Daily Devotional | The House of Wisdom

On the road to the Celestial City in Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian stops to rest at the Palace Beautiful. There he meets four sisters— Discretion, Piety, Prudence, and Charity (that is, Love). They listen to the story of his journey and teach him valuable spiritual truths. They also encourage him with a vision of the future (Immanuel’s Land) and outfit him in the armor of God, which he will soon need for his battle with the demon Apollyon.

Similarly, in Proverbs 9, we are called to visit the House of Wisdom (vv. 1–4). This house is a welcoming place. Wisdom has set her table for a banquet and sent out invitations. The meal will be delicious. The “seven pillars” of her house symbolize perfection. Who is especially invited (vv. 4–6)? The “simple,” meaning those who are young, naive, or immature. They lack sense, but they can grow and eventually learn to “walk in the way of insight.”

Who is more likely to accept or reject Wisdom’s invitation (vv. 7–9)? Those who are humble enough to accept instruction, correction, and rebuke will probably accept the invitation to learn more. Those who are unwilling, however—the mocker and the fool—will reject the invitation and even respond to it with insults and abuse. Frankly, how we respond to the invitation indicates which category we belong to or desire to join.

The rewards of wisdom are clear (v. 11). Wisdom leads to long life and blessing (see Prov. 10:27). By contrast, for those who enter the House of Folly, “her guests are deep in the realm of the dead” (v. 18). Where does the journey to wisdom start? The answer is the same as we’ve seen in recent devotions: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (v. 10).

Go Deeper

Verses 13–18 give a contrasting invitation to the House of Folly. In what ways does this invitation differ from the first? Which features of both stand out to you and why?

Pray with Us: Our Father, how we want to reach the House of Wisdom, to eat at the Wisdom’s banquet! We want to “walk in the way of insight” (Prov. 9:6). Guide us to this House every step of the way, we pray, and keep us away from the House of Folly.

BY Brad Baurain

Dr. Bradley Baurain is Professor and Program Head of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at Moody Bible Institute. Bradley has the unique privilege of holding a degree from four different universities (including Moody). He is the author of On Waiting Well. Bradley taught in China, Vietnam, the United States, and Canada. Bradley and his wife, Julia, have four children and reside in Northwest Indiana.