Commentary on Proverbs 9:1-6

Food is a metaphor for life in many biblical stories. For a few weeks now, we have been reading Jesus’ sermon in John 6 in which he proclaims, “I am the bread of life,” and then describes what that means. And the corresponding Old Testament readings have spoken of various miraculous meals: Elisha’s feeding of 100 men with just 20 loaves of barley bread (2 Kings 4), the giving of manna—bread from heaven—to the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16), and the angelic food—a loaf baked on hot stones—provided for Elijah as he runs away from the vengeful Jezebel (1 Kings 19).

The culinary theme continues this week as Woman Wisdom invites all who will listen to come to a banquet. She has built her house and prepared the feast—meat, spiced wine, and bread. She has sent out her servants to gather folks in, and she invites them with these words:

“You that are simple, turn in here! …
Come, eat of my bread
    and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside immaturity, and live,
    and walk in the way of insight.” (Proverbs 9:4–6)

Wisdom invites the young and the foolish to eat and drink at her table so they might gain understanding and live. Such is the aim of the biblical Wisdom literature, of which Proverbs is the quintessential example: to teach young people how to live with wisdom and integrity, how to live the good life, in the best sense of that term.

The phrase “the good life,” of course, means something entirely different to most people today. Rather than having to do with integrity and wisdom, “the good life” refers to material prosperity and fame. It’s like an advertisement I saw several years ago, a full-page spread with a photo of a gleaming black sports car and, across the top, the words “THE KEY TO AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE IS QUITE LITERALLY A KEY.” And at the bottom of the ad, a photo of a key fob from the Italian car maker Maserati.

With a base price equivalent to twice the median annual income of an American worker, that Maserati car is out of reach for most people. In addition, it is patently false and even ridiculous to say that “the key to an extraordinary life” is literally a key to a luxury sports car. Nevertheless, the advertising professionals who made the ad homed in on a strong human desire—the desire to lead a life that is, as the ad says, “the absolute opposite of ordinary.”

The sages who wrote Proverbs understood the human desire to live a good life. The “good life” of the Wisdom sages, however, did not consist of a life devoted to the pursuit of wealth. Though the Israelite Wisdom teachers appreciated material prosperity, they did not hold it as life’s ultimate goal. Instead, they urged their followers above all to live lives of virtue, integrity, honesty, hard work, and faithfulness—lives rooted in “the fear of the LORD” (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 14:27; 15:16, et cetera).

Such a life may not seem “extraordinary” in the sense that the Maserati ad uses that term. Nevertheless, a life of integrity, honesty, self-control, faithfulness—such a life is extraordinary in the best sense of the word. The person who puts into practice the teachings of the sages may become an example of a way of being in the world that is neither flashy nor attention-seeking, but is in fact noteworthy and (in its own way) remarkable. Such wise people possess a certain gravitas that draws others to them.

The invitation of Woman Wisdom to her feast is an invitation to such a life, a life marked by insight, honesty, integrity, and the fear of the Lord. Wisdom’s feast is the metaphorical and ethical equivalent of a hearty meal made of whole food—beautiful, nutritious, and delicious.

By contrast, later in the chapter, Folly issues an invitation to her own feast. She uses the same words as Wisdom: “You who are simple, turn in here!” (9:16). Folly’s invitation may be tempting to the young and naïve, but Folly’s water is stolen and her bread is the bread of secrecy. Indeed, “they [Folly’s guests] do not know that the dead are there [at the feast], that her guests are in the depths of Sheol” (9:18). Cue the spooky music.

Folly’s feast may be tempting, in other words, but it is the road to death. It is the moral and ethical equivalent of ultra-processed sweets and chemically enhanced fast food: It may be tempting at first sight, but indulging in such a “feast” leaves one feeling bloated and slightly nauseated.

As you consider preaching this text this week, you might ask yourself and your congregation the question: What is the equivalent to Wisdom’s feast or Folly’s feast today? 

The answer will depend at least in part on your particular context, of course. Folly’s feast certainly might include a single-minded pursuit of wealth and status symbols, as in the Maserati ad. But it also undoubtedly includes a more recent development, the modern media landscape which has done genuine harm to our social fabric. The small screens we carry around in our pockets intrude on our time with real, beloved, in-the-flesh family and friends. We’ve all seen people out to eat at restaurants, sitting across the table from each other but ignoring one another because each is engrossed in looking at his or her phone. 

And what is it that so captures our attention? Inane games, fatuous gossip about celebrities, and silly social media updates. Or worse yet, news feeds that offer us a steady diet of outrage, hate, and fear, our own biases reinforced by whatever echo chamber we choose to inhabit. 

We all understand that this isn’t good for us, much like a diet of too many sweets or overprocessed foods. We even talk about it in terms of eating: we “consume” too much media; we check news “feeds”; we have to “fast” from Facebook. But Folly’s feast is alive and well in our pockets, and it is hard to refuse her invitation.

So here is the good news: Through God’s grace, Wisdom’s feast is also always available, and Wisdom continues to call out: “You that are simple, turn in here! … Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

And what does Wisdom’s feast look like today? Perhaps it is real conversations over home-cooked meals with those we love. Perhaps it is reading an actual book and talking about it with a friend. Perhaps it is taking a walk in silence, without listening to music or a podcast, paying attention to the wild and wonderful creation that God has made through Wisdom (Proverbs 8). Perhaps it is having a conversation with an older friend, one who has learned wisdom through many years of faithful living. It certainly looks like reading and meditating on Scripture, taking time for prayer, and joining other believers in weekly worship and Christian fellowship.

Whatever shape Wisdom’s feast takes in your life and in the lives of those you serve, may it be satisfying in the way that only real food, real bread can be. May it nourish your soul and bear fruit in your life so that others might be sustained by that fruit. And may it teach you wisdom as you seek to walk in the way of Christian discipleship.