It has been said there are two main motivations for all actions: achieving pleasure and avoiding pain. Avoiding pain far outweighs the motivation of achieving pleasure. Avoiding pain necessitates clear warnings, and Proverbs does not fall short of this task. The book introduces a personified Wisdom; her wise words warn readers who would listen and benefit:
“Wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square. At the head of the noisy streets she cries out, at the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings: ‘How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded, and scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, and fools hate knowledge?’
There can be no doubt of the world’s need for warnings. Everywhere one ventures, whether on a city street or in a shopping mall or at a restaurant – warnings abound, from warnings of oncoming traffic to alternate exits to slippery floors. Warnings are commonplace and have one central purpose: to keep people from hurting themselves and others.
It is important to consider why people need warnings. I see three main reasons:
- They are ignorant
- They are complacent
- They are obstinate
There is much people don’t know, especially young people. Danger abounds, and people often are unaware of danger, and must be made aware of the danger if they are to stay clear of it. To instruct people regarding unknowns in life is a primary reason to post a warning.
Second, many people treat danger lightly. As long as they are currently comfortable, and things are going pretty smoothly, they are happy to stay right where they are. The word “complacency” used here speaks of ease and comfort and prosperity. In other words, these folks don’t see any need to change. They are happy as situated.
The third reason is obstinacy. Fools are obstinant folk. You can’t tell them anything, and if you do, you are berated, accused of being judgmental, and mocked. Even if a fool is unhappy with his life and knows of danger in his path, he will not listen because he is unwilling to learn.
Warnings abound; we are surrounded by them, reminded of them, and faced with them every day. But in many people’s views of warnings, there is a blaring dichotomy. While many people will attest to the necessity of warnings in everyday life and culture, they will deny any need for warnings regarding personal character or personal decisions. Warnings concerning sin are scoffed at; they are cast off as moral censorship and judgmental speech.
The first “sin” warning ever communicated came from a gardener with a goal to keep the local visitors from a poisonous tree. He told them that although they could eat of any tree in His garden, if they ate from the one particular tree in the center of the garden, they would surely die. We know the story – Adam and Eve chose to disregard this most sacred advice, and took of the fruit and ate. And, true to the Gardener’s words – God’s words – they died.
Not much has changed since the days of Eden. Still we are hearing warnings, but disregarding many. We might give heed to a signpost that tells us of a sharp turn ahead, and slow our car down because we are very interested in not crashing. And we don’t want to break our face on the windshield. But what of the warnings of how to not destroy our lives? We gladly dismiss those as “religious rules” and walk right into the open jaws of wretched sorrow, willingly.
It makes no sense at all.
“Turn to my reproof; Behold I will pour out my spirit on you, I will make my words known to you.”
Heeding warnings doesn’t require much. It’s the basic action of turning from the direction you are ALREADY HEADING. You see, no one naturally seeks wisdom; he or she must make adjustments to accommodate it. There is always a “turning” to accept the wise words of God.
“Because I called you and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention, and you neglected all my counsel, and did not want my reproof.”
Wisdom, personified, takes action. She both speaks and reaches out. Mouth and hands. She is saying “Please, listen to me!” but her words are ignored. She reaches out to connect, but there is no response. The self-taught, self-validated fool ignores a willing teacher. He walks his own way because he is convinced either 1) he has nothing to learn or 2) she has nothing to teach.
“I will also laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your dread comes, when your dread comes like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but they will not find me, because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would not accept my counsel, they spurned all my reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices.”
These wise words say “I told you so” in a big way. The offer of wisdom is an offer of benevolence – God doesn’t have to offer; He chooses to offer because He knows the harm that will befall the fool if he ignores. But God doesn’t beg to be heard, and once an offer of wisdom is consistently and definitively rejected, the offer is withdrawn. God stands by to let Himself be proven, and proven He is, every time, throughout all of human history. Wisdom is always and forever vindicated by the corpses of those who won’t listen.
“For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them. But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dreadfulness of evil.”
As with much of Scripture, the writer concludes on a positive note. He summarizes, emphasizing once again the three things that necessitate warnings: naivity, complacency, and waywardness – ignorance, ease, and obstinacy. All lead to death and destruction.
But the one who listens? He enjoys security and peace, the two prime conditions of life. The key here is the listening, and listening is more than just hearing. If you can listen, really listen, with a willing heart and a ready mind, the wise words of God will bless and enrich and guide you into all peace and security. And those are blessings worth heeding a warning to find.
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