The Father and Mother's Wisdom Ch. 1
The Father and Mother's Wisdom Ch. 1
A Proverbs 1 Weaving of Scripture
I had my older kids copy five verses out of Proverbs the other day to practice their writing. My daughter copied Proverbs 30:1-5 and then read it to me. I was stunned. It sounded like new scripture to me. Here’s part of what she read.
“Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
I do not have human understanding.
I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.
Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is the name of his son?
Surely you know!
How fascinating! “What is his name and what is the name of the son?” Was this talking about God the Father and Jesus the Son of Man? And consider the placement of this proverb. It comes right before the description of an ideal wife (who can obtain her). This doesn’t seem like a coincidence. These two chapters seem to relate to each other. In Proverbs 30, Agur bemoans the fact that he didn’t attain the “wisdom of the holy one.” And in Chapter 31, King Lemuel’s mother describes the best wife to obtain.
This prompted me to wonder if perhaps Proverbs 31 isn’t about a woman at all, but is describing how “marriage” with Wisdom produces a well-ordered household, a lovely appearance, profitable transactions, and well-cared-for staff.
The more I examined Proverbs, the more this metaphor of marriage with Wisdom seems apparent. Aren’t Wisdom and Folly personified as different women throughout the book of Proverbs? The Adulteress is folly. Wisdom is the woman who calls to us to come learn from her. I don’t think this means that wisdom is primarily a feminine trait. I think this means the intimacy we can have with Wisdom, that is, Christ himself, is like the intimacy we might have with a spouse. Pursuing and finding Wisdom is like marrying someone who will make us look, act, and be good.
This is what inspired these Proverbs’ rewrites.
In order for these passages to relate to one another, I’ve had to change some words. Verb and pronoun changes are not noted, but additions and subtractions are indicated with brackets or ellipses. The original NIV Proverb’s chapters are italicized. All scripture is footnoted.
I hope this tapestry of scripture arrests you as it did me. I plan to release these chapters once a week: Chapters 1-8, & 30-31.
Note: Wisdom and Christ are described very similarly in Proverbs, but in order for these passages to seem like they’re talking about the same person, I either had to change Wisdom’s pronouns to “he” or change Jesus’ pronouns to “she.” Because I am using Proverbs as my primary text, I changed Jesus’ pronouns to “she.” I apologize if this seems sacrilegious. I’m not calling Jesus a woman, but I do hope that if Jesus had been a woman, you’d love and follow him just the same.
Proverbs Chapter 1
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to those who are simple; knowledge and discretion to the young—let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.1
. . . because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven will be given to [some], but not to [others].2 This is why [we] speak … in parables.3 . . . [This] fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, [which says] “You will be ever hearing but never understanding. You will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s hearts have become calloused. They hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”4
Wisdom’s Attire
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Listen, my [children], to your father’s instruction. And do not forsake your mother’s teaching.5 We open the gate for you, and you listen to our voices. We call you our own [children] by name and lead you out . . . We go on ahead of you, and you follow us because you know our voice . . . You will never follow a stranger; in fact, you will run away from him because you do not recognize a stranger’s voice.6
[Our teaching] is a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.7 We clothe you with an embroidered dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. We dress you in fine linen and cover you with costly garments. We adorn you with jewelry. We put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, and we put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head8 . . . to present you to [Christ] as a radiant [bride], without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.9
How Evil Entices
[Dear] sons [and daughters], if sinful men entice you,10—more crafty than any of the wild creatures—11 do not give in to them. If they say, “Come along with us. Let’s lie in wait for innocent blood. Let’s ambush some harmless soul12 [and take] all their authority and splendor.13 Let’s swallow [the innocent] alive, like the grave,14 …like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside.15 We will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder. Cast lots with us! We will all share the loot.”
[Dear children,] do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths for their feet rush into evil. They are swift to shed blood. How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it!16 [Wisdom] calls out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answer.17
Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.18
Those [who have nothing] lie in wait for their own blood. They ambush only themselves! Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain.19 . . . When they survey all that their hands have done and what they have toiled to achieve, everything [will be found] meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Nothing gained under the sun.20 [Such pursuits] take away the life of those who get them.21 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate.22
Wisdom’s Rebuke
Out in the open, Wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square. On top of the wall, she cries out. At the city gate, she makes her speech.23 Each day she is teaching at the temple, and each evening she goes out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, and all the people come early in the morning to hear her at the temple.24
Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. [Wisdom] will teach us her ways so that we may walk in her paths.”25
[She says to them] “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?26 You unbelieving and perverse generation, . . . how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?27 Repent at my rebuke!28 …Unless you repent, you too will . . . perish.29
Repent, for [Wisdom herself] has come near [saying,]30 “[Now] I will pour out my thoughts to you,31 pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my [Wisdom.]32 I will make known to you my teachings.”
Consequences of Not Listening
[Wisdom goes on:] “But since you refuse to listen when I call, and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand, since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, I, in turn, will laugh when disaster strikes you. I will mock when calamity overtakes you—when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you,33 when the rain comes down, the streams rise, and the winds blow and beat . . ., [you will fall] with a great crash.”34
“Then you will call to me but I will not answer. You will look for me but will not find me.35 Then I will tell you plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers.36 Since you hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord, since you would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,37 because you listened to [an adulteress] and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you,38 you will eat the fruit of your ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.’”
For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
Whoever listens to [Wisdom]39 and puts [these words] into practice40 will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm,41 like a wise man who builds his house on the rock.42
Proverbs 1:1-6
Matthew 13:11
Matthew 13:13a
Matthew 13:14-15
Proverbs 1:7-8
John 10:3-5
Proverbs 1:9
Ezekiel 16:10-12
Ephesians 5:27
Proverbs 1:10a
Genesis 3:1a
Proverbs 1:10-11
Luke 4:6b
Proverbs 1:12a
Matthew 23:27b
Proverbs 1:13-17
John 21:5
Matthew 13:12
Proverbs 1:18-19a
Ecclesiastes 2:11
Proverbs 1:19b
Revelation 13:18a
Proverbs 1:20-21
Luke 21:37-38
Micah 4:2
Proverbs 1:22
Matthew 17:17a-b
Proverbs 1:23a
Luke 13:5
Matthew 4:17b
Proverbs 1:23b
Joel 2:29 b
Proverbs 1:23c-27
Matthew 7:27
Proverbs 1:28
Matthew 7:23
Proverbs 1:29-30
Genesis 3:17b-c
Proverbs 1:31-33a
Matthew 7:24b
Proverbs 1:33b
Matthew 7:24c-d