Proverbs 1:10-33
‘My son, if sinners entice you — don’t you consent, if they say…”Come with us, let us lay in wait for blood!… Let us swallow them up alive, like the grave; and whole, like those that go down into the pit!”… (But) Wisdom cries out loud, (saying:) “Turn yourself at My reproof! Behold, I will pour out My Spirit for you; I will make known My words to you!… Whosoever hearkens to Me, shall dwell safely; and shall be quiet from fear of evil!”‘ Proverbs 1:10-33.
The word ‘sinners’ here seems to mean rough and rude bands of robbers. For ‘blood’ signifies violent robbery.
‘Let us swallow them up!’ The destruction which the robbers plot, is to be as thorough as the grave or she‘ool. For she‘ool swallows up alive those who die. It swallows them up ‘whole.’ Men who at one moment are in their full strength, are the next in the realm of death.
However — Wisdom is ‘a Breath of the power of God; a clear effluence of the glory of the Almighty; an effulgency from everlasting Light’ (Wisdom 7:25-26). Wisdom is given creative functions, and is clearly linked to the idea of God’s Logos or Son and Word (Proverbs 8:12-30 & 30:3-5). Christ was Himself the embodiment of Wisdom (First Corinthians 1:24 and Colossians 2:2-3). And ‘Wisdom cries out loud’ – in all the areas of human inhabitation (Proverbs 1:20-21)!
Repent! — says Wisdom. The Son of God so commands, in all the plenitude of His Divinity. ‘Turn yourself at My reproof!… I will pour out My Spirit for you; I will make known My words to you!’ The Bible, previously a dark book to sinners, would then be made clear to them. For God through His Son would offer to them both His Word outwardly to their ears, and a plentiful measure of His Spirit inwardly to their hearts, to make that Word effectual to them.
However — ‘I have called; but you refused!… Your destruction comes like a whirlwind…. The turning away of the simple, shall slay…and…destroy them!’
The Last Judgment too shall come! The very outer court of Hell! To have Wisdom’s countenance not only turned from but turned against unbelievers, will be Hell instead of Heaven. When a sinner ‘turns away’ from Wisdom’s Voice, he turns away from his own eternal interests!
‘But whosoever hearkens to Me, shall dwell safely…. And shall be quiet from fear of evil!’ (Proverbs 1:33).
Reader, are you hearkening to Him? Then you are under His cover, where no evil can reach you. Then you are dwelling safely. Then you are in quietness — even from the very fear of evil.
Your last day, and The Last Day, will then be a day of unclouded sunshine to you — when you enter into everlasting joy! For whoever listens to God, shall keep on dwelling safely! Do you?
