Proverbs 9 (ESV) — 1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. 2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. 3 She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, 4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, 5 “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. 6 Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. 8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. 11 For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. 12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

13 The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. 14 She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, 15 calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, 16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks sense she says, 17 “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” 18 But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Analysis

Before we look at the big theme of this passage, we should do some analysis of it. The entire chapter breaks down into three simple movements. First, Woman Wisdom appears again. She has built a house and has prepared a glorious feast for anyone who would hear her invitation. Last, Woman Folly shows up and sits at the door of her home in an attempt to seduce people passing by—she also offers a meal. In between these two women is some insight about giving and gaining instruction—scoffers don't want it, wise people do, and it starts with the fear of the Lord.

While we're analyzing the passage, let's note the parallels between Woman Wisdom and Woman Folly. They both have homes (9:1, 14). They both call from the highest places in the town, meaning they are both visible and available—neither is hard to find (9:3, 14). Both offer a meal of some kind—meaning both of them will nourish you in one way or another (9:5, 17). And they both say, "Whoever is simple, whoever lacks sense, let him turn in here!", meaning they both target those in need of guidance (9:4, 16).

But it is the contrasts between these two women that are most astounding. Woman Wisdom built her house, complete with seven pillars, signifying the robust and multi-dimensional life of flourishing she offers, while Woman Folly merely sits at the door of her house (9:1, 14). Woman Wisdom sends out messengers (young women) with her invitation—she is planning on a highly public, massive, joyous festival—while Woman Folly directly invites her prey into a stolen and secret meal (9:3, 17). The meals themselves are in stark contrast—Woman Wisdom offers barbecue (slaughtered her beasts) and good wine (mixed her wine) at her table, while Woman Folly has water and bread (9:2, 17). This is an In-N-Out Double-Double vs. a cheap youth-group hamburger patty on a stale bun. And, of course, the end result of each could not be more different. Woman wisdom leads to life: "Leave your simple ways, and live," she says (9:6); while Woman Folly leads to death: He does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol (9:18).

In total, it’s a Thanksgiving feast with your favorite people and all the dishes you love—versus a bowl of breakfast cereal for dinner, but with water because you ran out of milk, sitting in the dark, watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians reruns, alone. One is totally, completely, and absolutely better—more life, more human, and, in the long run, much more fun.

We will get to the central section of Proverbs 9 in a moment—it is the heartbeat of the entire body of this movement—but before we do, we should allow the overall mood of this passage to impact us. We have discussed so much of this already in our study of Proverbs, but the author is really laying it on thick here—there are two paths, two voices, two options. To Proverbs, one is obviously better than the other, but we will be tempted to choose the foolish path quite often in life. But one thing is clear: the choice is ours.

The Fear of the Lord

In between these two houses is the key to unlocking the abundant and good life described at Woman Wisdom's residence: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight" (9:10). One translation puts it, "Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-GOD, insight into life from knowing a Holy God" (The Message). This is the climactic center of the poem, the anchor of the whole chapter, and all of Proverbs. We really cannot enter into the fullness of God's wisdom if we don't respect, revere, or stand in awe of God.

The fear of the Lord, as we have discussed many times, is not abject fear of God or paranoia about him. It is not terror that drives us away, but awe that creates a longing within us to be near him. If I were to compile various Scriptures that describe those who have the fear of the Lord, my composite sketch would look like this:

Holy. Proverbs 8:13 says “the fear of the Lord is hatred of evil,” and Proverbs 16:6 adds that “by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.” This means people who fear the Lord don’t flirt with sin but reject it as offensive to the God they love.
Obedient. Because “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10), and recognize that God "always" blesses those who fear him (Prov 28:14), they walk in obedience even when it’s hard, anchored in truth rather than what’s easy or trendy.
Humble. Proverbs 15:33 says, “The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor,” and Psalm 25:9 says God “leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” This means people who fear the Lord are humble, their spirit is soft and teachable. They don’t act like they know it all. They listen well and remain open to correction.
Just. 2 Chronicles 19:7 connects “the fear of the Lord” with God’s justice, saying, “There is no injustice with the Lord our God.” Peter did the same when he said God “judges impartially according to each one’s deeds,” so we should conduct ourselves “with fear” during our exile (1 Pet. 1:17). This means people who fear the Lord treat others with fairness and compassion—especially when entrusted with leadership or influence.
Worshipful. Deuteronomy 10:12 asks, “What does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul?” This shows that the fear of the Lord flows from a reverence for who God truly is—not a god of our own imagination, but the Holy One. And when we see him rightly, we love him rightly—with sincerity, awe, and devotion.
Bold. Because “the friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him” (Ps. 25:14), “the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him” (Ps. 34:7), and “as a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him” (Ps. 103:13), they move through life with boldness—not in themselves, but in the God who watches over them.

