“Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice?… She cries out at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors…”

— Proverbs 8:1, 3

In the book of Proverbs, we find an interesting contrast between two women. One represents wisdom and life. The other represents sin and death. In Proverbs 8, we see what wisdom does, contrasted with what the strange woman in the preceding chapter does. In chapter 7 we see the strange woman in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night.

There she is crouching about in the doorways, from corner to corner, lying in wait to catch the unwary. In stark contrast to this, in the broad daylight, standing at the entrance way to the city in the open places at the gates and at the door, wisdom cries to all to come. There are no whispered intimations in the ear, no secret agreements, but rather there is an open declaration, and invitation to all. So too, Jesus boldly proclaimed His Word for all to hear and said to His accusers, “Why do you ask Me?… I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in the synagogue and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and I said nothing in secret” (John 18:21, 20).

The message of wisdom is for all of us, even those who think they are so mature they no longer need to heed the message. Too many times people will go through many years of Sunday School and then they grow up and they think they don’t need it any longer. But God wants us to continue to seek after His wisdom.

Wise and wonderful Savior, thank You for the openness and clarity of Your Word. It is not a secret message for the select few. It is freely proclaimed to all of us…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN CONTINUE
TO GROW IN KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM.