The most prominent theme of
Proverbs 1-9 is the contrast between wisdom and folly. In each chapter
of this introductory section we find either Folly (2:16-19; 5:1-14; 6:20-35), Wisdom
(1:20-33; 3:13-18; 4:5-9; 8:1-36), or both (7:1-4, 5-27; 9:1-6, 13-18). Both the
way of wisdom and the way of folly are personified by women. This would be especially
relevant in light of the father-to-son instruction which is given in Proverbs. If
there is one thing a father should teach his son, it is the kind of woman to pursue
and the kind of woman to avoid. Wisdom and Folly are literary tools to teach the
young man a lesson on two levels, the literal and the metaphorical.
Let us
first contrast the character of these two women. Folly is not a prostitute, but an
adulteress (2:16, NASB). She "leaves the companion of her youth" (2:17).The
one who is foolish enough to become involved with her must deal with an angry husband
(6:29-35).She must assure her victim that her husband is not at home and won't return
for some time (7:19-20).
Folly is godless and immoral. She "forgets
the covenant of her God" (2:17). She is often called a "foreign woman"
(2:16, NASB, margin), suggesting that her religion is pagan, rather than a vital
faith in Israel's God. This term "foreign woman" is also used in I Kings
11:1 of the "foreign women" Solomon married, who turned his heart from
the Lord. Folly is senseless and simple (9:13). She does not consider her own path
or the fact that it leads others to death. She is shameless about her sin: (4:6).
This
is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, "I
have done no wrong" (Prov. 30:20). Wisdom, on the other hand, is personified
as a virgin, whom the wise son should pursue, and with whom he should seek a wholesome,
yet intimate relationship. While a young man should avoid Folly, he should pursue
wisdom as he would the woman who would be his bride.
She is more precious
than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her (3:15). "Do not forsake
her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning
of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom: And with all your acquiring, get understanding. Prize
her and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her (4:6-8). Say to
wisdom, "You are my sister."19 And call understanding your intimate friend
(7:4).
If Folly is godless, Wisdom is God-like. Wisdom, as represented
in Proverbs, is not an abstract commodity, but a person. She offers to give men her
spirit (1:23). She guards men and delivers them from the way of death (1:33; 2:16ff.;
4:6-9). She is called a "tree of life" in 3:18, an expression familiar
to us from the garden of Eden (Gen. 2:9; 3:22), and from the Paradise of Revelation
22:2. In Proverbs 3:19-20 and 8:22-31 wisdom is spoken of as eternal, and as One
who participated in the creation of the world. While it might be going too far to
say that the description of wisdom is such that we can dogmatically say it was a
reference to the Lord Jesus Christ, it certainly leaves room for such an identification.
The similarities, in my opinion, are more than coincidental.
Both wisdom and
folly are portrayed as pursuing men and urging them to follow in their paths. Folly
calls to "those who pass by," to those "who are making their paths
straight" (9:16), but she is particularly in pursuit of those who are simple,
for they are the most vulnerable and likely to follow her (7:6ff.).Wisdom also calls
to the simple and the fool, urging them to forsake their folly and to follow the
path of righteousness and wisdom (1:22ff.; 8:4-5; 9:4).
While Wisdom and Folly
may both pursue the same men, their message and their methods differ greatly. Wisdom
warns men of the destruction and death into which all who continue on the path of
folly will fall (1:24.). She does not tell men what they want to hear, but what they
need to hear if they are to be delivered from death. Wisdom is straightforward, speaking
of noble things (8:6-8).She offers her teaching and commandments (7:1-2), counsel
and sound wisdom (8:14).She promises security (1:33), peace, long life, riches and
honor (3:16-17), and, most of all, life(3:18).
Folly gives no thought to
her own fate (5:6; 9:13), nor does she warn men that following her leads inevitably
to death (2:18-19; 6:26; 7:22-23; 9:18). If Wisdom appeals to the spiritual, Folly
stimulates the sensual impulses of the simple. She dresses seductively (7:10) and
speaks erotically of her bed with its spices and expensive coverings (7:16-17). She
offers to satiate her victim with love.
While Folly may offer some outward
beauty, I am not so certain that she is as beautiful as we might suppose. In Proverbs
2:17 we are told that she "leaves the companion of her youth." She is apparently
a woman who has been married for a number of years. Perhaps her makeup is used to
cover wrinkles, her sleek black hair may have come from a bottle of dye, covering
those gray hairs which accompany age.
