Whenever I read Proverbs I remember one of my Old Testament lecturers, in his thick French accent, insisting, ‘ze fear of ze Lord, zis is ritual observance. You must chrémember zis!’ I have indeed ‘chrémembered’ and he’s right! It is impossible to understand Proverbs properly apart from the spiritual life of Israel: the Cultus (sacrificial system) and the Law

When we get further into the Israelite saga we’ll explore just how integrated the Israelite spirituality was with everyday life (at least in theory). Whatever the downsides of the Cultus, it kept them in mind of God and prompted their hearts to gratitude or contrition. And whatever the binds of the Law, constant obedience ensured that Israel wouldn’t forget her Saviour. This sort of whole-life faith kept God in the picture, and not as a bully, but as a friend.

Into this context, two attractive women make their claim on the impressionable mind (and heart) of the teacher’s ‘son’. Lady Wisdom, who calls from beside the city gates to instruct all who would listen to her words, and the Harlot, the adulteress, shameless in her lies to tempt away to destruction those who would be captivated by her charade.

Lady Wisdom is not just some pious literary figure in these texts. She is given quasi-divine status as ‘the first of his works…appointed from eternity…I was there when he set the heavens in place…and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was the craftsman at his side (8:22-30).’ Pre-empting John’s use of the Logos that ‘was with God / was God’ (John 1:1), the Wisdom tradition in Israel saw down-to-earth, practical wisdom as the personal embodiment of a divine creative force.

So when the Teacher says ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’ (9:10), we shouldn’t interpret it as ‘being scared of God is the first step to being sensible’, but rather, ‘Integrated God-consciousness is the source of a life rightly oriented to a relationship with God’s creative power’…or in other words… ‘Doing the right thing is more than knowing the right answers, it’s about knowing the right person. So make sure knowing God is your priority…then you’ll be ok.’

The alternative, for the Teacher, could not be more poisonous. Lusting after the alluring temptations of the Harlot is the path to ‘death’ (2:18; 5:5; 6:26; 7:27; 9:18). This is the way of Folly and she takes many a man prisoner by her lies. Again, in this woman, the practical and the spiritual unite. This is not just a warning against sexual adultery (though it most certainly is that), but by creating Folly, the Harlot, as a personality the Teacher juxtaposes the way of life – Wisdom – with her route to destruction and death.

As Wisdom is gained through knowledge of God, sustained through ritual observance of torah (the whole combo of Law and Cultus), so Folly is the adulteress who steals away the heart of the reckless from the knowledge of God. Again and again in the Old Testament, the imagery of adultery is used to describe Israel’s turning away from God. The adultery of Proverbs mirrors that same concern.

Thus Proverbs is not just an interesting academic exercise in wisdom gathering. It is a matter of life and death for Israel. Do they accept the Law and its ritual stipulations or do they reject it for an easy life or a Pagan prostitute-party. Wisdom, according to the Teacher, is the only path to life and it’s obtained by the observance of torah. Any other path is death.

From a 21st Century Christian point of view, I believe these texts are still as relevant as ever, and in fact for us to understand them properly is vital as inspiration for us to know Lady Wisdom. What the Israelites had, that we lack, is an integrated faith, where God is brought into our thoughts, feelings dreams etc all through the day by the most mundane of tasks and experiences. Yet this is the life of constant God-awareness – not necessarily in the extraordinary, but in the bog-standard – that leads to the sort of powerfully transformative right living Wisdom brings.

The early Christians talked of Jesus as the true Wisdom of God. As the ‘Logos’ God-man, he embodied the down-to-earth approach of Lady Wisdom while possessing her divine Creative power and history. When we look at Jesus life we see a true human. Not cast out of the garden like Adam, but in close relationship with God, his Father. This is the path of Wisdom for us: to follow Jesus, and let his Spirit lead us into the path of life: true knowledge of God.

Question for reflection:

What one, very basic and ordinary thing could you do each day to remind yourself of God’s presence with you?

A possible prayer for that moment…

Let me see You in my family
Let me find You in my friends
Let me know You in the nitty gritty.
Let me give You to everyone I meet.
Amen