Proverbs 8:32-36
And now, O sons, listen to me… (v. 32) This is now the third time we’ve read that exact phrase in Proverbs. (See also Pr. 5:7; 7:24.) Perhaps we should indeed listen and heed, for Wisdom herself promises blessing:
- Blessed are those who keep my ways (v. 32)
- Blessed is the one who listens to me (v. 34)
- For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD (v. 35)
That sounds like a pretty good deal.
I have been comparing Pr. 7 with Pr. 8. In the previous chapter, the adulteress (as John pointed out, substitute the word “Sin”) lies in wait, suggesting delights which lead to ruin. Wisdom, on the other hand, calls out to us and promises blessings and good.
Perhaps the difference I see most clearly is that sin has immediate pleasures and we don’t see the consequences right away; wisdom’s pleasures often take longer to come—not a good situation when I too often get caught up in the here and now. My father sometimes called me “Impatience Personified” when I was little. Hmmm…
On a number of occasions Paul, the apostle wrote, “Be imitators of me.” (See, e.g., I Corinthians 4:15, 11:1.) So, as I read today’s verses, with Wisdom speaking, I ask myself if those of us of a more advanced age could imagine Wisdom’s words to be our own. What a challenge! But, as the elderly that’s who we need to be!