Proverbs 1:20-33--The Call of Wisdom

Proverbs 1:20-33
English Standard Version
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The Call of Wisdom
20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
    in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
    at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
    and fools hate knowledge?
23 If you turn at my reproof,
behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;
    I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused to listen,
    have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have ignored all my counsel
    and would have none of my reproof,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like a storm
    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
    and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
30 would have none of my counsel
    and despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
    and have their fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by their turning away,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
    and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

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Wisdom is personified as a woman in the book of Proverbs.  She is out on the street calling to any that would listen to her--she calls in the marketplace where everyone is doing their business and trying to make money, but no one usually listens to her or gives her any notice.  She is also at the city gates where the elders of the city met to discuss official business.  Would they listen to her advice and heed her calls?

She cries out to all of them in warning that they are simple-minded and love the simple things in life.  She has something more to offer them, if only the scoffers would stop scoffing in the fools would stop hating knowledge.  If they would turn to her for reproof and correction, she would be happy to make her words known to them, but because Wisdom has called out to them (The Spirit of the LORD truly is the one speaking here that is personified as Wisdom), then judgment will come on them, for they are really rejecting the LORD and His Word.

The judgment is described as something that will come upon them suddenly, though there will be signs of it--like a storm that starts to build, and the sky starts to turn dark, but the damage it does comes on its victims suddenly and catches people who were not prepared.  Like a violent storm with tornadoes and damaging straight-line winds.  They will call out for help, but no one, not even Wisdom (the Spirit of the LORD) will answer them.  They will look for the LORD, but will not find Him, because they want him apart from His wisdom, reproof and Word.  That is not how it works.  We must come to the LORD on HIs terms--by the blood of atonement that takes away our sin.  God hears the cry of the one who repents and believes, but He has no obligation to hear the "prayer" of the fool who like Pharoah cries out to the LORD to save him from the plagues only to boast that he has tricked and manipulated God.  God knows the heart of man and knows when they are truly repentant and when they just want to escape the consequences of their sin and go right back to sinning.

​The LORD has declared His judgment for such people, "Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster."