Proverbs 9

 Similar to chapter 8, chapter 9 personifies wisdom and folly. These are opposite and produce different results. 

First off, we notice that wisdom is proactive. 

She:

builds her house

hews out seven pillars

kills her beasts

furnishes her table

sends forth her maidens

cries in the high places of the city

Once again, wisdom stands in the public places calling to all who will listen. It invites the simple and those that lack understanding, the naive and inexperienced - not to mock, but to offer transformation. 

"Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding. 

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hath thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning." vs. 6,8-9

Then, in some ways folly mimics wisdom. She also sits in the public places, being loud, ignorant, and deceptive, and calls the simple and those that lack understanding. But instead of offering transformation, folly uses secretive and sensual tactics to draw them in and leads right to death. 

In order to escape folly, we must start with the fear of the Lord. This is the foundation for all wisdom. We need to have a reverent fear of God. Our decisions should be based on, 'does this reflect a reverence for God?' Before asking ourselves what we feel or what we think about a situation, we'd do best to ask, 'what does God think about this?' Believers can in fact know God's mind about issues because we can talk to him often and study the Word. 

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." 

The fear of God changes how we live life. Some areas affected include how we:

speak - guard your tongue (Prov. 10:19)

choose friends - walk with the wise (Prov. 13:20 and Ps. 119:63)

handle money - do so with integrity and generosity (Prov. 3:9-10)

treat others - with justice and compassion (Prov. 14:31)

pursue goals - align with eternal values (Matt. 6:19-21, Prov. 11:4, and 19:23)