Pivotal Decisions

Solomon was writing to his son because like every parent, it was his responsibility to prepare his child or children to face life. For every parent it means spending a lot of time guiding them through different stages of growth and helping them to develop life skills so one day they can handle the real world and live their lives to the fullest. That would include mental, emotional, moral, social, and spiritual development.

Why is this important? Because parents know that one day their children will move out and begin to make decisions for themselves, forge their own paths. And there is only so much you can impart to them, without imposing your viewpoint on them, before they have to face some of the harsh realities of life. Most parents hope that their children will make wise decisions, be around healthy influences, and make good friends. It breaks the heart of a parent when they see their son or daughter go down the wrong path and make poor decisions. But the opposite is true as well. Today we are continuing in our Wisdom that Works series and have come to Proverbs chapter 9. King Solomon has been instructing his son who now has the practical wisdom he needs to make informed decisions as a young man. But the question is what will he do with this knowledge and wisdom? Which paths will he take?

We have all been in the place where we had to make pivotal decisions at different times in our lives. We have also seen people around us whether friends, relatives, peers, young or old face come to important crossroads. Think about some of the most important decisions you have ever made. Maybe it was making a decision where to go to university, what you wanted to study, the career path you were going to take, whether or not to follow Christ after hearing the gospel for the first or 50th time, who you should marry. What are some of the most pivotal decisions you have or expect to make in the future? What is your criteria for making these decisions? Proverbs 9 talks about these types of pivotal decisions, giving every person the choice to either actively pursue wisdom’s way or a life of foolishness.

Although Proverbs chapter 9 is divided into 3 parts, there are really only two paths put before us. Proverbs 9 talks about the:

Wisdom’s Banquet - where we go to get the wisdom we need for life.

Wisdom Correction - all of us need wisdom to make course corrections time to time

Folly’s Fate - all of us have experienced the consequences of foolish decisions but that does not have to be the end of the story.

Wisdom’s Banquet

1 Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars. 2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. 3 She has sent out her servants, and she calls from the highest point of the city,4 “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says,5 “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. 6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of insight.”

The house that Wisdom built has seven pillars meaning that this house was solid, it was very well built and very large for the purpose of holding banquets. Wisdom has prepared her place, her food and has sent out the invitation to all of humanity to eat with her.

Wisdom has slaughtered her meat - meaning that what is being prepared for the guest is very valuable, very costly. Has mixed her wine - She did not dilute it or water it down, but she has added honey or herbs to make the wine more spicy, potent, enjoyable and far better than normal wine.

Has set her table - this means that every truth has been arranged in such a way to be enjoyed by those who partake of it. It is a picture of a beautiful feast or banquet. In Isaiah 55, this meal is without cost to the one who has been invited and this meal gives life (Isa 25; Prov 9:6). God’s wisdom not only nourishes the guest but brings them joy. She has sent out her young maidens or attendants to invite the simple, and those lacking sense to come. What is interesting here is that various scholars hold that these attendants are “wisdoms teachers” and would include fathers and mothers, teachers, mentors or prophets.

The Lord has placed certain people in our lives for our good, for our growth and maturity. One scholar said one way God accomplishes this today is through the preaching and teaching of the Word in the local church. Anyone who accepts their invitation, who comes to wisdom’s home and eats at the table, i.e. the ignorant, the immature, the naive will be transformed.