Meeting Ladies Wisdom and Folly

Slide 1: Passage Slide

Slide 2: The Bible’s Curtain Call

From high school to Broadway, the finale of most plays and musicals is the curtain call. The moment the spotlights open wide as every character - minor and major - accept the audience’s applause. The loudest applause of course is reserved at the end for the star. We applaud their ability to stretch our imaginations and influence our emotions. Yet, they are actors. They are pretending. They head backstage to their dressing rooms, change and head home.

The majority of the Bible’s cast of characters is real. Through their triumphs and defeats, God- THE Primary actor reveals himself. Without the cast from Adam and Eve in Genesis to John’s dream unfolding in Revelation - the Bible would be far less relatable to us. The loudest applause is reserved for God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who also is real. The Bible’s Curtain Call requires the world’s largest stage for 1,863 named people. From Abi - daughter of Zechariah who understood prophetic visions TO Zaphorah, Moses’ wife, just over 300 are women. Like the men some have their rivals. Abraham’s wife Sarah and Hagar her servant, Jacob’s two wives Sarah and Leah competing over childbirth. Yet none compare in rivalry, reward, or tragedy than Ladies Wisdom and Folly.

Slide 3 Who are Ladies Wisdom and Folly?

Who are these ladies? Their scripts found in Proverbs, Ladies Wisdom and Folly are in the theater setting - Protagonist and Antagonist - hero and chief rival. The heroine - Lady Wisdom - personifies the portion of heavenly wisdom God makes available to humanity. reveals her wisdom to be peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Her chief rival, Lady Folly, - personifies that portion of so-called wisdom that is actually folly or foolishness. indicates hers to be earthly and unspiritual full of envy and selfish ambition. On stage in , both compete and are still competing today - not only for applause - but our hearts.

As the spotlight lightens the darkened stage - Stage Right - is Lady Wisdom.

Read Verses 1-6

Slide 4 - Lady Wisdom’s Invitation (verses 1-6):

Lady Wisdom’s Invitation (verses 1-6):

Wisdom has built her house. She has hewn out its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city. “Let all who are simple come in here! (she says to those who lack judgment.) “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.”

Then her light fades and Stage Left is Lady Folly with her moment in the spotlight.

Read Verses 13-17

Slide 5 - Lady Folly’s Invitation (verses 13-17):

The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge. She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way. “Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those who lack judgment. “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious.”

Slide 6 The rivalry between Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly

Now both stage left and right are brought into full light:

Both residing at the highest points of the city, their settings are the same. In ancient times, the highest point of the city is where the temples - the wisdom seats would be found. In Jerusalem, it was Solomon’s Temple. When Jesus was tempted, Satan took Jesus where? to the high points.

Both invitations read the same. “Let all who are simple come in here.” Each one hopes to attract as many students and followers as possible. The simple are the immature in need of instruction.

But their sources of wisdom are different - Lady Wisdom’s from God — and Lady Folly’s from selfish ambition and the God complex we all struggle with whose ultimate source is the devil’s whispers.

Their methods are different. Lady Wisdom offers a picture of a well prepared banquet - the ultimate feast or reception where all may dine together. She offers a large and strong structure where many will find shelter. Her offer is public and sending out her maids the invites go out. Meanwhile, Lady Folly calls from her front porch to passers by - Her offer is private - corrupting the innocent, appealing to the sensual and envious to gain advantage over them.

Meanwhile, Lady Folly calls from her front porch to passers by - Her offer is private - corrupting the innocent appealing to the sensual and envious to gain advantage over others who are lesser than.

Both are calling out and are still calling to this very day.

Beyond the limits and anticipation of Solomon and the other sage authors — In light of the New Testament, these ladies parallel the Gospel call of Jesus Christ found in God’s Word against other substitutes. We can’t help but read the Gospel into their outcomes as well:

Slide 7 The expected outcome of choosing Lady Wisdom or Lady Folly (v10-12 & 18)

On stage are two choices and only two choices. It’s one or the other.

For those choosing Lady Wisdom - “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Lady Wisdom Speaks — For through me your days will be many and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; “

For those choosing Lady Folly - if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer. Little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.”

When it comes to choosing between Ladies Wisdom and Folly, the choice is a matter of life and death.

When it comes to the Gospel - we are given plenty of reason by Jesus and others to add the word eternal. On stage are two choices and only two choices. Praise God his call is quickly followed by an irresistable grace that can’t help but find us seeing that Jesus is the best choice. The choice a matter not just of eternal life or death - but more importantly related to dwelling in his presence or being banned from him. The Proverbs choice is limited to choosing between Ladies Wisdom and Folly - but in time, our response to God’s call on our life must be answered too.

Slide 8 With heart, soul, mind and strength?

In our passage, the best choice is made obvious. The author hopes we will choose Lady Wisdom over Lady Folly and boo Lady Folly off stage.