Whether or not you agree with me that
Folly is not quite so young and pretty, I will admit that she does have some outward
beauty (6:25). But her primary weapon is not her beauty; it is her tongue. For the
lips of an adulteress drip honey, And smoother than oil is her speech; But in the
end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword (5:3-4; cf. also 2:16;
7:5; 22:14). The one thing which Folly knows better than anyone is how to flatter
her victim. There is a proverb (of sorts) which says, "The way to a man's heart
is through his stomach." Folly knew this, and a dinner invitation was a part
of her seductive ploy (7:14), but the way to disarm a man is by appealing to his
ego. Folly approached the young man with these words, "Therefore I have come
out to meet you, To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you" (7:15). In
truth, Folly was seeking any man foolish enough to give in to her advances. But she
gave this young man the impression that of all the men she might have, it was him
she really wanted.
It is my personal opinion that the male ego
is the primary factor in a man's willingness to engage in immorality. That may be
true of women as well. Mind you I do not believe that the way to keep your mate is
for you to flatter him, for flattery is always condemned in Proverbs (cf. 26:28;
28:23; 29:5). I do believe, however, that it is both healthy and wise to express
appreciation for the positive qualities of our mates.
Who, if not the husband
of the virtuous woman, would have been the one "praising her in the gates"
(31:31)? One of the things to note about Folly is that she too is skilled in the
use of proverbs. When she seeks to seduce her prey she quotes this proverb: "Stolen
water is sweet; And bread eaten in secret is pleasant" (9:17).
While
Wisdom speaks only truth, Folly brazenly proclaims folly. She does not apologize
for sin or seek to excuse it. As a matter of fact, she flaunts sin, for it is because
a relationship with her is illicit that makes it so appealing. Stolen water, she
suggests, is sweeter than "drinking from your own well" (5:15).
It
is sinning that is exciting to the fool, and she does not hesitate to capitalize
on this.
Madison Avenue has nothing to teach Folly. She knows that it pays
to advertise. Her methods are no different, and not one whit inferior, to those of
the most sophisticated advertising agency. Basically she appeals to the fleshly desires
of her victim. She offers him a sumptuous meal and a sexual encounter which matches
his wildest fantasies. She assures him that there is no danger of being caught.
She
emphasizes momentary, short-lived pleasure, and minimizes long-range consequences.
Have you consciously analyzed the advertising on the billboards and television screen
lately? Everything from deodorant to dishwashing soap is sold by women who are clad
in sensual garb, who appeal to our basest appetites. We are encouraged to satisfy
our desires now, and not to wait until later. We are given little plastic cards so
we do not have to wait for what we want, and we are not encouraged to consider that
month after month we will end up paying for something we really didn't need. Madison
Avenue and Folly both would have us live today as though there were no tomorrow,
offering us short-term thrills at very painful and long-term prices.
Taking
these two women, Wisdom and Folly, on face value, there is one lesson we should learn:
The priority of sexual purity. Solomon knew that there were few dangers greater than
that of sexual impurity. He and the other writers of Proverbs had much to say on
this subject. We know that this was the area of Solomon's downfall (I Kings ll:l.),
as well as that of David, his father (II Samuel 11). Foreign women were a snare to
Samson (Judges 14--16) and to the nation of Israel (Numbers 25:l). Sexual purity
is a priority for those who would be godly and wise.
Proverbs reminds parents
that we should not be prudish about teaching our children candidly the dangers of
sexual sin. Sex is spoken of openly, yet discreetly. If we have reservations about
our children learning about sex on the street or in the school, let us be sure that
we do as this wise father did, who taught his son about the kind of women who should
be sought, as well as those who should be shunned.
I am the father of two
daughters. I do not have sons who need this warning. But the teaching of Proverbs
is just as relevant to my daughters. If Proverbs instructs a young man about the
kind of woman to seek and the kind to shun, it teaches my daughters the kind of women
they should strive to be, by God's grace. The world is reinforcing the model of Folly.
The popular movie stars, the glamorous models, the women who advertise--all are those
whose moral life is sinful, and whose wiles and flattery are like that of Folly.
Girls are told that they can find approval by flaunting their bodies, by wearing
provocative clothing, by putting on sensuous perfumes, by adorning their eyelids,
and so on. The godly woman, Wisdom, is not the model our young women are familiar
with. The words of chapter 31 have a foreign ring, when we read, Charm is deceitful
and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised (31:30).
