Since the very beginning in the garden of Eden, two voices have been heard in Scripture: the voice of the Creator, and the contrary voice of the devil. In this section of Proverbs, we hear the two voices again. Both are speaking to ″my son″ (Proverbs 1:10), the young man.

One is the voice of sinful men (v. 10), the simple (v. 22), and the mockers (v. 22). This voice is enticing: it appeals to the young man to disregard consequences and pursue ill-gotten gains (vv. 11-13), and to throw in his lot with the wrong company (v. 14).

But the other voice-that of the wise parent (vv. 8-9) and also of Lady Wisdom (v. 20)-exposes the scheme and reveals it for what it really is: a trap (vv. 17-18) that will eventually cost people their own lives (v. 19).

Wisdom always shows the true reality: it cuts through lies and warns against submitting to temptation. It urges the young and simple to listen to and obey the right instruction (v. 8), and not to give in to the voice of sinful men (v. 10). Wisdom says: Consider the consequences! If we listen to this voice, we will enter its haven of safety (v. 33) but if we resist, we will suffer the consequence of our actions (v. 31). Wisdom calls us to fear the Lord (v. 29), but stubborn resistance will only lead to destruction (v. 32).

Wisdom's voice reminds us of the voice of Jesus Christ, God's wisdom in the flesh. Jesus reveals the truth of what God is like and how He intends humanity to live. He calls us to leave our naiveté and mockery (v. 22), and to repent.

This is a stark warning. Jesus Christ shows us the way to know God and to live in friendship with Him. To live any other way-no matter how enticing it may seem-is ultimately destructive. The fool hates knowledge and does not fear the Lord (v. 29), but the wise listens and fears the Lord-it is he who will find a secure and untroubled haven (v. 33).