Proverbs 9:3-5 (ESV)
3 She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
5 “Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Wisdom has finished her work. The house is built. The banquet is prepared. Nothing is lacking. Like a gracious and attentive hostess, she sends out her servants to call from the highest places in the city so that her invitation cannot be missed. Her voice is public and clear, reaching all who have ears to hear. She is not hidden or reserved, but openly calling, urging any who desire what she freely offers to come and respond.
Her invitation is directed to the simple and to those who lack sense. This is not an insult but an opportunity. It is for those who recognize their inexperience, who have not yet committed to the path of wisdom, who lack discernment and understanding. Even these are welcomed. Wisdom requires no prior qualification. We do not need to clean ourselves up before we come. She calls those who are willing to learn.
“Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.” Just as physical life depends on food and drink, so spiritual life depends on what wisdom provides. To accept her invitation is to be nourished, corrected, and changed by what is true. It is to turn from self-direction and submit to what God has said is right. It is to walk in a way that aligns with his design, enjoying the goodness of a life lived in obedience to him, free from the regret that follows sin.
Wisdom has done everything necessary. She has built, prepared, and called. The only thing left is the response. There is no neutral ground. To ignore her call is to reject it. A decision is being made by all, whether it is spoken or not.
What about you? Are you willing to admit where you lack wisdom and come for instruction, or are you clinging to your own patterns and preferences? Change is not easy, but there is real hope for those who are willing to turn. Go to God today and ask him to give you a teachable heart, to expose where you are resisting his wisdom, and to help you gladly submit to what he says.