Weekly Devotional - June 14th

Wisdom shouts in the street,

She raises her voice in the public square;

At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;

At the entrance of the gates in the city she declares her sayings:

  “How long, you naive ones, will you love simplistic thinking?

And how long will scoffers delight themselves in scoffing

And fools hate knowledge?

Turn to my rebuke,

Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you;

I will make my words known to you.

Because I called and you refused,

I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;

And you neglected all my advice

And did not want my rebuke;

I will also laugh at your disaster;

I will mock when your dread comes,

When your dread comes like a storm

And your disaster 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 will not find me,

Because they hated knowledge

And did not choose the fear of the Lord.

They did not accept my advice,

They disdainfully rejected every rebuke from me.

So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way,

And be filled with their own schemes.

Proverbs 1:20-31

Solomon emphasizes to his readers that wisdom, here personified, is not reserved for a select few but is instead inclusive, actively seeking those who incline their ear to its call. However, it chastises the fool who disregards its invitation, ultimately to their own detriment. Wisdom then mocks the fool for missing out, much like one would deride the reckless decisions of an adversary.