Proverbs 9:1–6
Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars:
She has killed her beasts; she has mingled her wine; she has also furnished her table.
She has sent forth her maidens: she cries upon the highest places of the city,
“Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither.” As for him that lacks understanding, she says to him,
“Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.
Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.”
Wisdom is conveyed in the setting of communion, or fellowship, and the archetypal form of biblical fellowship takes place around a table (1 Cor. 10:16–20; Acts 2:42; Ps. 36:8; Is. 25:6; Mark 2:15; Luke 5:30, 22:30; John 6:53). Eating together constitutes basic human fellowship, and hospitality is basic to any ministry that will share true wisdom. As Christians, we cannot separate the teaching of the Word from the relational context in which it should happen. Each week that we gather for communion with our Savior at His table, we are invited to the table of incarnate Wisdom Himself. We come together to hear the Word of God, yes. But we also “come together” to sit at His table and have what is called “communion” with Christ (1 Cor. 11:18ff, 10:16–17).
You won’t receive much wisdom in a boring lecture where some instructor drones on about facts and figures before thirty disinterested listeners. A few of the participants may get a little knowledge out of it but no wisdom. This is the fundamental flaw with “education” as it is conceived of in the modern world or in the classical form. We become wise as we come to know this person called Wisdom, or any wise person. This is why the Christian form of education will always prefer mentorship, long-term relationships, and meetings in more personal and intimate settings—such as the teacher’s dinner table. Jesus chose twelve disciples to be “with Him” for three years (Mark 3:14), and this is the prototype for the conveyance of true wisdom.
Wisdom invites the world to her table. Wherever the light of the gospel shines, wherever men walk who are cloaked in the light of the truth, there is Wisdom. Each day, millions of people access this invitation, and millions reject it. Those who respond and sit at the table become wise. There is nothing high-tech or difficult about coming to dinner. It is just that some are turned off by such invitations. Some could not think of walking with this man Jesus Christ for three years (or with one of His disciples). They walk in darkness and find the children of light repelling.
You are characterized by those with whom you choose to associate. This is why the admonition from Wisdom is “Forsake the foolish and live!” The first step towards applying wisdom is to assess your associations and walk away from those who are of weak character—wicked, shallow, vain, or foolish. Choose your associations wisely. Choose your church, your schools, your teachers, your pastor, and your elders wisely. Sadly, most families are careless and thoughtless about the forms of education, media, and entertainment they choose. They sit at the feet of materialists and socialists, people who do not profess to fear God and put His Kingdom first. And they go to hell because of it. If they would leave the public schools that refuse to teach that “the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God,” they and their children might live. If they walk out of the churches that synthesize the teaching with the man-centered humanism of the world, they could live. If they forsake their relationships with the ungodly (which might even include their own family members and friends) and establish relationships with the godly, they could live.
1. What is the difference between a lecture and sitting at a meal with somebody who is wise? What sorts of things would you learn from wise people (a father, a mother, or a pastor, for example), if you were to live with them and get to know them in an up-close and personal way?
2. Are there any associations in our lives right now that might be unhealthy for us? What should we look for when we set out to find either teachers or friends?