Proverbs 1:20-33 - Wisdom's Call

Pastoral Prayer:

If you have been one social media lately…, you may have seen reports about a revival breaking out at Asbury University.

From my understanding a routine chapel service ended on February 8th, but the students present did not want to leave the room.

Students began to stand up and give testimony to God’s saving work in their lives. They confessed sin and publicly repented.

That only propelled more worship…, and students started returning to the chapel.

Yesterday, 11 days later… the worship still had not stopped. Thousand of people have now driven to Kentucky from all over the united States just to sit in the chapel and worship with this student body… people are lining up for hours just to get inside and experience the Spirit of God in such a palpable way.

As with just about everything in the world, this event has sparked considerable debate on social media.

Everyone wants to give their hot take on the legitimacy of the movement.

Is it real? Is it of God? I don’t aim to offer any commentary on that… I am not there. I don’t know exactly what is happening in that chapel.

But I do know this… Spiritual awakening is a real thing. Spiritual revival is real thing that God does according to his own sovereign will.

Every individual salvation is a spiritual awakening of sorts. It is a miracle… and sometimes according to God’s good plan… he multiplies the number of salvation happening at once in one place.

But even more than that, there is a precedent in scripture for unique, concentrated, manifest outpourings of God’s Spirit.

The Bible never uses the word revival…, but it does use the word “filled”… God sometimes uniquely fills a group of people with the tangible presence of God’s Spirit.

Introduction:

If you have your Bibles let me invite you to open with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 1.

We will begin reading this morning in verse 20 and we will, Lord willing, complete chapter 1 of Proverbs this morning.

Proverbs 1:20–33 ESV

20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: 22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? 23 If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. 24 Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, 25 because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, 27 when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. 28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, 30 would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, 31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. 32 For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; 33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

Lets Pray

If you are new with us this, we are progressing through the book of Proverbs verse by verse.

It is a book about God’s Wisdom.

In Proverbs chapter 1 verses 8-19 we heard the voice of a loving Father urging his son not to be enticed by the foolish voices of the world that would allure him into evil.

We saw that the family unit is God’s design for passing wisdom from one generation to the next.

In verse 20, however, the voice changes.

God’s Wisdom is now personified, not as a gentle Father coaching his son…, but as a lady loudly crying out in the street.

By way of reminder, The word Wisdom in the book of Proverbs is the Hebrew word “hochma”

Hochma is the wisdom that exists in the very fabric of creation… its the way God made the world to operate.

To live a wise life, therefore, is to live according to this wisdom that is intrinsic to the worlds order. Wisdom is living God’s way in God’s world.

It is to live according to his design.

It is to be submissive to his word.

But here…, Hocma is given a A ladie’s voice to help us understand the wisdom of God that is available to us in his world.

Whereas, in verses 8-19, wisdom is portrayed as being lovingly passed down from a father to a son…. wisdom is now personified as desperately, loudly, overwhelmingly, screaming out.

- She cries aloud And raises her voice.

Proverbs 1:20 ESV

Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;

That phrase, “raises her voice” is an emotion packed phrase.

It is used in other places in the Old Testament to describe the roaring of a lion.

- She cries out and speaks.

Proverbs 1:21 ESV

at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

- She calls and she stretches out her hand.

Proverbs 1:24 ESV

Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

One commentator writes this.

“Lady Wisdom is no gentle persuader. She shouts, pleads, scolds, reasons, threatens, warns, and even laughs (see vv. 24–33). Pulpit bashing and hell-fire preaching if ever there were! All quite unladylike; and nowadays also quite unfashionable, even frowned upon.”

Why?

Why portray wisdom as a loud and overwhelming call?

Why not portray wisdom’s voice like that of a still small voice?

Isn’t that how we know wisdom?

Aren’t we supposed to listen to that faint inner prompting of the conscience or the tug of the heart that is ever so slight?

Of course there is something to be said about being still in prayer as you sit in the presence of the Lord…

But the choice between the path of foolishness and the path of wisdom is not a matter of still small voices or emotional tugs.

Truth #1 God’s Wisdom Calls Clearly

The question of how to live a godly and wise life is not an Easter egg hunt.

God has spoken.

God is speaking.

His wisdom is knowable.

It is found in his word and it has been made available by his Spirit.

As we will notice in the fools response later in the passage…, he chooses the foolish path, not because he couldn’t hear wisdom’s voice crying out…

rather he hears wisdom’s loud cry…, and he simply chooses to ignore the voice.