Wisdom
and Folly are worthy of consideration by every man and woman who desires to be godly.
Women are warned that it is possible for them to contribute to the spiritual downfall
of a brother in Christ. Christian women are instructed not be preoccupied with outward
adornment, but with inward character (I Tim. 2:9-10; I Peter 3:1-6). When Christian
women are insensitive about their clothing and their conduct, they can cause a Christian
brother to sin by tempting him in thought and action.
The Book of Proverbs
is required reading for men who desire to be godly and free from immorality. Proverbs
exalts wisdom, and it reminds us not only of the danger of Folly, but of the value
of a godly wife (18:22; 19:14; 31:10-31). We are encouraged to find sexual satisfaction
in the purity of a marital union (5:15-23). And when we find an immoral thought coming
to our minds, let us give serious though to what Proverbs informs us is the inevitable
end of immorality--shame, dissipation, and death (2:18-19; 5:7-14).
The
Two Women are Two Ways
Wisdom and Folly teach us valuable lessons in the
area of sex and marriage, but I believe they teach us much more than this. In addition
to providing us with instruction about two kinds of women, they personify the two
ways of life--the way of wisdom and the way of folly. I will try to demonstrate evidence
which indicate to the reader of Proverbs that Wisdom and Folly were intended to represent
the two ways of life.
BOTH WISDOM AND FOLLY ARE IDENTIFIED AS "WAYS"
IN PROVERBS.
In Chapter 1, Wisdom warns those who reject her that they
will be "satiated with the fruit of their own way" (v. 31). In chapter
2 Wisdom is said to keep a man from the way of evil (v. 12), which is expanded on
in the following verses. The way of evil is the way of wicked men (12b-15) and the
way of the adulteress woman (16-22). In verses 12-22 the word "way" or
"path" is found eight times, stressing the fact that the evil way is the
way of wicked women and violent men. Repeatedly in the first chapter of Proverbs
both wisdom and folly are described as "ways" (3:31; 4:11,14; 5:21; 6:23;
7:24-27; 8:13,20; 9:6,15). The conclusion must be that Wisdom and Folly are not just
women; they are the personification of two ways, the way of wisdom and the way of
folly.
THE CONTRAST BETWEEN WISDOM AND FOLLY IS NOT REALLY THAT BETWEEN
A GOOD WIFE AND A BAD ONE.
Wisdom is the kind of women a young man should
seek to marry and Folly is the kind of woman with whom a young man should not become
involved, but the major thrust of the contrast between the two women is not sex or
marriage. Elsewhere in Proverbs the wrong kind of wife is described (19:13; 30:23),
as well as the virtuous wife (31:10-31), but here Solomon is not just simply contrasting
two kinds of women who are candidates for courtship. My point is that the outcome
of choosing the one and rejecting the other is not a good or bad marriage, but life
or death. This is further evidence that while we can learn much here about the right
kind of wife, that is not the primary lesson to be learned.
THERE ARE NOT
JUST TWO KINDS OF WOMEN.
If Solomon wanted to teach us about women, he
would have to describe many more kinds of women than just two. Most of the infidelity
I have had the unfortunate experience of observing in Christian and non-Christian
marriages has not been initiated by the woman, but rather by the man. I do not think
Solomon intended for us to conclude that it is most often the woman that seduces
the man. Rather, I believe Proverbs pictures Folly as the aggressor because she personifies
the evil way. While not all women seek to seduce men, Satan is aggressively seeking
to draw men away from God and into the evil way. In other words, it is a woman who
is the seducer in Proverbs because she, Folly, personifies sin.
PROVERBS
SPEAKS OF WISDOM AND FOLLY METAPHORICALLY.
Anyone who reads Proverbs
as wisdom literature recognizes that much of what is said is not be understood literally,
but metaphorically. For example, in (9:1-6) Wisdom is described as a virtuous and
industrious woman who has built her own house, prepared a banquet, and sent her maidens
out to invite men to eat with her. Few people would insist that we should take this
passage literally, in that wisdom really wants to feed men. The banquet is a figure,
a metaphor, illustrating the bounty of what wisdom has to offer and of the universal
invitation for men to partake of it. Why then do we feel it is necessary to take
the bed of Folly as always literal when we take the banquet figuratively? While we
must avoid the bed of Folly, is that all that the way of evil has to offer? I think
not. The bed of immorality must be avoid
ed, but there are many other manifestations of wickedness besides adultery.