This is a mother who cares more about God’s eternal approval than her children’s momentary happiness or society’s opinion of her parenting. This is a teenager who feels a strong pressure to fit in but recognizes when a line is being crossed, and her conformity would turn her from the Lord who made her. This is a leader who refuses to cut corners even when it's customary at the workplace. This is a father who establishes boundaries in his career so that he can prioritize his kids. This is a retiree who doesn’t see their latter years as a time to coast, but as a sacred chapter to serve. This is a student who refuses to cheat, even when it’s easy, and no one would know. This is a business owner who pays her employees fairly, refuses shady deals, and honors God with the way she runs her company. This is a young couple who refrains from sex before marriage because they want to honor God with their bodies and their future. This is a friend who tells you the truth when it would be easier to flatter you. This is a pastor who preaches what’s true, not what’s popular in society or in the church. This is a widow who grieves honestly but with hope that God is with her. This is a man who shuts the laptop, puts the phone away, and chooses purity—not out of fear of being found out, but out of love for the God who sees and deserves his eyes, heart, and mind.

I give these scriptures and these examples of the fear of the Lord in action because we often spend our time defining the fear of the Lord by what it isn't—it's not paranoia; it's not terror; it doesn't push you from God. But God often describes the fear of the Lord by what it produces in the lives of those who have it. And our passage shows us four fruits of the fear of the Lord as it operates within us.

Some Fruit of the Fear of the Lord

1. The fear of the Lord makes you receptive to instruction.

The fear of the Lord shakes out into making people who are open and receptive to instruction. You may have noticed the middle passage spoke of scoffers—they hate correction, lash out against good counselors, and end up bearing their pains alone (9:7-8, 12). But the wise person becomes wiser and increases in learning when they are reproved (9:8-9, 11). When the wise come across the hundreds of variegated wisdom sayings in the rest of Proverbs, they rejoice and receive them, even if those sayings confront and challenge them.

Why? Because they fear the Lord, and this helps them understand that behind the correction or reproof is a Creator God who made and loves them. As Creator, he obviously knows best, so we crave his instruction. But, since all of creation was an overflow of his good, Trinitarian love, a love he had within himself before time began, we are open to receiving from him because of his absolute, radical, loving goodness.

King David and his predecessor, King Saul, serve as good illustrations of how the fear of the Lord opens us up to God's instructive wisdom. Samuel the prophet confronted both kings for their blatant sins, but only David broke, saying, "I have sinned against the Lord" (2 Sam. 2:13). His reverence for God, which he had buried deep within to pursue his fleshly passions, emerged at Samuel's rebuke. Saul, on the other hand, did not fear the Lord but the people, and this kept him from recognizing his crimes, even in the face of prophetic confrontation. The difference between those two men was the fear of the Lord.

When do you feel yourself resistant to godly instruction? Would a greater fear of the Lord help you?

2. The fear of the Lord helps you see the wise path as full of life.

To fear the Lord is to see God's path as full of life. Woman Wisdom invites all who are simple to leave their ways and live, while the end of Woman Folly's path is presented as filled with the dead in the depths of Sheol (9:6, 18). While Folly lies her face off, Woman Wisdom tells the truth about where true living is found. She's like singer/songwriter Lauryn Hill, who, after growing tired of the facade of the music business, began releasing raw and vulnerable music. She said, "Fantasy is what people want, but reality is what people need, and I just retired from the fantasy part." Woman Wisdom never promoted the fantasy part, she's only ever given us reality, and Solomon has gone out of his way to show his sons the hook behind the bait, the peril behind temptation, the doom down the path of folly—he has pleaded with us to see beneath the surface of temptation.

The thing is, the wise path is often counterintuitively difficult. It is the fear of the Lord that enables the wise person to see his path, no matter how difficult, as full of life. Many of you understand the pivotal and transformative change that took place in you. Before you knew Christ, studying an ancient Bible, attending odd church services, gathering for "fellowship," and serving others were foreign and unwanted concepts. But then Jesus got a hold of you and you began to see the path he offers as one full of life.

Moses is a beautiful picture of how the fear of the Lord can help you recognize God's path as full of life. Having grown up in the luxurious palaces of Egyptian royalty, Moses had to reject ease if he was going to connect with the Hebrew slaves. But he did something few would do when he "chose to be mistreated with the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin." He “considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt." (Heb. 11:24-26). It was his fear of the Lord that enabled him to see the rigorous and painful path in front of him as the one path that was full of genuine life—and reject the illusion of life in Egypt.

When do you struggle to see God's path as full of life? Would a greater fear of the Lord help you?

3. The fear of the Lord trains you to guard your heart.

The fear of the Lord also helps convince us to guard our hearts. Woman Wisdom and Dame Folly both plead, "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" (9:4, 16). Their words might be identical, but their tables are diametrically opposed. While Wisdom offers barbecue and great wine with her bread, Folly can only offer stolen water (9:5, 17). Why in the world would someone choose Folly's scraps over Wisdom's banquet? Because the heart, when left unguarded, is susceptible to cheap shortcuts and surface-level thrills over the substance wisdom offers.

