my warning, then I will pour out my spirit on you and teach you my words.
Proverbs 1:24 Since I called out and you refused, extended my hand and no one paid attention,
Proverbs 1:25 since you neglected all my counsel and did not accept my correction,
Proverbs 1:26 I, in turn, will laugh at your calamity. I will mock you when terror strikes you,
Proverbs 1:27 when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when trouble and stress overcome you.
Proverbs 1:28 Then they will call me, but I won’t answer; they will search for me but won’t find me.
Proverbs 1:29 Because they hated knowledge, didn’t choose to fear Yahveh,
Proverbs 1:30 were not interested in my counsel, and rejected all my correction,
Proverbs 1:31 they will eat the fruit of their way and be full of their own schemes.
Proverbs 1:32 Because the apostasy of the morally naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
Proverbs 1:33 But whoever listens to me will live securely and rest securely from the dread of harm.”

we can’t handle this

We are introduced to four characters today, each of whom we will see developed in the chapters that follow: Wisdom is the voice calling in the streets. The others (the smorally naive ones, the mockers, and the fools) are the people who need wisdom, but choose to ignore her invitation. They are all idiots in the technical definition of the term. They need help from the LORD to live their lives rightly, but choose to ignore his help. They want to do it themselves. They each say “I can handle this.” So, when disaster comes, wisdom will say “you refused me then, I will refuse you now.’

LORD, we need your wisdom. Forgive us for being such idiots.