NOT
ALL OF THOSE ON THE PATH OF FOLLY ARE VIOLENT MEN.
In Proverbs 1 Solomon
has mapped out for the reader the two ways of life. In verses 10-14 the way of evil
is described in terms of wicked and violent men. I think most of us would agree that
while the way of violence is an option we must deal with, the majority of those who
have rejected the way of wisdom could not be described in terms of verses (10-14)
From chapter two we learn that the evil way has two dangers, the first, the way of
wicked men (12-15), but the second is the wiles of Folly (16-22). would therefore
like to suggest that Folly best personifies the path of folly.
What this means
is that Folly best portrays the message and the method which Satan uses to deceive
and destroy the majority of those who do not choose to follow the way of wisdom.
Satan, like Folly, will appeal to sensual desires, urging them to fill to the brim
the cup of passion and desire. He will seek to show the appeal of momentary pleasure,
while minimizing the consequences which inevitably follow. He will stimulate our
desire to disobey God and to reject wisdom by stressing that sin is stimulating and
exciting. But in the end, Satan will lead men along the same path of destruction
which he himself is following. Those who follow him, like those who follow Folly,
will suffer the consequences of their leader.
Folly is not just a seductive
woman, nor immoral women in general--she personifies a system which leads men and
women along a path of destruction. Those who are on the way of folly do not necessarily
rob innocent victims or willfully cause injury to others (1:10-14), but they do choose
to reject the way of wisdom. They choose to follow a way which seems to offer them
pleasure for the present, while ignoring the future.
In the Book of Colossians,
Paul warns the saints about being taken "captive through philosophy and empty
deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles
of the world, rather than according to Christ" (Col. 2:8).This system is false,
first and foremost, because it rejects Christ, "in whom are hidden all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:3). It does not openly advocate violence and
greed; it does not even promote immorality. In this case this adulterous system seeks
to establish human righteousness by asceticism and self-denial (Col. 2:20-23).
If
you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you
were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees such as, "Do not
handle, do not taste, do not touch" (which all refer to things destined to perish
with the using)--in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These
are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion
and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against
fleshly indulgence (Col. 2:20-23).
Satan does not really care which lane you
are in on the freeway to destruction. Some may choose the lane of violence and greed,
while others may choose that of self-denial and asceticism. Satan will openly tempt
some to commit sin and immorality, while others he will deceive with overly strict
rules and regulations (of. I Tim. 4:1-5).The distinguishing characteristic of the
way of folly is that it begins with a rejection of God, with a refusal to "fear
the Lord" (Prov. 1:7,29).
Satan allows men to be very creative in the
way they go to hell. He does not care how you live, so long as you live trusting
in yourself, rather than God, following your own way, rather than the narrow way
of wisdom.
There is no decision in life more important than the choice as
to whom you will follow. Will you follow Wisdom or Folly?
Will
you choose to submit to Jesus Christ, or will you follow Satan? The way of wisdom
is the way of faith. It involves trusting God to keep His word, to save you eternally
and to bless you. The way of wisdom requires that you cease trusting in yourself
and trust only in Jesus Christ for eternal life (Prov. 3:5-6; John 14:6). The way
of wisdom requires discipline and self-denial. But it will bring peace, security
and everlasting life.
Hebrews 11 has been called the "Hall of Faith."
The men and women who are members of the Hall of Faith are those who have chosen
to endure present affliction, while awaiting their future reward:
By faith
Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the
passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than
the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward (Heb. 11:24-26).
Jesus
Christ, like Wisdom, calls on you to forsake your evil way and to follow Him. Will
you persist in seeking only momentary pleasure, or will you choose the way of righteousness
and peace which leads to eternal salvation? Jesus Christ is that way (John 14:6).
By faith in Him, you may enter into the way that leads to life.
Folly frequently
passes our way, calling to those "who are making their paths straight"
(Prov. 9:15). She will focus our attention on the passing pleasures of sin, and will
minimize the consequences. She will urge us to forget the future and live for the
moment. We must not listen to her, for we are but strangers and pilgrims on the earth:
Beloved,
I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war
against the soul (I Peter 2:11).