This is why Solomon told us, "Above all else, guard your heart, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov. 4:23). An unguarded heart is a vulnerable heart. The fear of the Lord helps us here because it is our Lord who teaches us the value of the inward person. Our inner world of thoughts, feelings, and desires is the very place Christ aims to transform. The heart is the core, and Jesus came to rescue the core so that out of our hearts would flow rivers of living water (John 7:38). He said that out of our hearts come all sorts of damaging evils, but he said this with full knowledge that he could rescue our hearts (Matt. 15:19).

Joseph is a sterling illustration of a man who guarded his heart because of his fear of Yahweh. Carted off to slavery in Egypt, he could have rejected God because of all the calamity that had befallen him. Instead, he stayed close to God, so that when his master's wife tried to lure him into bed with her, he was able to ask, "How...can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" (Gen. 39:9). In saying this, he became a model for countless generations of men and women who decide to establish boundaries, not because they are prudish, embarrassed, or guilted into it, but because they treasure their communion with God. They guard their hearts, not just to shut out the noise of this world, but to keep their hearts fully alive and responsive to God.

When do you feel yourself opening your heart to the wrong things? How might a greater fear of the Lord help you?

4. The fear of the Lord draws you more fully into wisdom's house.

Finally, the fear of the Lord draws us back to Wisdom's house over and over again, more and more, as life passes. Reverence for Yahweh causes us to wear out the pathway to his wisdom house. For as much as Proverbs presents binary paths—two women, two meals, and two outcomes—real life is a bit messier. As we walk with Christ, we become more like him, but this doesn't mean we always choose the right path.

This shocks exactly none of us—our commitment to King Jesus is regularly challenged by the simplest things. We spend lots of time jumping back and forth from path to path and house to house. Sometimes we hear Wisdom in our morning worship and ignore her by the time we get to work. None of us lives exclusively in the house of wisdom. We all have pockets of our lives where we still turn to voices that are opposed to Yahweh.

But it is the fear of the Lord that makes us ache for his house and keeps us coming back over and over again to receive his wisdom. Knowing him, respecting him, loving him—it drives us increasingly to his house. In the film The Covenant, Sergeant John Kinley, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, feels an unshakable sense of duty to his Afghan interpreter, who once saved his life. Though Kinley is safe back home, he feels compelled to return to a war zone to rescue his friend who is being hunted by the Taliban. He tells his superiors, “There is a hook in me, one that you cannot see, but it is there.” I like this as an illustration of what an appreciation for Christ does for us—the fear of God wells up within us and pulls us more fully into his wisdom house. It puts an invisible hook in us and draws us into more wisdom.

When do you feel yourself distant from God's wisdom house? Would a greater fear of the Lord help you?

Conclusion

And it is this deep reverence for God that leads us to build our proverbial houses on the rock of Jesus and his teachings (Matt. 7:24-27). It produces the teachability we need. It helps us agree with reality as God reveals it. It pushes us to guard our hearts for him. And it drives us evermore into his presence. Beyond all this, the fear of the Lord makes communities better, strengthens churches, and impacts gospel witness. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy is insight. The door to Wisdom’s feast is still open, and Jesus himself is the one calling you in.

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Group Study Questions

Head (Knowledge, Facts, Understanding) 1. To help us understand the structure and contrast of Proverbs 9: What are the key differences between Woman Wisdom and Woman Folly in this chapter, and how do these contrasts help define the nature of wisdom and folly? 2. To explore why the fear of the Lord is foundational to wisdom: How does the sermon explain the meaning of “the fear of the Lord,” and why is it considered the starting point for true wisdom? 3. To see how Scripture illustrates wisdom lived out: What biblical characters are used in the sermon to show the effects of fearing the Lord, and what lessons do they teach us?

Heart (Feelings, Impressions, Desires) 4. To evaluate our emotional response to God’s holiness and nearness: When you think about fearing the Lord, do you feel drawn toward God or feel distant from him? Why do you think you respond that way? 5. To connect the sermon’s imagery to our inner life: What metaphor, story, or illustration from the sermon impacted you most deeply, and what desire did it awaken in you for a wise and godly life? 6. To reflect on personal experiences of drifting and returning: Have you ever sensed that you had “left Wisdom’s house” and needed to return? What emotions did you feel during that season, and what helped you come back?

Hands (Actions, Commitments, Decisions, Beliefs) 7. To apply wisdom by guarding what matters most: What’s one area of your life where your heart feels unguarded right now, and how can you practically guard it this week out of reverence for God? 8. To grow in humility and openness to correction: Where do you struggle to receive godly instruction or feedback, and how could cultivating the fear of the Lord help you become more teachable? 9. To take a concrete step toward wisdom: What is one intentional decision you can make this week that would move you closer to living in “Wisdom’s house” and walking in the way of insight?