The choice of course is obvious to us - the author hopes that we will choose Lady Wisdom or Lady Folly. As a parallel, many of us here have indeed responded to God’s call on our lives by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ and following after our Shepherd - even through the valley of the shadow of death - we also live in anticipation of heaven where we will enjoy the full presence of Jesus Christ in the new heavens and earth. Like attaining true heavenly wisdom for a good life - it is a treasure beyond compare - the map is God’s Word. Yet before we pat ourselves on the back for making the right and better choice, praise God he holds onto us because their are times we still choose Lady Folly or Lady Wisdom through our own stupid choices. Other times, we try to get our own share of the theater’s limelight and applause from others and God by privately gloating over the choices of the foolish. Sometimes we speak the script aloud - other times we speak it silently to ourselves - that we are better than - that we are holier than - that we are more deserving — but that too is a sign that instead of choosing Lady Wisdom, we’re deceived into walking up the steps of lady folly’s private residence. Our minds say one thing but our hearts choose another.

Yet before we pat ourselves on the back for making the better of two choices, praise God he holds onto us. Like any sports athlete - our biggest problem is the follow through. The choice is easy but the follow through is complicated by our own sinful motives. Other times, we try to capture the theater’s limelight for ourselves — eager for the applause from God and others, we gloat over those who choose Lady Folly. Sometimes we mock them aloud. Other times, we say it silently to ourselves. we are better than - we are holier than - we are more deserving than — but each of those three is a sign we are already up the flight of stairs to Lady Folly’s private residence.

Slide 9 Returning to those two outcomes - Try the best you can to identify the emotions you felt as if hearing them for the first time:

For those choosing Lady Wisdom - “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; “

For those choosing Lady Folly - if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer. Little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.”

Full of hope in Jesus Christ, we have every reason to rejoice about choosing Lady Wisdom and accepting God’s call on our lives. But I’m far more concerned about your feelings for those choosing Lady Folly. Her lures are the ultimate death trap. Like a mousetrap going off, her victims will join the dead in the depths of the grave. If we lose sight of our own callings, If pride swells because we think we are better than, Christ’s compassion for the lost is missing.

Slide 10: Before sending out his 12 disciples to minister, we read in - “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

The New International Version (1984) Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’a”

As yet again, after another series of miracles and teachings and debates with Israel’s leaders… As Jesus left Jerusalem, he cried out in compassion and lament:

35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’a”

The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Slide 11: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

Jesus own words reveals his compassion for the lost. He knows them by name and so do we as Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly compete for their hearts too. If we are to follow after Jesus, pray the Spirit would make us more compassionate for the lost souls and the impressionable being led astray. As a denomination, why is it easier for us to write a two digit check for relief work while letting mission contributions to save the soul falter?

Slide 12: When banning all churches across the nation from teaching Sunday School to those 18 and under - China is attempting to force families and churches to choose Lady Folly.

The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Overwhelmed with compassion, our hearts should be breaking at the thought when we consider the faith formation that happens in Cadets, GEMS, Little Lambs, and Sunday School.

Slide 13: In our own country, the largest demographic leaving not just church but faith altogether are the millennials born since 1997.

Some of us can attest and mourn relatives and friends who have walked away from God. Some are deeply hurt by something that happened within their faith formation. Others felt out of place because they didn’t fit in. We called them the church of the future but left little room for them to be the church present. They are finding their belonging elsewhere. This finds them more easily choosing Lady Folly over Lady Wisdom such as.

Slide 14: Richard Dawkin’s Beginniners Guide to Outgrowing God

Celebrated on university campuses including Michigan - a much celebrated October book release: OUTGROWING GOD by Atheist Role Model Richard Dawkins. Compared to his previous high brow books that were above the heads of the public, this book is most alarming as it is written to teens. Targeting the Bible and Christianity in particular - he says that belief in God is not only wrong - it is dangerously immoral to humanity. Speaking at their level, he dismisses the existence of some great surveillance camera in the sky and equates the Christian God to a new mythical Lord Voldemort, Cruella De Ville, and Darth Vader 3 in 1. His ultimate conclusion choosing Lady Folly is that with advanced as we are, we don’t need God to be good anymore. Tens of thousands are reported to be subscribing to his Tweets and Facebook discussion groups.

Slide 15 -

Having met Ladies Wisdom and Folly, we can’t rest in contentment with our own choice to follow Lady Wisdom and in turn except Christ’s call to follow him. In the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of young people -God will instill the compassion of Christ for the lost and searching. God used you to engage in conversation and offer them smiles of hope at the food truck. Some returned on Wednesday night for more of the same. Compassion and offering a place of fellowship makes a great start - but it’s the follow through aided by God’s Spirit that really matters. Our compassion comes through in the little ways that makes big strides. To pray, to welcome, to mentor, to teach that the Bible offers us truth and that God is true by word and deed, to enrich the lives of not just young people but others too and investing in them.

It’s a matter of life and death. God hasn’t committed to us the message of reconciliation as ambassadors of hope without also giving us the stories or skillsets to follow through. Rather than be discouraged, no matter our age, take it as a challenge. How will Christ use you - your story - your experiences to touch the lives of others-influencing their choice to reject Lady Folly’s advances and choose Lady Wisdom. Let’s pray.