The Woman of Folly

Proverbs 9:13-18

In last week’s blog we went chasing after the wolves in the night. Now let’s imagine you choose to follow the sound of the wolves for a while but soon the cold and darkness take their toll. You turn to go back but the wilderness can be confusing, especially at night, and now you’ve become disoriented. Which way is back? You’re cold, hungry, and frightened when you notice the lights of the cabin. It seems off from where you thought the trail was but at this point you’re desperate so you head that way.

As you approach the light you realize it’s not the same cabin. As a matter of fact, the closer you get the more evident it becomes that this is not a real cabin at all. It’s like a Hollywood set. The cabin is merely a façade. The fire is fake giving off no warmth. Behind it is a graveyard. It’s full of bones from other weary travelers who were lured away by the woman of folly

This is the final scene in this chapter of Proverbs. The woman of folly is boisterous, she is naïve and knows nothing. She sits at the doorway of her house, on a seat by the high places of the city, calling to those who pass by, who are making their paths straight: “Whoever is naïve, let him turn in here,” and to him who lacks understanding she says, “Stolen water is sweet; and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol

We discussed the voice of lady wisdom inviting all to come and dine with her. Then we dealt with the voice of thescoffer. Now we face a familiar voice in Proverbs, the voice of the woman of folly (of course it could just as easily be the man of folly). She is loud and boisterous. She is so overpowering it’s hard to hear the voice of lady wisdom in the distance. The more lost and confused people become the more inviting the woman of folly seems. She promises what she can’t deliver and in the end, she throws another body in the graveyard behind house. 

Who does she target? The naïve and him who lacks understanding. We can’t miss that these are the same two that lady wisdom invited to come in with her and dine. They are vulnerable. They lack wilderness survival skills. They are easy prey for both the wolves and the woman of folly.  

Once people stray from the path that leads to life, they become cold and hungry. They start looking for love in all the wrong places. Their souls long for God but they refuse to acknowledge that. They lack understanding. They don’t get it.  She tells them that stolen water is sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. People think the forbidden fruit is the best. Like Adam and Eve, if God says don’t eat from that tree it must be because He’s trying to limit their pleasure. Of course, only the foolish would think the woman of folly offers more than God. It’s forbidden for a reason. Only after her victims see the graveyard do they realize they’ve been deceived. 

Once again, let’s remind ourselves that the naïve are those who go with the flow. They are easily persuaded and lured off the straight path. They are gullible and simple prey for the seductress. The naïve think what is normal is good. Sex before marriage is normal. Sex with lots of partners is normal. Impersonal sex through a screen is normal. Sex with people of the same sex is normal. If you view all these behaviors as normal, then you are what experts call normalized. These people believe that because it’s normal and what’s normal is good. That’s a recipe for disaster. Let’s remind ourselves that in this world sin is normal but sin can never be good.

So, the naïve goes with the flow. By the time he realizes how far he is off the straight path, he’s too confused and disoriented to find his way back. A fake cabin can look pretty appealing when you’re lost, cold, and desperate. But he does not know that the dead are there.

Let’s think about this chapter as it relates to our culture. We have wandered far from God. People have all the earmarks of someone who is lost in the wilderness. They don’t know what to do to survive and seem more and more desperate. 

The scoffers are the wolves who howl in the night. They are angry and bitter at life. They argue and fight about everything. They are desperate to find some belief or cause to give their life meaning. They mock lady wisdom and howl all they can to lure lost travelers away from her door and draw them deeper into the darkness of the wilderness. It’s not enough for them to be miserable. They are driven to make others as miserable as they are.

The naïve, on the other hand, go with the flow. They are gullible and easily led astray. They are easy targets for the woman of folly and desperately go from one sexual disappointment to another hoping foolishly that the next time will deliver the pleasure they long for. These pleasure seekers are pretenders. They are desperately trying to convince themselves and those around them they are happy. But at night, when no one else is around, the loneliness and pain become unbearable. At some point one would hope they would admit what they are doing isn’t working. 

But for anyone who is ready for something better, something more, there is hope. Lady wisdom offers a refuge from the foolishness of the culture. The warmth of her fire burns brightly. The food is on the table and all are welcome. Come, eat of my food and drink of the wine I have mixed. Forsake your folly and live, and proceed in the way of understanding.

Three voices calling in the darkness. One offers the wisdom and understanding to live a skillful life of meaning and purpose. Two offer heartache and death. Your choice. But here’s the sobering reality. If you don’t get serious about sitting down and dining with lady wisdom, the other two voices will prevail. You can’t avoid the wolves and the woman of folly without lady wisdom’s help. To ignore her is to choose the other. It’s up to you.

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The Scoffer