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“He who gathers in summer is a prudent son,

    but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.”

Proverbs 10:5 ESV

Here, Solomon uses an agricultural setting to make a universal point. If you are not connected to a farm in any way, you can still get the point Solomon is making. To whit, the one who takes care of his business at the proper time is wise; the one who doesn’t is a fool.

So, whether you are a programmer, a student, a mechanic, a homemaker, get your stuff done at the right time.

“The woman Folly is loud;

    she is seductive and knows nothing.

¹⁴ She sits at the door of her house;

    she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,

¹⁵ calling to those who pass by,

    who are going straight on their way,

¹⁶ “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”

    And to him who lacks sense she says,

¹⁷ “Stolen water is sweet,

    and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

¹⁸ But he does not know that the dead are there,

    that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.”

Proverbs 9:13-18 ESV

The typical approach in the book of Proverbs is to contrast wisdom and folly. Chapter nine presents a wonderful contrast between the two, but not without first presenting some similarities.

Like Wisdom in verses 3-6, Folly is personified as a woman in verses 13-18. Also, like Wisdom, Folly isn’t content to be alone. Her desperate desire is that others join her. Thus, she locates herself in public places – “at the door of her house” or “in the highest places of the town” (vs. 14) – from where she calls passersby. Her call is the same as that of Wisdom’s: “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” However – and this is where the contrasts between Wisdom and Folly begin – Folly’s intent with the simple is not to make him wise.

In contrast to Wisdom, Folly “knows nothing” (vs. 13), and she desires that we be like her, simpletons. To that point she is an evangelist, trying to draw our affections with “stolen water” and “bread eaten in secret” (vs. 17). What she doesn’t say, and what we find out too late – after we have stopped by her place for foolish pleasure – is “that the dead are there, that her guests [those of us fools who took the bait] are in the depths of Sheol” (vs. 18).

Folly reminds me of a turkey hunter in so many ways. The hunter disguises himself and projects the sound of a turkey, and by the time the turkey realizes (if he does) that he has responded to a false offer, it’s too late. The hunter has his prize.

Beware, every voice that says, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” is not Wisdom. Folly desires to destroy you. Wisdom desires to give you life. We have to be able to discern between the voice of Wisdom and Folly. What’s your plan to do that?

“To you, O men, I call,

    and my cry is to the children of man.”

Proverbs 4:8 ESV

I suppose that every one of us, at one time or another, struggles with pride. In this case, I think there is a tendency to say, “This isn’t for me. It’s for those people.” And by those people we mean anyone who is not us. As I think through this scenario, I keep hearing the tough guy question: “You talkin’ to me?” Wisdom’s polite reply is, “Yes, I’m talkin’ to you.”

Wisdom cries out “to the children of man,” which covers everyone … the tough guy, the nerd, the wise person, and the fool. If you are not interested in wisdom at all, you need this. If you are interested in wisdom, but think you don’t need more at this time, you are not as wise as you think.

“Listen to advice and accept instruction,

    that you may gain wisdom in the future.”

Proverbs 19:20 ESV

Wisdom is calling. How are you (yes, you!) responding.

“There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”

Proverbs 6:16-17

The writer uses a Hebrew construction, a numeral plus one, to indicate the Lord’s ultimate displeasure with the items in the list. The second item on this list is a lying tongue. When we practice to deceive we are saying one of two things. We are saying that God doesn’t see us OR that God doesn’t care. Neither is true!

God does care; he even warns us of the danger of lying:

“The getting of treasures by a lying tongue

    is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.”

Proverbs 21:6 ESV

“The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,

    and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.”

Proverbs 5:22 ESV

Beware the risk of playing around with sin. Many think “I’ll do this for a while, then I’ll stop when I’m ready.” Unfortunately, sin isn’t always so accommodating; it has its own desires and agenda.

This proverb describes the binding nature of our sin; it holds us captive. And, the more we submit to our sin, the more we are bound by it. Don’t treat sin as a game, something to dabble with. Sin is deceptive and deadly.