Proverbs 8:6-7 (ESV)
6 Hear, for I will speak noble things,
and from my lips will come what is right,
7 for my mouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
Wisdom calls out with a clear command: “Hear.” This is not a casual suggestion but a summons to listen with the intent to respond. In Scripture, hearing always carries the expectation of obedience. Jesus taught the same truth when he said, “seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” (Matthew 13:13). Many hear the words, but their hearts remain closed. They do not truly receive what is said, and so they do not respond.
Wisdom gives strong reasons to listen. She speaks “noble things.” The Hebrew word translated as “noble things” is neged, and it points to what is worthy and weighty. Her words are not empty or trivial. They are excellent. From her lips comes what is “right.” The Hebrew word meysharim, translated as “right” refers to what is morally level. Wisdom does not distort or mislead. She gives a clear and accurate guide for how we are to think and live.
There is more. Wisdom speaks truth because she comes from God. She declares, “My mouth will utter truth.” God himself is the source of all truth, and everything he says is can be depended upon. As 2 Samuel 7:28 affirms, his words are true. This means the one who listens to wisdom is not building on opinion or shifting ideas but on what is certain and secure. There is nothing more important to hear than the word of God.
Wisdom also reflects God’s character in her hatred of sin. “Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.” She does not tolerate what is evil or speak what is false. Just as God does not lie or act wickedly, wisdom never leads her audience in that direction. Her words stand in direct contrast to the multitude of opposing voices that entice, flatter, and lead people into sin. She always speaks what is right and rejects what is wrong.
If you could ask someone any question about life, truth, or morality and know that every answer would be perfectly right, you would listen carefully. That is exactly what God has given in his word. The question is not whether truth is available, but whether you will receive it. Whom do you trust to guide your thinking and your decisions? Yourself, others, or God? The one you listen to will direct the course of your life and determine where you end up. Choose to listen to God and obey him again today.