Now, lets be honest…, most of your sinning, most of your foolishness, most of your complacency, and spiritual Laziness, is not because you don’t know the wiser path.

It is not because no one told you.

It is because you have chosen to ignore wisdom’s call.

Most of the sin that i counsel people through didn’t happen because they had never heard that there was a better way.

The apostle Paul says that this is true even when it comes to the very existence of God. You have to wonder if Paul was reading Proverbs when he spoke of all humanity in this way in Romans 1.

Romans 1:19–23 ESV

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

God is not hidden.

Wisdom is not hidden.

Lady wisdom is beside herself calling out for anyone to listen and this is no middle of the wilderness outburst.

Notice in Proverbs 1, where she is doing this.

The text clearly articulates where she is doing all of this:

She is crying out:

“In the street”

“at the head of noisy streets”

“at the entrance of the city gates”

Why?

Why would Solomon portray wisdom as such a loud and desperate call in the busiest places of commerce and society?

Truth #2 God’s Wisdom Calls to Every Person in Every Situation

This is so important for us to grasp if we are to walk in the Lord’s Wisdom.

There is no situation,

There is no setting, no time of day, and no group of relationships where you do not need to listen to and walk in the wisdom of God.

There is no context in your life where you should simply turn off your spiritual radar and leave God and his wisdom at the door.

Listen to what commentator Bruce Waltke says about the setting of Lady Wisdom’s crying voice:

“This setting symbolizes that Solomon’s proverbs pertain to commerce, the court, and administration that could not be mastered without wisdom, not to the temple, which was located on a hill quite apart from the daily life of the city. - Bruce Waltke”

You need the wisdom that only God provides and you need it every single day as you work your job.

You need it every single day as you navigate conversations with your spouse.

You need it every single day as you navigate conversations with your children.

You need it as you date and as you look for a future spouse.

There is no part of your life, where God’s wisdom should be put on a shelf to be picked up at a later time.

Christian, there is no shadowy place where the light of God’s kingdom does not touch.

And there is no place where you do not need to heed the words of an eternally wise God.

his word speaks to all of your life.

Thus, you have a choice.

You can live a life that listens to the cry of lady wisdom… or you can shut her out.

Truth #3 The Fool Ignores Wisdom’s Call

We are given a really clear picture of the foolish disposition in these verses.

I counted up at least 11 descriptors or actions of the foolish according to these verses.

Listen to these many descriptors as Solomon paints for us our first picture of the fool.

The fool:

loves simplicity

delights in scoffing

hates knowledge

refuses to listen

does not heed

ignore’s counsel

refuses reproof

refuses to fear the Lord

refuses counsel

despises reproof

Lives in complacency

These descriptors compound to warn us against a particular kind of foolish disposition.

The Fool Ignores Wisdom’s Call Because He Loves Foolishness

Lady Wisdom cries to in verse 22:

Proverbs 1:22 ESV

“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

Why does someone remain in their foolish state… the Proverbs is clear… because they like it.

They enjoy the immediate jolt of fleeting satisfaction that their foolishness brings.

They refuse to believe in wisdoms long term promise of blessing, and they delight in the short term burst of dopamine can provide them right now.

Fools typically stay in their foolishness because they like it

AND they hate to be told that their way is the wrong way.

The most common denominator that holds all these descriptors together is pride.

Fools remain foolish because they are too prideful to submit to someone else’s wisdom.

They don’t want to be shown that they lack knowledge.

They don’t want to need counsel

They don’t want to be the one who has to listen… they would rather be the one doing the teaching.

They only seek advice, to confirm or affirm whatever they already want to do Or believe.

They don’t try to grow in wisdom, because that would imply they need it… therefore they live in a kind of spiritual complacency.

A spiritual spinning of the wheels because they don’t think they need to grow in any areas.

They are good living according to their own version of their own wisdom.

Let me read through that list again and let me ask… do you see glimpses of yourself in these descriptors?

loves simplicity

delights in scoffing

hates knowledge

refuses to listen

does not heed

ignore’s counsel

refuses reproof

refuses to fear the Lord

refuses counsel

despises reproof

Lives in complacency

This disposition of the fool… this ignoring wisdom’s call is not treated lightly in this text.

In fact, it is treated as very serious.… eternally serious.

Lady Wisdom cries out like an Old Testament prophet warning that the fools way is a way that leads to judgment.

