Chapter 9 is the last chapter that encourages us to seek wisdom. Starting tomorrow we'll see a collection of the wise sayings of Solomon.
The verses that stood out to me were 8-9
8 Don't rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will learn more.
There are many things and many people that I can invest my life in. I guess I've noticed over the years the truth in these verses. I've tried to help "mockers" in the past and it becomes very obvious very quickly that they don't want to be helped and aren't going to change what they are doing or who they are.
But I've also seen over the years that those who know the Lord and are wise will allow you to speak truth to them and they will become better for it. There is great joy and satisfaction in investing your life in those who want to know more, who want to become wise in God's ways.
And I want to always be that man who will become wiser with instruction and learn more from others' teachings.
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I read this through a few times in different versions, and then was struck by the first three verses:
1 Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine; She has also set her table;
3 She has sent out her maidens...
Preparation. Previous passages talk about seeking wisdom (and I loved yesterday's comment from Andrew about God giving wisdom), about protecting wisdom, but we also need to keep a life that is prepared and living out the wisdom that we have learned. We prepare ourselves by taking the time to really delve into the Bible, to spend time praying, sitting under good teachers.
Comparing this to a "real world" experience, I doubt I woke up one morning knowing my multiplication tables. It was building on learning about counting, and then adding--with the help of textbooks and teachers.
May I be as diligent in adding to the wisdom God so freely wants to give me.
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