On Sunday we gathered around the table as is our custom. We opened in prayer. And we started checking in with each other. Sharing about how reading 1 chapter of Proverbs a day is going, and getting clarity on the goal to be reading one entire chapter of Proverbs daily matching the date of the month with the chapter we are reading. Some named the contextual nature of the Proverbs, most ascribed to King Solomon, perhaps giving more credence to the well known oral proverbs of the time. We discussed a bit the observation as to how wisdom is defined as a woman, as well as how also the woman is depicted as one who leads the way to sin and death (we took a moment to notice how often the foolish one is a man!). But we returned to the scripture, and a few observations — one mentioned that at their age (and at most of our ages) we should be familiar, we should know what wisdom is — we’ve lived long enough to have the proverbs prove themselves as true — whether at times in a very literal sense — but often with their metaphorical truisms revealing themselves again and again in our lives. And while this point is well stated and important to consider, we also took a moment to notice in Chapter 9 how similar the call of Lady Wisdom & Lady Folly can be — so even in our age, even in what we know it behooves us to go back to wisdom, to seek wisdom, to pray for clarity, discernment, and for the will of God to be like a burning bush in our daily lives. Because as one among us mentioned, in often trying to follow wisdom & wise council, they find at times the way followed was not wise at all.
So with these thoughts we turned to the Proverb for the day, Proverbs Chapter 14. We read until verse 15 (with a mention of verse 16). But took some time wondering about if we can know the depth of bitterness in our own souls, if the presence of bitterness is what disallows us from being able to share joy with a stranger (see verse 10). And also we spoke a bit about verse 13 how “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.” (English Standard Version) Taking a moment to consider the proverb in reverse.
As we take time with this book of Proverbs, noticing that trying to consider a Chapter a day can seem fast! questions come to mind, what and who is wisdom? The helpful offering to consider wisdom to be Christ has been given. Or related, do we find a more (what we consider) feminine quality to God in considering wisdom? And Proverbs writes from a perspective of an ordered world, they make sense both in the allotment of the good & bad things as consequences; however we have lived long enough to push at times against the wise council of these proverbs which seem not so true occasionally.
Let us continue this journey of seeking God — seeking wisdom through the daily reading of Proverbs, and growing in revelations that the Holy Spirit might breathe into us! Happy reading y’all & see you soon! (Homework remains 1 chapter of Proverbs/day).
In Christ ~
Rev. Sabrina Slater