Truth #4 The Fool’s Path Leads to Judgment

Just like the qualities of the fool compounded so do the consequences of foolishness. Listen to each of the bad results ignoring wisdom’s call.

Wisdom laughs at the calamity that comes

Calamity comes like a whirlwind

distress

anguish

wisdom will no longer respond

wisdom will no longer be available

the fool will eat the fruit if his own way

the fool will have his fill of his own devices

he will be killed

he will be destroyed

there is certainly a cause and effect principle that is present in Proverbs.

To reject wisdom is to embrace the consequences.

These consequences are very often immediate, sometimes they take time to show themselves,

But sometimes they will not be clearly perceived until the day of the Lord… the last day of judgment.

I think that the author has at least this final judgment in view.

The path of folly most ultimately is a path that leads to full and final Death.

The description of this coming calamity, this coming judgment, is really quite a frightening one.

Throughout our lives, God’s Word Calls to us.

Wisdom cries aloud at every corner urging us to heed her counsel...

but if we refuse God’s voice now…, there is coming a day when calamity strikes… and we will want all the wisdom that we had once refused.

We will frantically cry out with the same intensity that wisdom had once cried out to us…

but there will be no answer.

He shows this kind of judgment in part even now. Again, it feels as if Paul was reading Proverbs as he penned Romans 1.

Consider the warning of Romans:

Romans 1:24–28 ESV

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

God’s greatest act of judgment is to silence wisdom’s call in our lives.

He gives us over to our own desires that are contrary to his.

This is a scary state, where God pulls back wisdom’s call that you were refusing to listen to and leaves you to operate according to your own wisdom.

Its the kind of place Paul describes as the realm of Satan, the place outside of the church, outside of God’s normal means of Grace.

But its the kind of existence that is eternal for those who refuse Jesus to the bitter end.

Hell seems to be a kind of existence where God gives us over to our sinfulness to suffer its consequences without any guiding force toward repentance or relief.

Hell seems to be the kind of existence where verses 24-32 is finalized.

Proverbs 1:24–32 ESV

24 Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, 25 because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, 27 when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. 28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, 30 would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, 31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. 32 For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them;

C.S. Lewis famously wrote that hell is the place where God says “have thine own way”

If you did not want wisdom or its blessings, you will have none of it.

If you did not want relationship with God, you will have none of it.

If you are here this morning, and you are not sure where you stand before a holy God, that concept should cause you to tremble.

It should be a frightening thing to reject God’s word and way your whole life, and then to die, and be given what you wanted… a godless existence onward into a dark and painful eternity.

Truth #4 The Fool’s Path Leads to Judgment

But there is another path.

though verses 22-32 articulate the wrong path in detail…

Verse 33 provides a short, sweet, and simple alternative…. Notice the word “but” setting up the contrast between verses 32 and 33.

Proverbs 1:32–33 ESV

For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

Its interesting that the primary difference in this section of proverbs between judgment and blessing, foolishness and wisdom… is the simple word “listen”

Truth #5 The Wise Listens, Repents, and is Blessed

Listening is not as easy as it sounds.

It is not natural to us.

It is not comfortable for us.

But it is the pathway to blessing for us.

Listening is more than hearing.

It is hearing that takes to heart.

It is hearing that leads to Change.

It is to answer and respond to wisdom’s call.

Earlier in verse 23, it portrays this kind of listening as someone who is hears Wisdoms crying voice and then stops what they are doing and turns to give the voice their full attention.

Proverbs 1:23 ESV

If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

If you want spiritual awakening and spiritual revival to happen in your own life and in our own church… this is what it looks like.

We hear the word of God… we hear the wise counsel of our brothers and sisters… but we don’t just hear it…. We do a full stop to listen… we turn

we confess our wrong doings, and we repent… thats what that word “turn” in verse 23 means.

If you repent at my reproof…., behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.…

This is important on so many levels…, but this is especially essential for the salvation of your own soul.

to become a Christian is to be humbled.

It is to hear the message which reveals the truth about God and where you stand with him.

You are born a fool and you walk in foolishness apart from God’s grace.

You sin against a holy God.… and all the consequences outlined in Proverbs 1 are rightfully yours…

but their is a better way, a better message of hope, salvation, and security In Jesus.

Does this Proverbs 1:23 not encapsulate the scenes in the book of Acts where God himself pours out his Spirit on Repentant people.

Acts 2:36–41 ESV

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Acts 3:18–20 ESV

18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,

Acts 3:26 ESV

God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

Acts 4:4 ESV

But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

This is wisdom. This is the promise of outpouring fulfilled.

