Proverbs 8-9: Invitations Are Out: RSVP Required

How do you tell a wise choice from a foolish one when they look exactly the same?

Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly throw very different parties in Proverbs 8-9, but their invitations say the exact same thing. Join us as we unpack this famous rivalry, digging into who Lady Wisdom really is and why Lady Folly tries to lure us in with stolen pleasures. Because here's the thing: everyone ends up at one party or the other.

From there, we follow this ancient invitation in Proverbs straight to Jesus, who offers the ultimate invitation to come, drink, and find eternal life. Lady Wisdom set a beautiful table, but Jesus gave himself for the meal. The invitations are out, and it's time to choose!

In our Proverbs 8-9 Bible study, we cover:

• [2:07] Wisdom Personified: Why Proverbs pictures God’s wisdom as a woman, and how “more precious than rubies” is a clue linking her to the Proverbs 31 woman.
• [4:17] The Shrinking Guest List: Wisdom goes from inviting three types of people down to just one, and the mocker isn’t missing by accident.
• [8:52] Fear of the Lord: Proverbs 8:13 comes closest to explaining what “fear of the Lord” really means, and Jesus echoes it with a warning about money in Matthew 6:24.
• [14:14] The Question: Is Lady Wisdom Jesus? No, but her presence at creation foreshadows Jesus as the Word in John 1.
• [20:03] The Ultimate RSVP: How the open invitations from Lady Wisdom, Lady Folly, and Jesus call for us to make a life-changing decision.
• [26:42] Deceptive Invitations: Why Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly send identical invitations, yet one feeds your soul, and the other robs it.
• [28:36] The Third Invitation: How Jesus completes Wisdom’s call to “come,” and Revelation 22 offers the final invitation just four verses from the end of the Bible.

Proverbs Show Notes

• God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life, by Timothy and Kathy Keller
• The Path to Good or Evil

Group Discussion Questions for Proverbs 8-9

1. [11:05] Proverbs 8 promises that when we find Wisdom, we gain access to her counsel, insight, and power. Where in your life right now (a situation, a habit, or a relationship) do you most need that kind of wisdom? James 1:5 tells us that if we ask God for wisdom, He will give it generously. How might you actively ask God for wisdom in this area, and what will help you recognize His answer when it comes?
2. [27:15] Lady Wisdom works hard to build her house, prepare a rich meal, and send out her servants. Lady Folly just sits at her door and calls out. When you share Jesus' invitation with others, do you approach it more like Lady Wisdom or Lady Folly? How would you like that to change?
3. [33:41] Both Lady Wisdom and Jesus invite us to a meal and a house to find life. This week, how do you plan to RSVP to Jesus’s personal invitation to "come" to His house and His meal? What will that look like in your life?

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This episode is part of our ongoing Bible Book Club series, starting with Genesis and journeying all the way through the Bible. Thanks for listening!