Two Feasts—Proverbs 9
We come now to the end of the beginning. Proverbs 9 is the last chapter of the long introduction to Proverbs.
Solomon began by telling us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7). Then he warned us about two key dangers to young men: violent companions (Prov. 1:10-19, Prov. 2:12-15, etc.) and loose women (Prov. 2:16-19, Prov. 5, Prov. 7, etc.). Along with these two main warnings, he sprinkled some other key principles: Love faithfully (3:3-4), honor the Lord with your wealth (3:9-10), accept the Lord's discipline (3:11-12), don't be lazy (6:6-11), and so on.
But the lesson he keeps hammering home is simply this: Choose wisdom.
The Snare and the Cross—Proverbs 7
I suppose every sermon on the book of Proverbs could begin with an illustration of a man standing at a fork in the road, choosing between the way of life and the way of death. I hope that's what you want. The Bible isn't written just to help you choose between chocolate and vanilla ice cream, or between a Ford and a Toyota. Sure, things you learn from the Bible may help you make those decisions. The Bible touches on every area of our lives, but it does so because it strikes at the heart, at matters of life and death.