Truth #5 The wise listens, repents, and is Blessed

Some of you need to do that for the first time today.

You have never confessed your sin to God, and asked for his forgiveness. You have never listened to his message, and turned from your sin.

This is not a one time event though.

It is this process through which we are saved…, but the process is the same for growing in our faith.

Some of you need to do this for the first time in a long time rather than going along pretending to be wise while walking in foolishness.

This is the disposition that we should all be striving to grow in on a daily basis.

Spiritual growth is increasingly becoming the kind of person who turns and listens to wisdom’s voice.

Its the humble disposition of wanting to hear, that invites wisdom to not just speak, but to pour out her spirit upon you.

Are you the kind of person who listens?

What would the opposite of the fool look like…

lets consider the opposite of what has been described:

If you were not a fool, You would:

love advice

love knowledge

heed and accept counsel

You would invite reproof

You would fear the Lord rightly

you would reject complacency

How interesting is it that the author of proverbs lumps complacency in the description of foolishness.

Complacency is that state of being where you don’t think you need to grow or change.

It is this stuck place where you wrongly think you have arrived.

Prayer service is for those other people.

Community groups are for those other people.

Discipleship relationships are for those other people.

Daily devotionals, yeah other people need those.

Complacency is a comfortability with having less of God in your life.

It is a contentment with a life that attempts no great thing for accomplishing his mission.

The complacent person is risk averting.

They refuse wisdom’s path, because its a little less comfortable.

It requires a little bit more sacrifice on the front end.

Oh Lord may we never become a complacent church.… a stagnant church… a church that verbally goes through the motions of praising God…, but in actuality lives like he doesn’t exist and hasn’t spoken.

He has spoken! He is crying out in the streets! He is crying out at the gates!

The listening person who wants to walk according to God’s wisdom takes full advantage of the conduits of God’s wisdom He has graciously provided.

They seek counsel from God’s word.

They seek counsel from God’s people.

They seek counsel from seasoned saints and godly leaders.

They do not make major life decisions in isolation from other spirit-filled people in their life.

Their desire for the path of wisdom is greater than their desire for independence, to prove themselves capable in the life that they have mapped out for themselves.

They pray.…. Oh gosh do they pray real on their knees prayers for the pouring out of God’s spirit in their families, and friends, and neighbors, and church community.

If you want wisdom, then strive to be the kind of person who is slow to speak and quick to listen.

James 1:19 ESV

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

James 1:22–25 ESV

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

In our listening in this life, we will find blessing…

Proverbs 1:33 ESV

but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

But how can we be confident in verse 33’s promise?

Well…, the promises of blessing in Proverbs only find their full fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus.

Truth #6 Jesus Faced a Fool’s Judgment to Purchase Our Eternal Blessing

The Proverbs teach us that foolishness, pride, and sin lead to disaster, calamity, distress, and anguish…,

the gospel teaches that Jesus came into the world to live a perfectly wise, humble, and sinless life.…

but that he willingly took upon himself disaster, calamity, distress, and anguish.

He willingly took on a fools death and all the wrath of God as if he had never listened to wisdom’s voice.…

He took on himself the curse rather than blessing…

but he did so in love for us...

The proverbs show us our failures and they show us a better way…., but the gospel shows us how we can be forgiven for those failures….,

The gospel opens for us the path of wisdom that was impossible for us to walk.

The gospel invites you to listen, to believe, and to be blessed even though you have not lived wisely.

Christ is our wisdom.

He is our forgiveness from folly.

He is our present help in time of need

He is the voice crying out repent and believe… turn and be saved.

Salvation is for those who listen and turn To him who calls.

Romans 10:9 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:17 ESV

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Lets Recap:

#1 God’s Wisdom Calls Clearly

#2 God’s Wisdom Calls to Every Person and Every Situation

#3 The Fool Ignores Wisdom’s Call

#4 The Fool’s Path Lead’s To Judgment

#5 The Wise Listens, Repents, and is Blessed

#6 Jesus Faced a Fool’s Judgment and Purchased Our Blessing

Takeaways:

Listen

Listen to the Lord right now. Take some time over the next few minutes and plead with God to show you your sin, your shortcomings, and a different path forward.

But don’t just listen right now…,

2. Repent

Repent…, and pray that God would help you to become the kind of person who is known for listening to wisdom’s voice.

God loves to answer these kinds of prayers.

Proverbs 1:23 ESV

If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

lets pray.