Proverbs 9

It’s always interesting to notice patterns in literature, and the Bible is no different. There have already been numerous recurring statements in the first eight chapters of the book of Proverbs, but this chapter contained its own special pattern. Did you notice the invitation that was issued twice?

Whoever is easy to fool, let him turn in here! (vs 4, 16)

The interesting thing is that the same invitation is issued—from two very different sources. The first time, it is “Wisdom” who invites the fools to enter her home. The second time, it is “Folly” who invites the fools to enter her home.

The invitation is the same, but the destinations are very different. Solomon helps us peek “inside” the two houses and discover that the result of entering The House of Wisdom is a longer life (vs 11), while the result of entering The House of Folly is death—even a living death (vs 18).

What I see about God in all of this is that He doesn’t stack the deck in His favor, He doesn’t shut down His opponents, He doesn’t drown out the competition. This is difficult for some people to understand (or maybe just to swallow). I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine who argued that God could have created a universe where there was freedom, but no opportunity to choose evil.

In my mind, that is a serious misunderstanding of the point (and nature) of freedom! God is totally committed to our freedom, but that includes the freedom for us to choose against Him as well as the freedom to choose for Him. Without the opportunity to choose evil, how can there be freedom?

Today’s chapter also confirms that God is committed to giving us the freedom to choose. He doesn’t “hardwire” our minds to think in a particular way or choose a particular course. He allows us to hear the arguments from both “sides”—good and evil, wisdom and folly. What does this mean? That God is not a dictator! For everyone knows that the number one objective on a dictator’s list is to squelch the free media and control information. Dissenting voices are silenced, as they are readily being silenced today! But that’s not how it works in God’s Kingdom.

In God’s Kingdom, in this great war we’re all caught up in, God has not silenced the opposition. He allows Satan the freedom to invite us to folly just as much as He invites us to wisdom. Furthermore, God doesn’t use the deceptive methods of Satan. You’ll notice that Wisdom invites us to come and taste things for ourselves (vs 5), but Folly tempts with misleading propaganda, claiming that her food will be sweet and pleasing (vs 17).

It’s up to us which house we will live in, which path we will take. But it’s only because of God that we have that choice in the first place. When He says He’s committed to freedom, He really means it. And for that reason, He never drowns out His competition.