PROVERBS 9: CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Preparations Have Been Made Wisdom has built her house She has hewn out her pillars seven She has slaughtered her slaughter She has mixed her wine She has set = ordered (ORECH) her table She has sent out our attendant maidens. She is calling out, Upon the top of the heights of the city:

The Grace Banquet 1.Having completed all the preparations in advance, Wisdom invites the human being to enjoy the feast. 2.The image illustrates the principle of God’s Grace in self- communication. 3.Wisdom is portrayed as a gracious hostess who has done everything to benefit the guests. Hostess and provider. 4.There is nothing for us to do but come in and eat. 5.The point of teaching in the image is that the benefits of God’s thinking in you are an end in themselves. 6.All the work that has gone into the feast indicates the value of having the feast itself. 7.We really are what we think, and God’s thinking conveys itself to you in a banquet.

The Invitation Remains “Whoever is gullible (PETIY), let him turn aside here.” The one lacking heart, she has spoken to him. “Come! Eat (LACHAM) of my bread (LECHEM) “And drink of the wine I have mixed. “Forsake gullibility (PITIYIM) and live! “Stride on the road of understanding.”

Who, Me? 1.It takes a certain humility to understand that this offer of the grace banquet is to YOU. 2.Human beings, unless radically reformed by the thinking of God, understood and applied, are somewhere on the continuum of folly between the gullible and the scoffer. 3.Gullibility is parallel to lacking understanding or heart. 4.The solution to man’s folly is a specific spiritual nutrient. 5.The pattern presented here for becoming wise is 4-fold: 1.Turn aside an listen 2.Dine on the meal offered by God’s thinking 3.Forsake = abandon for dead the rebellious ignorance of the natural man 4.Walk = make decisions consistent with the information provided.

Wisdom has built her house She has hewn out her pillars seven She has slaughtered her slaughter She has mixed her wine She has set = ordered (ORECH) her table She has sent out our attendant maidens. She is calling out. Upon the top of the heights of the city: “Whoever is gullible (PETIY), let him turn aside here.” The one lacking heart, she is has spoken to him. “Come! Eat (LACHAM) of my bread (LECHEM) “And drink of the wine I have mixed. “Forsake gullibility (PITIYIM) and live! “Stride on the road of understanding.”

Wisdom and the Wise 1.By the overlay presentation imbedded in the passage structure we see that we will not become WISDOM (the hostess), but we will become characterized by wisdom (the guest). 2.Dogmatically: Dining at the grace banquet of God’s thinking is the only way to live. 3.Responding in faith to God’s thoughts produces a wise believer.

Mutually Exclusive Responses

Response #1: The Scoffer The one who instructs (YASAR) a scoffer (LETS) is the one who gets for himself shame. And the one who rebukes (YAKACH) a wicked man, ___ injury to himself Do not rebuke (YAKACH) a scoffer lest he hate you.

Response #2: the Wise Rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Give to a wise man and he will become wiser. Cause him to know, a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.

The Rule: Why This Is The starting point of wisdom is the fear of the LORD. And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me multiplied will be your days And they will cause to add to you years of life. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. And if you are a scoffer, your heart will bear it.